Water Safety Tips for Summer

Understanding how to swim and respond to water-related situations significantly reduces the risk of accidents. “The cornerstone of water safety is education,” says Katherine Tabeling of Goldfish Swim School. “By teaching children essential swimming skills and safety protocols, we empower them to navigate aquatic environments confidently and safely.”

Goldfish Swim School recommends the following: Be sure to check your surroundings. Always be aware of potential hazards like deep water, strong currents, or slippery pool decks. Designate a Water Guardian. Assign a responsible adult to actively supervise kids in the water at all times. Taking swim lessons year-round. Consistent practice helps reinforce skills, build confidence, and improve overall water safety.

Ashley Yates of British Swim School shares, “It’s important to remember there is no one singular thing that will make someone water-safe. It requires a multi-layered approach. At British Swim School they teach the Stop Drowning Now Safer 3 message, which is Safer Water, Safer Kids and Safer Response.

Safer water. Physical barriers that block access to water like a pool fence with a self-latching gate, removing toys from the water after swim time so that children are not tempted to re-enter the water

Safer kids. Children should ALWAYS be supervised by a responsible adult. Be intentional by using a Water Watcher Tag which helps adults identify who is on duty to watch the water avoiding lapse in supervision–and they can switch off every 15 minutes to keep fresh eyes on the pool at all times. Many accidents occur in the presence of multiple adults who all assumed that someone else was watching the water.

Safer response. Adults should have a safety response plan including having a phone nearby to call for help if needed and ideally would be trained to administer CPR and First Aid if necessary. The quicker a drowning victim gets oxygen, the better their chances of survival.

Nobody is drown-proof but in order to help kids be safer in the water they should be taught how to float on their backs and how to safely enter and exit the water. Educating parents and kids alike is key, swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88% and can be started as young as three months old to teach them these life saving survival skills.

Goldfish Swim School holds W.A.T.E.R. Safety Presentations where they offer free, interactive presentations focusing on water safety education for children aged three to seven. Throughout May, National Water Safety Month is celebrated by diving into their Safer Swimmer Pledge. Started this in 2021 to spread awareness about water safety and drowning prevention and to give back to the USA Swimming Foundation.

Unfortunately most drowning accidents occur when it is not time for swimming. “When swimming, many parents think that they are keeping their children safe by putting them in a flotation device when they go to the pool but that actually robs them of the opportunity to learn how to float”, says Ashley. “It gives them a false sense of security making them believe that they can swim when in reality it is the floatie doing the work, not the child. Ditch the floaties and teach them to float independently. The best thing that parents can do for their children is to get in the water with them and provide 1:1 touch supervision while they are learning to swim.”

Unsure when is the right time to get your children swim lessons? Right now! We have a lot of options here in Cypress, find the one that protects your family and helps you thrive.

Special Thanks to Goldfish Swimming School and British Swim School for lending their time and expertise.

Cypress has an abundance of swim schools. In honor of Swim Safety Month, sign your children up for lessons.

Goldfish Swimming School

24310 Hwy 290, Suite 100

Cypress, TX 77429

281-377-9920

goldfishswimschool.com/cypress/

British Swim School

346-651-1803

https://britishswimschool.com/

FINS - Cypress

16634 House Hahl Rd