Swimming is one of the biggest activities of the summer. What’s better than a cookout around the pool with the kids laughing and splashing away? Because of this, many people choose to install a pool in their backyard to socialize with neighbors and family and to keep the kids outdoors and active during the summer.

As great as this is, when you have a pool, you have the constant worry about having a pool-related accident. Here are some guidelines to make sure your children are safe this summer around the pool.

No Horseplay

You know when you were a kid and all the adults were constantly nagging about, "No horse playing"? Well, guess what? They were right. Most accidents happen from children running on the wet concrete surrounding the pool and from hitting their heads on the side of the pool during wrestling matches or games of "chicken".

Discourage your children from wrestling matches and remember to carry on tradition by nagging about "walk, don’t run" and "no horseplay".

Diving

It goes without saying, but train your children not to dive in the shallow end of the pool. If you start early with your children, telling them "bottom or feet first" they will learn not to dive.

Also be careful about your children diving off the board. When children get older, their dives can be more powerful and they "over shoot" the deep end. While they are technically diving in the deep end, they dive so far off the board; they hit the slope in the pool that transitions from the shallow to the deep end and can break their neck.

Never Leave Children Unattended

Just like you never leave your child when he is in the bathtub, do the same with the pool. If you need to go inside to answer the phone or to fix lunch, make sure the children are out and away from the pool. If they are young children, they need to go inside with you. Use this time as a break or rest time.

Electronic Pool Sensors

One method of keeping your children safe from drowning is to install an electronic pool sensor. These sensors most often float in your pool and are sensitive enough to detect when the surface of the water has been disturbed.

When the sensor detects motions in the pool, it sets off an alarm both outside and inside the house, up to 200 feet from the actual sensor. The sensor stays on 24/7 unless you purposely put it in "sleep" mode. While you never want to depend on an electronic device to be a babysitter for your children, a pool sensor can give you peace of mind. Knowing that the alarm will go off should one of your little ones sneak out a door and fall in the pool can help you relax.

If you choose to have a pool in your backyard or your children swim frequently at a friend or family member’s pool, you must set strict rules and enforce them. By doing this, you can have a fun summer, but most importantly, a safe one for your children.

Javier Hernandez

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