3 Pool Safety Rules Every Kid Should Know

Recently a friend of mine experienced a scare while doing some spring cleaning to her pool. During the process of working, her rambunctious toddler got a little too close to the pool and tumbled in. Luckily, because they keep a simple water safety rule—”no kids inside the pool gate without a life jacket”—he was completely fine. While everything turned out OK, it serves as an important reminder for pool owners with little ones. Here are a few pool safety rules every child should know.

Always Have Adult Supervision

Using life jackets like my friend is a great place to start, but just as important as the life jacket is the fact that she was there to help. Even when your children are old enough to swim, having an adult present in case of an emergency while the pool is in use is a must. It may seem like more fun for the kids to swim without their parents around, but accidents happen and having an adult around if they do is invaluable.

No Running

I’m sure we’ve all heard this one from our own mom or dad at one point, but sometimes we need to be reminded of the significance behind this common saying. Of course, falling into the pool by slipping is a concern with running, but falling outside of the pool can be just as bad if not worse. With kids splashing and playing, the area surrounding your pool is always going to be wet, so it’s important to make sure your kids navigate their way around slowly.

No Roughhousing

Pool safety rules are necessary for a single child, but they are even more relevant when you have multiple children playing at once. One rule you’ll always want to enforce is kindness. Make sure everyone playing is considerate of one another and keeps each other’s safety in mind. Keep the games going by avoiding the rowdiness.

Pool safety lists can go on and on, but what matters most is that you establish a few simple rules for your family everyone can remember. Make sure everyone knows what they are and knows the expectation to keep them. And the beauty is, when no one gets hurt, it is all fun and games!