Water Safety Tips

KidTOPICS: Water Safety Tips

Prevention is always the BEST medicine ! Over 2,000 children die in the US each year from drowning. Remember, one out of every 1,000 boys will drown before he reaches his 20th birthday.

Follow these steps to prevent a tragedy:

	Do NOT leave a baby or toddler in a bathroom alone.
	Do NOT leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub unattended, EVEN FOR A SECOND.
	Do NOT rely on older siblings that are not adults to supervise bathroom activities.
	Use a toilet lid lock in bathrooms to prevent toddlers from falling in (drownings in toilets do occur).
	Avoid having 5 gallon buckets around your home.
	If you have a pool, fence it in on all four sides (4 ft minimum) with automatic gate locks.
	Convince your neighbors with pools to similarly fence in all four sides.
	Fence in hot tubs as well.
	Supervise all toddlers and children when swimming - DO NOT rely on lifeguards !
	Teach your young child to swim, but NOT TOO EARLY ! It is best to wait until they are at least 4 years of age before starting "formal" swimming lessons.
	Make sure toddlers and young children wear approved personal flotation devices when around open water and on boats.
	Always check the depth of the water before diving.
	Learn CPR yourself.