Here are some helpful tips on water safety from the AAP and HealthyChildren.org. You can also click here for more information on bike, sun, bug and playground safety.
Install a fence at least four-feet high around all four sides of the pool. The fence should not have openings or protrusions that a young child could use to get over, under, or through.
Make sure pool gates open out from the pool, and self-close and self-latch at a height children can't reach.
If the house serves as the fourth side of a fence surrounding a pool, install an alarm on the exit door to the yard and the pool.
Never leave children alone in or near the pool or spa, even for a moment.
Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd's hook - a long pole with a hook on the end - and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool. Choose a shepherd’s hook and other rescue equipment made of fiberglass or other materials that do not conduct electricity.
Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
Children age 4 and older should be taught to swim. Parents may choose to start swimming lessons before age 4 if their children are developmentally ready, but swim programs should never be seen as “drown proofing” a child of any age.
Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm's length, providing "touch supervision"
