Swimming is a rewarding, healthy activity and knowing how to swim is a life skill that home educators can foster. Lately, families are staying home more than ever — but that hasn’t put a stop to the summer fun. At-home swimming has become one of the most popular ways for safety-conscious families to beat the heat, 2020-style. However, the importance of swimming safety is too often overlooked as children lose access to lifeguard-monitored pool situations. Among those aged 1-14, fatal drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes. And in Texas, over sixty children tragically have died of drowning just through the middle of August this year.
Here’s what families need to know about childhood drownings:● Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children 1-4 and the second-leading cause for ages 5-9. (CDC)
● Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. (CDC)
● Among children 1-4, most drownings occur in home swimming pools. (CDC)
● 69% of children younger than 5 years of age were not expected to be at or in the pool at the time of a drowning incident. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
● Nonfatal drownings sent 6,400 kids under age 15 to the emergency room in 2018. (U.S. CPSC)
Parents can help prevent drownings in several key ways:
● Enroll your child in swim lessons. Taking part in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years up to 88%. (U.S. HHS)
● Supervise when in and around water. Because most drownings are silent and can occur in less than 20 seconds, adults should not be involved in other distracting activities around the pool.
● Don’t substitute air-filled foam toys for life jackets or other safety devices.
● Create barriers around your pool. Install four-sided pool fencing that separates the pool area from the house and yard and add extra security with gates and door locks.
By spreading awareness about water safety, we can all take responsibility for at-home pool time and create a fun, safe experience for our kids when they need it most.
British Swim School offers its uniquely excellent water safety and swim instruction in multiple locations just minutes away from most Central Texas families living from New Braunfels to Georgetown and is now offering lessons in some locales at your home pool. To learn more and to find a location closest to you, visit our website at britishswimschool.com.
