It’s Baby Safety Month – and that means making sure your baby is safer in and around the water. At Goldfish Swim School, our instructors use integrity, compassion and trust to teach babies as young as 4 months old how to swim and water safety skills. Our friend and board-certified pediatrician Dr. Molly O’Shea is our go-to person for advice on babies, kiddos, health and wellness! She is an advocate for all things safety and shares 5 tips for parents to keep babies safer around water.
1. Prevent access to pools and water.
It doesn’t take long at all for little ones to wander off, unbeknownst to their caregiver. It helps to be prepared should that ever happen – so make sure your pool has a gate that is always locked. Take precautions when living on a lake or river to have a barricade between your home and entry to the water so you have a GOLDEN experience every time and prevent a possible water emergency.
2. Turn down the temp!
Turn down the temperature on your water heater to make sure water from the bath or sinks won’t cause harmful burns to curious hands and bathing babies.
3. Keep your eyes on the prize – your baby!
Never leave them unattended – especially in the bathroom or the kitchen where water is accessible. Save your email checking, text message responding, and chores for when they are safe and secure – taking a nap or being supervised by another adult.
4. Enroll your baby in swim lessons.
Yes, your baby can start learning to swim as young as 4 months old, so that by the time he or she is ready to walk, swimming will already be a natural thing. We don’t often think about needing swim lessons to protect our kiddos from in-home water sources like bathtubs or toilets, but the truth is – babies can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Swim lessons teach littles how to float on their backs, approach the water with caution, and know what to do in case of a water emergency. A total must for keeping our babies safe!
5. Know how to swim yourself.
Babies can pick up on our emotions even when we don’t suspect it. When you’re comfortable in the water, chances are your baby will be as well – which can lead to less panic on both ends. If you don’t know how to swim, you may be hesitant in the water and it may be apparent to your little one. Learn to swim and set yourself up to celebrate years of family fun ahead!
In honor of National Baby Safety Month, we encourage you to think about your safety plan for your new or future baby. From the back seat to your home to a family vacation, safety should always be your #1 priority!
Learn more about swim lessons to put your mind at ease and to give your little one the skills they need to be safer in and around the water at a Goldfish Swim School! Locations in Stamford, CT and Norwalk, CT, as well as Yorktown Heights and New Rochelle, NY!