This past Sunday tragedy hit a Chicago neighborhood when an 8-year-old boy fell into the Chicago river while playing tag. The little boy couldn’t swim and despite efforts to rescue him, he was swept away in the strong river current. Unfortunately, tragic drownings are the second cause of death among children. It’s easy to forget simple tips for water safety so we wanted to post a reminder.
Water Safety Tips:
1. When your children are around water (pool, lake, river, even bathtub) it is important that they have adult supervision at all times. It only take an inch or two of water and a few seconds for a child to drown.
2. Make sure you continually stress to your child that he/she shouldn’t play near water without an adult present and go over clear water safety rules with your child.
3. Remind your child of water safety rules such as not running near water, no pushing or shoving near water, etc.
4. Be sure to have your child wear a life vest when you are boating, etc.
5. Teach your child to swim or at least float. While knowing how to swim isn’t a security against drowning, it can help your child know what to do if he/she falls into water.
We liked this Kid’s Health site for great water safety tips especially for kids.
What ways have you promoted water safety with your children?
Posted May 18, 2010