With all of this hot weather we have been having recently, I wanted to briefly talk about water safety.
Water Safety
It’s so important that your child learns basic water safety—swimming and playing in the water can be a lot of fun and great exercise. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that most children are not ready for swim lessons until they are at least 4 years old. Even if your child “knows” how to swim, he or she still must be watched. No one should ever swim alone—not even adults. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, drowning is second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14.
Your child should also wear a U.S. Coast Guard certified life jacket when on a boat or playing near a river or a stream. Life jackets could prevent approximately two-thirds of all boating-related drownings of children ages 14 and under.
Your older child may want to use a personal watercraft, such as a jet ski. Jet skis have gotten faster and more powerful over the last few years. Younger kids have been using them, resulting in more deaths and injuries to young kids on these vehicles. The AAP recommends that no child under age 16 use these vehicles. A younger child just doesn’t have the strength, attention span, decision-making ability and maturity to control a vehicle that can go upwards of 50 mph.
Have fun, don’t forget the sunscreen, and be safe.
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