I’m a parenting expert – the easy-to-miss sign that means your child could be in deadly danger at the swimming pool
SPLASHING around in the pool is a fun activity for many kids during the sunny holiday seasons – but they could be in serious danger.
Best-selling author and child development specialist Fi Star-Stone spoke to The Sun Online about how best to keep your little ones safe when in the water.
Fi, who has over 30 years of experience working with kids, highlighted the hidden dangers around pools and even provided some top-tips for ensuring your child stays safe while swimming.
“Don’t assume that your little one is safe because they’re in the shallow end of the pool – even two inches of water is a drowning hazard,” Fi warned.
Even though she recommended swimming lessons for toddlers as a method to potentially minimise the risk of drowning, she added that even strong swimmers can get into difficulty when in water so to always be switched on to the dangers.
But the expert shared the biggest easy-to-miss sign that if spotted quickly enough – could save your kids life.
“The most frightening thing to be aware of, is that drowning often doesn’t look like drowning. It can look like playing!”
Parents can also ensure that their little ones are easily noticeable in often packed-out resort pools with Fi’s top tip.
“When choosing swimwear, invest in bright colours rather than pale blues and greens, so you can easily spot your child around the pool or in the pool while swimming,” she said.
“In the run up to your holiday, talk to your children about water safety and have some basic pool rules as a family such as no running around the pool, no going into the water without an adult there and to always stay at the shallow end unless going in with an adult or wearing a flotation device,” she added.
Fi reassured that parents don’t physically need to be in the pool to keep their kids safe, meaning that they can enjoy the sunshine while knowing their little one’s are in good hands.
“Its easy to get distracted by that great book or a cheeky nap while at the poolside but it’s so important to ALWAYS supervise kids near water,” she stressed.
A method of ensuring your kids stay under a watchful eye while you catch some time to soak in the rays is to have a “dedicated lifeguard” in your group and take turns to watch the kids in the pool.
“Invest in flotation devices and ensure you can see your child at all times,” she added.
“Never be tempted to let them go to the pool by themselves with older siblings, it’s a huge responsibility and accidents can and do happen”.
But with excitable kids often running wild on holiday, Fi has warned of some seemingly harmless acts that could lead to tragedy.
She urged parents to never leave toys by the edge of the pool as this entices little ones who can easily fall in.
“Don’t let kids ‘rough-house’ or dunk each other in the pool – as fun as it may be, it can be extremely dangerous,” she added.
This comes after cops issued an urgent warning to parents after a shocking video showed adults swimming past a drowning boy as he sank to the bottom of a pool.
People swimming around the seven-year-old didn’t realise and he spent a full minute underwater before he was rescued.
But swimming pools aren’t the only danger while holidaying, Fi warned as she spoke to The Sun Online about how to keep your kids safe while travelling abroad.
She included vital tips on how to make sure your child can be found quickly if lost, how to teach your youngster to avoid strangers and how to keep them safe in the sun.