Your swimming pool can be a wonderful source of entertainment and joy for your family.  However, if you have young children or pets, it is particularly important to establish rules and parameters to ensure your family’s safety around the pool; statistics demonstrate that drowning in a home’s swimming pool is the fifth leading cause of death for children under five years of age.

Keeping your pool safe is a simple process if you implement certain rules:

• Never leave your children unsupervised. Unattended children are the number one victims in swimming pool accidents. In addition, even if there are many adults in the pool, accidents can quickly happen if a child is not being directly supervised. It is effective to take turns supervising and directly watching the children to ensure that no accidents can occur in the one moment you are not paying attention to them.

? Define behavior and physical boundaries. As you teach your toddlers safety precautions around the home, it is equally important teach them safety standards with the swimming pool. Clearly lay down rules of where they can go in the backyard, and that they cannot go near the pool without you next to them.

? Consider erecting a fence. Due to the natural curiosity of children, it may be necessary to erect a fence around the swimming pool. The fence should be at least four feet high, with a self-latching mechanism that is above a child’s reach. The fence may also save pets from drowning.

? Evaluate installing a pool cover. A swimming pool cover can also be a great key to prevent your kids and pets from drowning. There are convenient motor-driven reel systems operated on electricity and pricier automatic swimming pool covers that are operated by a touch of a button. Either option is excellent in keeping your children and pets safe from accidental drowning.

? Utilize life belts and jackets. Although the brightly colored floating devices and tubes may look stable, they are actually not sufficient to save a child from drowning. It is important to beyond these toy flotation devices to provide your child with a lifeguard association approved life jacket or belt.

? Set stringent rules about the pool. Children need rules and parameters to guide them, and the swimming pool is no difference. They should be well aware of rules such as no running, no diving, and no horse playing. The rules of your swimming pool may vary, but it is fundamentally critical to ensure that the children understand and abide by the safety rules.

? Learn CPR. To prepare for the worst-case scenario, it is important that you get CPR certified. If any accident may occur, you will be prepared to provide the medical attention necessary to revive and resuscitate the victim, which will prevent any brain damage from occurring before the paramedics arrive.

By setting rules and parameters with your swimming pool, you can easily keep your children safe and ensure that the swimming pool remains a fun, enjoyable, and entertaining family event for years to come.

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