Pools and Kids

Many people have pools in their backyards. And, many of these families have children. Areas where the majority of the year has warm temperatures, privately owned pools are the norm.

Pools provide good physical conditioning, as well as a deadly threat. An accessible pool can be more dangerous than a loaded gun, for your toddler. The gun might eventually go off, but unlike the gun, there is no warning sound when a child slips undetected into a pool. Drowning is the number one cause of children's deaths in Florida, Arizona, and California.

Parties and social events are held around the pool. Exercising in a pool allows most anyone to get a complete full-body workout. Families sit, eat and entertain by their pools.

If you have small children, or children that are are not proficient swimmers, or do not know how to swim, a disaster could be waiting. Most children are intrigued by pool toys and other children that might be having a great time in the pool. And, why not? They're laughing, having fun, and playing games in the pool. The pool is the focus of entertainment and family fun.

If you own a pool, you may have already installed an alarm to keep unsupervised children out of the pool area. Most pool security consists of a fence around the pool with a fence that might sound an alarm when it's opened. But, installation of a pool fence and gate alarm can be very expensive.

There are pool alarms that you attach to the side of the pool and work with an electronic sensor. Floating pool alarms sound if the water surface becomes disturbed enough to set off the alarm. Either of these types of alarms might give better protection than a fence if a child or pet should get into the pool.

Wearable alarms are also popular. There are two units with this type of alarm; one is worn by the child and the other part remains with the adult. The signal is adjustable and can be set anywhere from 5 to 30 feet. So, if the child wanders outside the setting a beeping sound will be heard from the adult's unit. This type of alarm is worn on a child's wrist, just like a watch, but if the child should fall into the pool an alarm will sound.

Potential dangers might be even greater for families that do not own a pool. Children that don't have access to a pool, or are not good swimmers, are at risk to be injured or worse. If your child is invited to a birthday party at a home that has a pool, can be worrisome. At the party there might be children running, playing and swimming, and no one can maintain a 100% watch on each child.

"But, I'm a responsible parent, and I supervise my children," you say.

A study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found the following results from research in Florida, Arizona and California.

Who's responsible to supervise a child?

69% of pool accidents happen when one or both parents were responsible for supervision.

10% of pool accidents happened when adults, other than the parents, were responsible for supervising a child.

14% of pool accidents happened when sitters were responsible for supervision.

7% of pool drownings happened when siblings were tasked with supervision.

Where do most pool accidents happen?

69% of drowning accidents happened in pools owned by the child's family.

22% of the accidents happened in a relative's pool.

11% of the drowning accidents happened in a neighbor's pool.

Drowning accidents happen quickly and without warning. Usually, there are no cries for help or other sounds heard. And, 77% of these children were seen just 5 minutes before they were discovered in the pool.

Drowning accidents leave irreversible devastating tragedies to anyone it touches. If you own or have access to a pool, you must be an absolute dictator regarding pool rules. You must let your children know that it is your way, or no way at all.

Set down definite pool rules, whether the pool is in use or not. Many times, parents tend to give a bit of leeway in some things, but when it comes to pool rules there must be no leniency!

Children must be supervised and protected, and parents must be responsible for the safety of their children.