Having a pool at home for the kids to play and swim in is a great idea. It gets them out of the house and keeps them active in the fresh air, instead of lolling on the sofa with their heads in the latest electronic game. However, it is essential to keep your pool kid friendly so that they don’t suffer any ill-effects from using it.
Safety First
Learn how to resuscitate a child who has drowned and teach your older children how to do it too. It could well save a life. Drill into children safety measures like not running or pushing on the hard surface, and playing safely in the water. Teach them – or have them taught – how to swim and show them how to save someone who is in trouble in the water. This can be as simple as throwing them the end of a towel and towing them to the side. Once you have put these safety measures into place, you will have peace of mind that your pool is kid friendly.
Pool Safe Educational Video
Sunburn
We all know by now that long exposure to the hot sun can cause cancer. That said, it is also healthy for children to have some exposure as this is how the body makes vitamin D. But if your kids are water babies, they risk getting painfully sunburned, especially in mid-summer. That is why it is a good idea to erect a shade sail over the pool. At least half their time will be spent under the sail, thus reducing the likelihood of getting burned. Teaching them to apply sunscreen is also important.
Will They Drink Their Pool?
Most kids swallow water from the pool as they play and splash about. Sometimes they even do it deliberately, but most of the time it is inadvertent. It is essential then, to ensure your pool water is kept at the right PH to discourage germs from growing in the water. Ear and eye infections can result from swimming in water that is not of the correct PH. How does the water become unbalanced? Leaves, bits of grass and other debris left rotting in the water will destroy the PH balance of the water. And unfortunately, some younger children go to the toilet in the pool. You need to check the water quality daily and make sure it is safe for your child to swim in – and ingest.
Slipping Over
When the pool is not cared for properly the water can often make the surrounding media slippery with algae growth. This is not always visible to the naked eye, but can usually be felt if you walk on the surface in bare feet. Children always want to run to the pool and you often can’t stop them. Slipping over on a hard surface can cause serious injuries so this problem should be addressed immediately.
Keeping Them Out
Part of pool safety includes having the right kind of fence and gate around the pool so that littlies cannot access the area unattended. Make sure older children do not let toddlers in unless you are going to sit there and watch them. They may insist they can look after a younger sibling, but it is unwise to let them when the results of forgetting could be fatal.
