A baby swimming specialist has debunked nine myths that many parents still believe about water safety but really shouldn’t.
For many families, water is an important part of the summer. From days spent at the beach to holidays to keeping the kids entertained at the local pool on rainy days, water has a big place in Irish people’s lives.
And it’s wonderful; the water is such a good sensory experience for children, it’s so much fun and a great way to get outdoors and get exercising. Have you said that adding water makes parenting so much easier? Because it’s completely true.
But a part of this is adhering to water safety rules and parents need to make sure that they are up to date with current safety advice to ensure kids are kept as safe as possible around water.
A mum and baby swimming specialist and instructor has taken to Instagram to share nine commonly believed myths about swimming and the water that parents still believe.
9 water safety myths many parents still believe
- My child is safe because they are wearing floaties – Floaties or arm bands may create a ‘false sense of security’ in the water. ‘Children need real swim skills and constant supervision.’
- I can wait until they’re three or four to start swimming lessons – Drowning is a big cause of death for children aged 1-4, and the sooner children safely build their swimming skills the better.
- I’ll hear them if they fall into the pool – Most drownings happen with little to no splashing or shouting.
- If your child loves the water and is comfortable around it, then they’re safe – ‘Comfort around water and water safety are not the same thing’.
- We don’t have a pool, so I don’t need to worry – Drownings don’t just happen at home in personal pools, they can happen in neighbours houses, at parties, the beach and so many more places.
- Babies are too young to learn to swim – According to the specialist, babies are ‘incredibly capable’ of learning to swim, breath control, floating positions and water confidence.
- I’ll just watch my child in the pool – while this is important, parents ‘layers of protection’ matter more. These include: Supervision, barriers, alarms, swim skills
- My child learned to swim last year – Swimming isn’t a ‘one and done skill’ according to the swimming specialist. It’s one that needs to be practised and maintained.
- It could never happen to us – Sadly drowing can happen to anyone, which is why water safety is so important. It’s not about fear, it’s about preparation.
