A former swim supervisor and an American mother now investigating drowning cases shared her tips for safe swimming trips with lifeguard recertification near me.
Warm days at the beach or pool are summer highlights for many children, but adults can be horrified by the dangers of the water – and not for a reason. If a child accidentally falls into the water, swims too far, or goes wading or swimming in too deep water, the consequences can be tragic.
Swimming skills and parental education are the most important ways to prevent children from drowning. Natalie Livingston , who lives in California, USA, wants to help educate families for the safety of all swimmers. Livingston knows what he’s talking about, as he worked for 25 years as a swimming supervisor and 10 years as a water park CEO. The mother of two is currently training swimming supervisors and investigating drowning cases.
- Remind you to be safe on the beach
Livingston urges parents to start the beach day with a short safety speech. Children should be instructed to always ask permission before going into the water. Children should also be told where they can swim and jump and how they can jump into the water safely. Failure by children to follow the rules will result in punishment.
A good moment to remind children of the rules of being on the beach is, for example, spreading sunscreen .
- Teach your child to relate their length to the depth of the water
Water of the same depth is more dangerous for shorter children than for taller children. Even if the swimmer’s feet reach the bottom, the other child’s airways may remain below the surface at the same point.
Livingston urges parents to teach their children how important it is to consider the relationship between their own length and the depth of the water.
- Tell me how to get rid of another’s grip
Even if a child is good at swimming, other swimmers can put him or her at risk. Livingston says he has seen several drownings in which a person struggling with the grace of the water catches another swimmer who can no longer escape the grip.
Livingston recommends that parents teach their children “breathe, dive, push” tactics for situations. If someone sticks to the water, one should take a deep breath, dive under the surface, and push the other person away with their hands and feet. When you get to the surface, you need to call for help immediately.
- Pay attention to distractions
A parent guarding their bumpy child should focus primarily on where the child is and what he or she is doing. However, the phone, other people, eating, and other distractions can distract you elsewhere.
Livingston himself says he keeps on the phone in flight mode while he is swimming with his children. She has downloaded a reminder app on her phone that alerts you every minute to check how the kids are doing.
- Come up with something that will help you stay focused and stick with it while swimming, Livingston writes.
When intoxicated, children should not be supervised at the beach or pool.
- Take breaks
Children could swim all day, but the parent’s ability to concentrate is not enough to control those in the water for so long.
Livingston encourages parents to take regular breaks, for example every 20 to 30 minutes, to keep their minds fresh. During the break, children should be commanded out of the water.
- Don’t trust too much
Livingston does not allow anyone other than herself and her husband to supervise their children by the water. Children should wear life jackets with other supervisors, such as the grandmother. Livingston does not want to trust the lives of his children in the hands of others, let alone hold others accountable if something happens.
Anyway, Livingstone would like children to wear more life jackets when swimming. Toy-like floats, such as bathing rods or rings, are not strong enough to keep a child above the water surface if swimming skills are not sufficient. At worst, a child may be exposed to a position where the head falls below the surface.
