Having a swimming pool in the back yard can be really fun and enjoyable, especially if you live in the sunbelt, and you are in the middle of one of those sweltering summers. Children can find it extremely fun to take a dip, play and have a really enjoyable time. However, home pool safety should always come first when there are children involved. In fact, if you have children under five, a pool is not recommended by most experts. However, if you already have a pool, and if you have no plans to sell your home, then there are rules that you can follow to ensure pool safety.
First of all, make sure that your children understand pool safety rules, and the very first one is not going in the pool without adult supervision. This means that you do not leave your oldest to take care of the younger children. It means that the adult is constantly on alert and never, ever, not for any reason whatsoever, leaves the children unsupervised.
Your children might compete in swim teams, go to swim meets, and be in lifeguard training, but that makes no difference. They should always have adult supervision because not all pool accidents are drowning related. Accidents can happen around the pool, as well as inside the pool, so there should always be someone around who knows how to handle the situation.
Another pool safety rule that your children need to be aware of is that there will be no running around the pool for any reason at all. Slip and fall accidents are very common when children are running around the pool, so they must be made to understand the no running rule so that you can minimize the chance of accidents.
Even if your municipality does not require it (some do when there are children in the house), you should have a fence that is at least four feet high all around the swimming pool. The fence should have a gate with a latch that is not within the children's reach, and it should latch and close by itself. Do not leave toys in the pool when the children are done playing, and the children will be less tempted to want to climb the fence or open the gate to get a toy that was left behind.
Your pool should also be covered when it is not in use, and this is something else that some municipalities require, so you should be aware of what the laws regarding pools are in your local area. In any event, a cover will lessen the chance that a child will fall into the pool and drown.
Unfortunately, all you can really do is minimize the chance of a child drowning in your pool. You can never totally remove the chance of a child drowning because there is no such thing as a drown proof pool. However, if you take the necessary steps, if you make sure that the children know the rules, then you have done all you can to minimize the risks of owning a swimming pool when there are children in the house.
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