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6 Tips for Water Safety for Toddlers
If you’re hitting the pool or beach with your little ones, you might not realize how important water safety for toddlers is until you have a close call!
Last week, my husband and I were at the pool with our three kids. I’d just come back from a bathroom break with my youngest, so we’d taken off her floatie. Despite both my husband and I being there, we didn’t see my 2.5-year-old daughter go into the pool without her floatie on. Luckily my 5-year-old saw and called out to us right as our youngest was stepping off the stairs. My husband grabbed her the second she went underwater. Yikes!
Summertime around the water is so much fun but can be incredibly stressful at the same time. The good news is, brushing up on some basic water safety for toddlers can help you feel much more prepared! Here are some of our family’s tips for staying safe around the water:
1. Bright Colours
I try to buy bright coloured UV suits for my kids, that way I can easily see them. My older two are comfortable swimming under water and it’s assuring for me to quickly spot the bright suit under water.
2. Phone Away
We all know how distracting phones are! I’ve been there, where I look down at my phone, then look up and I can’t see my kids. They move fast! Now we have a no phone rule while our kids are in or around the water.
3. Swimming Lessons
If we haven’t been to the pool much over the winter and spring, we try to take lessons the first week of summer break. That way they get more comfortable around water again, before all our trips to the lake and pool.
4. Practice
Every time I go to the pool with my kids, I have them practice what to do if they get in trouble while in the water. I try to keep it fun though! “Do a cannonball and see how quickly you can get into a back float!”
5. Communication
When another adult is with me and the kids, we communicate very clearly when one isn’t watching the kids. “I need to see if I’ve missed any calls, I’ll let you know when I’m back in.” This is what I didn’t do when we had the scare above! I assumed my husband was watching the kids. If I had let him know beforehand, he would’ve been on alert.
6. Don’t take on too much!
I’m a sufferer of FOMO (fear of missing out), so I love to join friends who’ve made plans. But as a mom of three who’s often solo parenting, I must assess whether an outing will be too stressful. A big waterpark watching three kids on my own? I don’t think so. If I can, I’ll ask for help from a grandparent or friend. Otherwise, I just have to say no.
Having kids around the water can be stressful. But when I follow these tips, it sure makes things easier. It’s never too late to brush up on water safety for toddlers, and I hope these pointers help! Staying alert and reviewing some basics with your family can help ease the stress and give you peace of mind.
Alex Turner is a journalist turned stay-at-home mom. Read more about her adventures on her blog!