Swimming Pool Rules

To help prevent any accidents occurring in your pool at home you need to put in place some swimming pool rules that you and any children using the pool should abide by. You can get these rules printed on a big sheet of plastic and place them at the entrance of the pool.

You should also get your child to learn some of the most important swimming pool rules and encourage them to stick to these rules when swimming in places other than your home pool. The following are some examples of basic safety rules in and around water:

• Never leave any child unsupervised around the water
• If you must leave the pool area, take your bub with you
• Make sure the swimming pool is securely fenced, and the gate is always closed to keep little wanderers safe
• Always leave your filter covered so your toddler can’t get into it
• When the pool is not being used, collect all of baby’s toys and other floating equipment that might attract curious eyes
• Never leave your little one in the pool with floaties unless you are directly supervising
• Consider taking a kids CPR course from an organisation such as St John’s Ambulance or the Australian Red Cross to better equip yourself with CPR skills in case of emergency
• Ensure that there is a resuscitation chart attached to the pool fence. You can purchase these from The Royal Life Saving Society Australia
• It is essential that children are taught to swim from an early age so they are aware of the dangers of water and are cautious when around swimming pools

Some things to think about

It can be very enjoyable for both bub and parents to share the family pool, but it’s important to make sure your baby is safe. While babies enjoy being in the water, they cannot keep themselves safe, so make sure you are able to lift your bub out of the water at all times. The pool water needs to be safe enough to drink because all babies will swallow some water while they are in the pool. Also, if the pool water isn’t at the optimal temperature (31.5 – 33?C) your little one can become too cold or too hot easier than older children and adults.

You should always do a couple of things when you have a home pool to keep your swimming area as safe as possible. Keep rescue equipment and a phone close to the pool at all times. You should have the pool area lit at night. Your pool chemicals are generally very toxic and should be kept well out of your children’s reach. If it isn’t heated, then put a hard cover over it during winter, not only will this reduce the chances of anything untoward happening, you will also save on chemicals and filter use. To make sure your pool is kept clean, any babies who swim need to have a proper swimming nappy like Huggies Little Swimmers on.