This past weekend Emory almost drowned. She’s fine, thank God but I realized that our world could have changed in a matter of minutes.
I shared on Instagram the full story and a few tips that we are going to practice over and over for the years to come.
Here are my tips for pool safety:
- Assess and set clear rules – Assess the pool. Find out where the deep and shallow ends are and set clear rules and instructions of where your kids are allowed to play. Have them repeat the rules back to you to ensure that they understand.
- Gear – I am a huge fan of puddle jumpers that buckle in the back and have shoulder straps. These are the ones that I like and use for all of my kids (even Grace ) It’s important that they are not able to jimmy out of them or take them off on their own. That will ensure that an adult is present when the puddle jumpers come off. Grace is a decent swimmer, however, when I am outnumbered, a puddle jumper gives me peace of mind.
- Be alert + don’t drink alcohol – It’s important to continue to raise awareness about our phones while our kids are in the pool. I love taking pictures of my kiddos in the water but I make sure to take a shot and put the phone down quick. I also want to mention alcohol. Alcohol slows us down and tends to make people a little more chatty, which is perfect when you’re on vacation with your spouse, but not when you’re in a pool full of kids. My advice is to abstain in order to remain sharp and aware.
- Swimming lessons – if you can afford them or are able to access them, this can be a game changer. I rely heavily on puddle jumpers because my kids do not know how to swim. I hope to enroll them in swimming classes soon because I know the importance of raising strong swimmers.
- CPR – This is one of those skills that you hope you never need to use. Below are a few printables for you to look over, study, practice and have available. I’ve gone through this printable with my mother-in-law and have it handy so I can brush up on the skill. I strongly advise for CPR certification through the American Red Cross. It’s a couple of days but you will leave confident that you’ll know what to do in case of an emergency.
This was such a scary experience for me and I want to make sure it’s a conversation we are continuing to have.
PLEASE SHARE this with your friends and let’s encourage each-other to remain alert and prepared.
Full story here:
Full story here:
Lastly, this super cute boy to brighten things up a bit!
