Safety Tips For Kids Around Water

Water is an attraction to children all year round. Children, especially infants and toddlers, are drawn to it. Water can mesmerise, as it combines with the reflection of sunlight or with objects that may be floating on the top. Along with it being a fun and enjoyable play experience, it can also be a dangerous and potentially lethal combination when a lack of supervision exists.

Throughout the year, regardless of season, water hazards exist around the home, with the most common form being the bath and home swimming pool. Every year in New Zealand on average,two children drown in the bath, whilst a further four drown in a home swimming pool. The typical and most common denominator with all drownings of small children is a lack of adequate or appropriate supervision from parents and caregivers.

New Zealand does not have a favourable record of drownings. When compared to other countries in the developed world, New Zealand ranks second highest in overall drownings per capita. This fact is exacerbated when compared directly with the likes of Australia or the USA with New Zealand children drowning at twice the rate of these other countries on a per capita basis.

Sadly for parents the loss of a small child to drowning is not only tragic, but also fraught with guilt. The decision to leave a small child alone or in the care of older siblings is a fatal mistake. Even a minute to answer the phone; attend to clothes or dinner can be enough for baby or child to slip and make their way into or under the water.

Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) is endeavouring to educate parents on the following points to aid in efforts to reduce drowning in New Zealand:

• Drowning is silent
• Drowning takes around two minutes
• Drowning can be easily prevented through active and positive approaches to safety and skill development.

WSNZ has developed the Under 5 WaterWise project to specifically target the problem of infant, toddler and early childhood drownings in New Zealand.WSNZ endorses a positive approach to water safety. This includes encouraging parents to become more involved with their children's aquatic experiences, be it in the bath or at the local swimming pool.

A positive introduction to water is something that all New Zealand children have the opportunity to gain. WSNZ, with the support of ACC and the Todd Foundation, have developed education kits for Early Childhood Education Centres and Kohanga Reo to assist children learning about safer play with water. A valuable component of this resource is the take home information for parents.

There should never be questions asked when it comes to child safety, least of all around water. The threat of water hazards both within the home and beyond, need to be constantly managed. Small children have neither the ability nor the knowledge required to make a decision about their own safety. This responsibility lies with the parent and can be simply done by:

• Maintaining hand contact at all times while bathing an infant
• Leaving household duties such as cooking, cleaning and answering the phone until bath time is over
• Emptying the bath as soon as the child is out.

Important water safety rules need to be cued, promoted, reinforced and discussed where relevant and applicable to ensure additional preventive measures are taken on top of supervision, these may include:

1. Only play with water when parent or caregiver are present

2. Only entering the water with a parent or caregiver

3. Only entering the water whilst wearing appropriate swimming nappies or costumes (swimming pools).

One of the most positive experiences for a child is a simple visit to the local swimming pool with family. The comfort and reassurance that the family bond provides along with trust placed in parent-child relationships mean that a regular trip to the pool can be a valuable bonding tool as well as enhancing confidence and understanding in the water.

By providing a positive aquatic experience from a young age, children are more likely to develop water safety skills that will lead on to learning to swim and thereby ultimately reducing New Zealand's devastating drowning toll.

For further information contact Water Safety New Zealand on:

Phone: 04 801 9600

Email: wsnz@watersafety.org.nz

Web: www.watersafety.org.nz