Pool Safety Tips for Parents in the Phoenix Valley Area

What Are the Best Swimming Pool Safety Tips?

To keep your family safe, you need to know the best swimming pool safety tips. There are many things to watch out for when relaxing by the pool, from protecting yourself from the sun to ensuring you have the proper safety equipment nearby. Below, you can find the best tips for keeping your kids safe when they are playing in and around the pool.   

Tip 1: Set Strict Backyard Pool Rules for Safety

The first step to creating a safe backyard with a pool is to set clear and strict backyard pool safety rules. You should have a serious conversation with everyone in the house, from your spouse to your children, setting guidelines for proper behavior and use of the pool. It can be tough to explain the rules once everyone starts having fun in the pool. So, it’s best to set some ground rules ahead of time. Some rules you should consider implementing include:

• No running, pushing, or roughhousing around the pool
• No diving allowed in water less than five feet deep
• No food or drinks in the pool
• No swimming without an adult present
• No swimming if you have open wounds, sores, or any type of infection

Tip 2: Put Up Fences

If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you probably already have a fence surrounding the property. You should ensure that this is locked and secure enough to prevent any children from wandering into your backyard. Further, you might consider installing fencing surrounding your swimming pool with self-closing, self-locking gates. This can prevent children playing in the backyard from getting too close to the swimming pool.

Tip 3: Enroll in Swimming Lessons

While you want to protect your children from water-related accidents, you should also teach them to swim. One of the best ways to do this is by enrolling your children in swimming lessons as soon as possible. Classes are frequently available for children as young as one year old. These classes teach young children basic water skills that help them learn to float and swim. The more comfortable your children are in the water, the safer they will be.

Tip 4: Eliminate Hazards

Before each swimming session, you should clear any potential hazards away from the area surrounding your swimming pool. Ensure that all pool toys are either in the pool or safely stored away from the pool, where they won’t pose a tripping hazard. Also, keep pool and patio furniture away from the pool’s edge. If you have trees, bushes, and other foliage near your swimming pool, you should trim them regularly to keep the area clear.

Tip 5: Tie Up Long Hair

Hair care is one of the most commonly overlooked pool safety tips given to parents. Anyone with long hair should take great care to tie up their hair tightly or put it in a swim cap. Loose hair can be extremely dangerous as it can get tangled around fixtures like ladders, drains, and lights.

Tip 6: Avoid Using Electronic Devices

Family pool time is a great chance to unplug and put down phones and electronic devices. It is also a matter of safety. When your eyes are on a screen, they aren’t on the potential hazards posed by your pool. While distracted by your phone, you could trip or fail to prevent an accident.

Tip 7: Wear Sunscreen

Before getting in the pool, be sure to put a healthy layer of sunscreen on every member of the family. Here in Arizona, the sun can be especially harsh, and failure to protect yourself from UV rays can be incredibly intense. The water in your pool will reflect the sun’s rays, making it more likely to cause a sunburn when you are in the pool. Get a waterproof sunblock, apply it 30 minutes before swimming, and have a blast in your pool.

Tip 8: Safe Swim Gear for the Kids

If you have little ones joining you in the pool, you probably have some safe swim gear like flotation wings, swim vests, and water shoes. These pieces of safety equipment for your children do a great job of helping to keep them safe, but you need to check them before every use to ensure your children are wearing them correctly.

Tip 9: Watch for Lightning

You have to keep an eye out for lightning while you are in the swimming pool. The large collection of water in your backyard is a magnet for lightning strikes. If you are in the pool when one happens, it can be a catastrophe. It is best to monitor the weather before and during swimming. If you see any lightning in the sky, get out of the pool immediately.

Tip 10: Maintain Constant Supervision

It probably goes without saying, but you need to supervise your children when they are swimming. Anytime you need to step away for any reason, you should have all the children in the pool get out until you return. Additionally, it is not a bad idea for adults to have a buddy around when swimming, although it’s less crucial than it is with children. Many accidents can also happen to adults, and the difference could be whether or not you have a friend to save you.