As the summer heats up families will be heading to the pool and beach more often. The YMCA is helping families stay safe while out on the water and make sure there's nothing but fun happening.
Lindsay Mondick, the water safety expert at the YMCA of the USA, says the number one rule is to always make sure children are supervised. Having a designated "Water Watcher" for any time the kids enter the pool, lake, ocean or whatever, will ensure a safer trip. Also, make sure all the children know to ask for permission before getting in the water so that supervision can go with them.
The second rule is that the adults accompanying children should have CPR certification in the case of an accident.
The third rule, which many people overlook, is that your child should know how to swim before going into the water. Learning to swim can reduce the risk of drowning by 80%. Mondick says swimming lessons should be essential for every child. Non-swimmers should always wear a life jacket.
If you have a home pool, making sure you have pool gates, covers or alarms, will reduce the risk of accidental drowning.
You can check out your local YMCA for swimming lessons, and go to lesliespool.com for more information on how to keep your pool safe.
