Taking a vacation with your family is a great way to get away from your normal routines and spend some time relaxing and enjoying one another. While there are lot of things you’re likely going to create memories for on your family vacations, one thing that you definitely don’t have to have a memory for is if one of your kids were to get hurt while traveling. But for many families who spend time in the water with their kids, there are too many close calls where their child could have been seriously hurt in a hotel or resort pool. So to help ensure that this doesn’t happen to your family, here are three ways you can keep your kids safe when staying at a hotel or resort with a pool.
Require Permission First
Although almost all pools now have some type of enclosure around them which makes it hard for kids to sneak in on their own, it’s still important that you teach your kids your family rules regarding when swimming is appropriate. According to Jennifer Marino Walters, a contributor to Care.com, drownings often happen when a child goes near a pool when the family wasn’t actually planning on swimming at that time. To combat this, consider making a rule with your child that they’re only allowed to swim after asking for permission first. This will help teach that to at least give you a heads up if they’re wanting to play in the water, allowing you to keep a closer eye on them.
Know Your Job As Their Supervision
You’ve probably been to a pool where the children are swimming as their parent sits on the side reading a book or playing on their phone. While this is better than not being there at all when your kids are swimming, you’re really not being a good supervisor if you’re not paying close attention to your kids. Knowing this, SafeRide4Kids.com advises that you take your job as your child’s poolside supervision seriously. Even if it’s boring for you to sit there doing nothing while watching your kids swim, you’ll be glad you gave them your full attention if something scary does end up happening.
Give Them The Right Preparation
Before you let your kids in the water, it’s important that they’re as prepared for safety as possible. Eileen Ogintz, a contributor to TakingTheKids.com, recommends that you teach your kids how to swim from a very early age. In conjunction with this, you should also always have your child wear a flotation device or life jacket that will help them to keep their head above water.
If you’re worried about how to best keep your kids safe around a hotel pool, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.
