Summer might be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean water safety should leave with it. Whether you’re planning a warm weather family trip for the holidays or visiting an indoor pool, water safety should always be top of mind, especially if you have young children. Children can drown in as little as two inches of water, which means everyday tasks like bathing pose a risk.
“People think that drowning is like it is in the movies where you’re going to be flailing and yelling, and somebody is going to hear you, which is not the case,” says Linda Watkins, injury prevention coordinator at Inova Trauma Center – Fairfax. “Drowning is silent. You can’t hear them, especially once they go under.”
Watkins, shares her best tips for ensuring your little ones are safe in the water, whether you are out swimming or in your own home.
At The Pool, Lake or Beach – or at Home
Also, be sure to reiterate water safety rules each time you take your children swimming, as children can often forget rules and past guidance.
If an important call or text comes through, make sure you have a “water watcher.” This means that if you’re at the pool with more than one adult, one can be the water watcher, while the other takes an important call, Watkins says. Keep in mind that a water watcher shouldn’t be responsible for more than two children.
In addition, if your children are swimming in open water, be sure they know to swim only in designated areas. “Swim only in areas that are designed to swim in, not creeks or rivers or areas with which you’re not familiar,” Watkins says.
Children should not jump into the water to save a friend. If they have something to row or throw out to someone that they can grab onto to stay afloat, they should do that. “But if that fails, they definitely need to get help and let somebody who is a professional go out and help that friend,” Watkins says.
At Home
Need emergency care? Click for hours and locations of our hospital-based emergency rooms (ER) and stand-alone (walk-in) emergency centers. Safe Kids Fairfax County is led by Inova Fairfax Hospital, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving our common goal: keeping your kids safe. Based on the needs of the community, this coalition implements evidence-based programs, such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops, and sports clinics, that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. All of our services are free and open to the public. For more information, call 703.776.3259 or contact Linda Watkins at linda.watkins@inova.org.
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