With Spring Break rapidly approaching we all think about the fun times we'll have, the exciting places we'll go and the new adventures we'll have. But we also need to think about safety! Today we're lucky to have Rebecca Wear Robinson, a social entrepreneur in the field of water safety and drowning prevention, share some great tips with us.
Travel is an exciting break from our normal routine - staying in a new place, easy access to a pool or beach, ditch some of the normal routines in favor of relaxing and having fun.
It’s good to remember that while adults can adapt fairly quickly to a new environment, children usually don’t recognize that ‘different’ can mean ‘dangerous’. I remember the story a friend told me about renting a condo someplace warm and watching her 15- month old walk into the pool. Literally just walked towards the pool and kept going because she didn’t understand that the pool was water and she couldn’t walk on it. Her parents fished her out before any damage was done but it was a good reminder that if you don’t have a pool or a beach in your normal environment, your child doesn’t understand how to act safely around those new forms of water.
Here are some tips for making sure your vacation is fun, and safer.
1. Walk your child to all new sources of water (pool, beach, lake, stream) and explain that they can never go near that water unless they have a grownup with them. Don’t frighten them, but explain that this is different water than the water they see at home but that you will have fun if you are all together. My #1 rule for travel is ‘Stick together!’
2. If you have young children or non-swimmers, think about investing in a portable alarm system. I like Safety Turtle. The band attaches to the child’s wrist and if it is submerged in water an alarm goes off. If you regularly visit Grandma’s and they have a pool, think about leaving it there.
3. A proper flotation device adds another layer of protection. I’m not a fan of arm bands, they deflate and slip off. In fact, if it inflates, it’s a toy, not a safety device. Think about a proper life jacket if you have really little
ones (or lots of children to watch), but if your children are a little older and have some comfort in the water, check out SwimFins. I keep them in our swim bag and my children love them. It’s shaped like a shark fin and leaves arms and legs free to practice their strokes or really play, and it passes EU buoyancy standards, though it’s not a life jacket.
4. Watch your child. If your child is playing in or around water, put down the book, magazine or phone and wait for the ‘me’ time when your children aren’t near water. You might even discover that just watching the water or being in the water makes you more relaxed than anything else.
Happy Travels!
You can learn more about Rebecca and her work in water safety on her website, Facebook fan page, Facebook and Twitter.
