May 28, 2015 Dana

Summertime swimming safety tips! (Plus: drowning doesn’t look like you think it does)

With pools opening all over the US this past weekend for Memorial Day, it’s time for a quick refresher on the basics: how to keep your kids safe in pools.

Before I get started though (and yes, I know this is rather morbid), you should take a quick look at this article from Slate: “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning“. In short, the flailing and screaming version of drowning that you’ve seen in movies isn’t what it really looks like – when the Instinctive Drowning Response kicks in, they’ll look deceptively calm. The major takehome message for parents in this article is, “Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.” (A big thank you to Chelsea at our Fairfield store for the news tip!)

With that said, who knows pool safety better than the YMCA? This infographic tells you what to do to make sure the kids are safe. Follow these tips, and everyone will have a good time!