Memorial Day Weekend ushers in the first signs of summer. (For most people, even though the weather this year is freakish to say the least.)
I spent the weekend fleeing the bad weather at home to spend time at a resort down south. The weather was beyond perfect and the company was too. It was, in my opinion, the perfect way to begin the summer.
While most of the weekend was spent relaxing, there were the mandatory trips to the pool.
Nothing says summer more than sitting by the pool. But a nice, relaxing day by the pool sipping iced smoothies can quickly turn dangerous if you do not know water safety.
While many families are turning to self employment to make ends meet, it is extremely important to know water safety so your health insurance for self employed does not incur any extra costs.
Here is what everyone should know before stepping one toe into as swimming pool this summer.
- Know how to swim. This sounds basic, but many people do not know how to swim. Until last year, I was one of them. Always terrified of swimming, I avoided the deep end like the plague and stayed very close to my water noodle. It was not until I took a swim class that I really learned how to be comfortable in the water. And this can easily result in injury. I would panic in the deep end, which would make it difficult to stay afloat and make it to the side safely. If you can, get your children acquainted in the water with swim classes. Not only to learn the proper technique, but to feel comfortable in the water.
- Learn CPR. In the rare case that something happens, you need to know how to take action. CPR is helpful in many situations, especially with swimming disasters. If you do have to use CPR, it can be the difference between life and death. So make sure you are educated.
- Teach your kids water safety. It is not just about knowing the right way to do strokes to be safe in the water. Kids (and adults) need to to about water safety. No one should ever swim alone if there is not a lifeguard on duty. Dunking (where one person holds another person’s head under water) is dangerous and not funny. Be careful on slides. While they are fun, make sure you ride it on your bottom or you stomach. Standing and sliding down the slide is not only dangerous, but could result in a cracked skull.
- Watch your kids like a hawk. Drowning can happen in an instant. Often it does not look like drowning, but playing. Make sure all eyes are on kids, especially to notice if they have not come up for air in a while. This can happen in a snap. Over my perfect weekend we had a bit of a scare. The two-year-old was wearing a life jacket and fell face first and could not get his footing. So he was stuck, on his front, face in the water. Of course, we yanked him out quickly. But it was a situation that could have gone from a split second scary to a bad problem fast.
Enjoy the water, but be safe to keep the party rolling.