Your Handy Checklist for Safe Swimming

All day, the kids look forward to jumping into the pool. Swimming with your young children is a wonderful experience as a parent. Teaching them important life lessons under the sun will be a memory you cherish forever. Of course, any time there is water around safety precautions and constant supervision need to be maintained to ensure the safety of everyone.

We’ve put together a handy checklist for safe swimming, so you don’t have to strain to remember if you are forgetting something next swim session. You can even print this list out and post it near your pool as a helpful reminder.

Safety Checklist:

• Supervise children at all times. If you are hosting a party, designate two adults to watch the pool and don’t let yourself get distracted. A child can drown in the time it takes you to send a text message. Chaperones should refrain from drinking alcohol or becoming intoxicated.
• Put up a self-latching pool fence around the perimeter of your pool deck.
• Use a pool cover when the pool is not in use.
• Keep a buoy and shepherd’s hook on the pool deck.
• Check the chlorine level in the water to make sure that the pool water is healthy and clean. It should be in the range of 1-4 ppm.
• Learn CPR and take a water safety course. It is a good idea to enroll your children in swimming lessons with safety lessons built into the course.
• Anyone who is not a strong swimmer should wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Have a few extra on hand in case you have guests.
• Monitor the time children spend in the hot tub. They should be limited to 10-15 minutes and younger children should refrain from using the hot tub unless the temperature is lowered to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Make sure they stay hydrated before, during, and after hot tub use.
• Keep the pool deck clear and free of obstacles that someone might trip over.
• Don’t let children go near the drain or filters.
• Use the buddy system. Have older children watch out for the younger ones but never assume this is a replacement for an adult chaperone. You are the lifeguard.
• If anyone in your family is pregnant, has a medical condition, or is taking medication, make sure to consult with a physician before they use the pool or spa.
• Some splashing is natural, and the pool deck will likely get wet at some point but try to limit splashing, so the deck doesn’t become slippery.
• Don’t allow anyone to run on or around the pool deck.
• Use quality sunscreen with UV protection to prevent sunburns.

Have you checked your list twice? Now it’s time to have fun, just remember that water safety is the most important thing when you and your family are enjoying your day at the pool. Backyard Oasis carries pool accessories for safety and for fun and games. Need pool maintenance or service? Give us a call at 936-327-2531 or visit our showroom. We’re located at 2200 US Hwy 190 W in Livingston, TX. Happy swim season!