Ensuring Water Safety for Children over Summer

Ensuring Water Safety for Children over Summer
Children love to play in water and with summer now officially here, we're all thinking about trips to the beach, lakes and pools. So it's also a good time to be thinking about water safety for young children.

Eight preschool children drowned in New Zealand last year. So it's important to keep young ones within arm’s reach at all times. It only takes sixty seconds and around five centimetres of water for a child to drown.

Focus on these safety tips and help keep children safe around the water.

Never leave children, especially those under 5 years of age, unsupervised near water, - and that includes baths and buckets. If you need to leave the room, take the child with you. If you are in a group, always make sure it is clear who has the job of watching the children.

Having a fence between the pool or spa and your house is the best safety investment you can make. Check them regularly and look especially for any problems with the gate, any gaps to crawl under, or for loose bars or planks.

Encourage your kids to be familiar with water, develop water skills and learn to swim. It might save their lives.

Invest in proper life jackets. Make sure the jacket or vest fits properly - snugly - and use it whenever a child is near water.
And don't forget the sunscreen.

At Rotorua HomeBased Childcare, your child's safety is paramount. Our home-based childcare educators are carefully selected and all have a first aid qualification. We also have small ratios so there's a high level of adult supervision at all times. Talk to us about our playgroups and other services where your child can play and socialise safely and have fun!


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