Plus Extra Resources So Your Summer Goes Swimmingly. Thanks to guest blogger, Jason Lewis from Strong Well.
Having a backyard swimming pool makes your house the place to be during the warm months. However, pools can be dangerous places if you don’t instill rules and use the right safety equipment. Here is a refresher and some additional guidance on how you can help your kids be safe swimmers and how you can make your pool a less dangerous place.
Raising Confident Swimmers
When your children feel confident in the water, they can become stronger and safer swimmers.
- Teach your kids the basics of swimming at home. Start with kicking and blowing bubbles.
- Or, you can sign your children up for swim lessons. The City of Plano offers lessons for ages 6 months-3 years, ages 3-5 years, and ages 6-12 years at Oak Point Recreation Center, Carpenter Park Recreation Center, and Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center. The Plano Aquatic Center offers lessons for ages 3-5 and 6-12. Registration opens May 7 at 8:00 AM for Plano residents. Registration begins May 9 at 5:00 AM for non-residents. Go to the Plano Parks & Recreation website and click on the Plano Recreation Catalogue to sign up.
- When your kids are ready, get them comfortable with deeper water.
- Make sure your kids know what to do in case another swimmer is in distress.
Prepping Your Pool
No matter how well your kids can swim, pools need a variety of maintenance and equipment in order to be safe environments.
- Opening your pool for the season is no easy task, so consider hiring a pro.
- If you don’t have one already, hire a local fence company to install a fence to prevent kids from falling in.
- If you live in a cooler area, consider getting a pool heater.
- Keep in mind that if you make any significant changes to your yard, pool, or house, you could increase the appraisal value of the property.
Laying Down the Rules
Securing your pool and ensuring your kids are strong swimmers is a good start. However, to make your pool as safe as it can be, it’s also necessary to lay out the ground rules.
- Kids shouldn’t swim alone unless they are mature and skilled enough.
- Have a policy against running, pushing and other rough play.
- Make sure your kids know the rules for diving and other swimming pool etiquette.
Swimming pools can be safe places as long as you take precautions and ALWAYS supervise your kids when they’re having fun. It also helps to make sure your kids are confident in the water and know how to stay safe.
If swimming becomes your child’s passion, consider signing him or her up for a swim team, The City of Plano has swim teams for both recreational swimmers and serious swimmers. They also offer lifeguard training and water safety instructor training for those who would like to teach swim lessons. Classes are offered throughout the summer. And while your child is participating in swim activities, you might want to consider taking an adult swimming conditioning class or a water aerobics class yourself. Sign up for sessions in the Plano Recreation Catalogue.
See you in the pool!
