6 Water Safety Tips for Families
With over 12 years of experience as a swim instructor, and our resident swim instructor at Tesoro Viejo’s Ranch House ClubHouse, Jorden Sobonya of Jorden Sobonya Swim School shares important water safety tips for the whole family – children and parents alike.
When she’s not teaching swimming lessons during the summer, she’s teaching middle school students in the Madera Unified School District. “I believe the sooner children learn to swim the safer. Frequent exposure to water and the pool is important. The heated pool year-round at Tesoro Viejo makes that easy for residents,” says Jorden.
As temperatures are rising and children are wanting to be more active in the water, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Effective supervision- The most critical line of defense is adult supervision.
No level of aquatic skill can replace active supervision. Most drownings occur without adults present. Drowning is silent and quick. Get in the water with children. Provide vigilant supervision and practice skills with the kids.
Learn to swim- the sooner the safer! It’s never too early or late to learn to swim. Enroll your children in swim lessons that teach self-rescue skills.
Use the buddy system- never swim alone, even if you know how to swim.
Learn CPR and First Aid- If an emergency happens, it is essential parents and families are prepared. You could save the life of a near-drowning victim. Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and remember to update those skills regularly.
Pool fences- Install a permanent 4-sided fence with self-locking gates. Ensure that the pool fence is at least 3-5 feet from the pool edge and 4 feet high.
Avoid floaties, if you can- Floaties give children a false sense of security in the water. They also put children into the vertical position, also known as the drowning position. Parents should always get in the water with their kids. There are areas of the Ranch House pool for adults and children of all heights. Plus a separate kids pool and splash zone.
For more information about water safety tips, visit Jorden’s Instagram page here and click on the Advice highlight.