Last Updated on August 14, 2017
As soon as you open up your pool for the season or the weather gets warm enough to use it, you will inevitably have young children who want to use the pool. You don’t want to turn your kids or grandchildren away, but it is important to take precautions, such as a child pool fence, to keep youngsters safe in and around the water. Over 800 people a year died in unintentional drowning incidents from 2005 to 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest rates of drowning occurred in children ages 1 to 4. By taking measures to keep children out of the pool when adults aren’t around and teach them pool safety, you can prevent a drowning accident from occurring.
Putting a child pool fence around your pool can help you to keep young people from going into the pool area unintended. When you purchase a child pool fence, it should be at least 4-feet tall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A fence or barrier should also have doors and latches that keep your children or grandchildren from being able to go into the pool or accidentally fall in when nobody is watching them. A fence or barrier needs to be erected around the full pool area. Some fences come with alarms, which send out alerts when anyone tries to get into a pool when it isn’t being used.
You can also keep children safe from drowning by teaching them the importance of staying away from the pool without supervision. Explain to children at an early age that they cannot go into a pool area without you, other family members or your adult friends. When you have young children at the pool, watch them very carefully every moment. Have them use flotation devices whenever they get near any bodies of water, including any swimming pools. At young ages, take your children to swimming lessons or teach them how to swim so that they know how to keep themselves afloat.
Taking different precautions, including a child pool fence and supervised pool time, will allow you to have fun in your pool with your kids or grand kids but keep them safe at the same time. Children who are educated about pool safety and know how to swim will be more likely to be safe in the water throughout their lives.
