What are some safety rules to use when you take young children to a beach or pool?
Before you arrive at a pool or beach, go over the rules with your children. Some good rules include: No running on the pool deck. Tell Mom where you are going (to the bathroom, to get a snack, etc.) Don’t go to the deep end until the child is very comfortable in the water. Also, parents should not rely on life guards to watch their kids. Life guards are there to watch the whole pool, not to monitor individual children. Don’t let an older sibling, for example, an 11 year old, watch a four year old. On the other hand, you can have a family buddy system, with siblings keeping an eye on each other. What about the old rule of not swimming after eating? That depends entirely on the child. It’s usually a good idea for younger children to wait awhile after eating. However, by the age of seven or eight, depending on the child’s swimming ability, swimming after eating is usually ok. When should a child participate on a swim team? By the time that kids are comfortable being in the deep end, can s
