Kids Drown

One of my former partners, an extraordinarily competent internist, saved a drowned child's life by resuscitating him in the hospital emergency room.  Another doctor, in the same city, lost his adolescent twin sons when they drowned in the backyard family swimming pool.

Kids drown.  And when they do, it means that an opportunity to save their lives through the exercise of  simple adult responsibility, was not taken.  Don't let it happen to you or a member of your family or friends's kids or even a neighborhood child who has obtained access to your pool You are the responsible adult and you must act responsibly.

No children, including adolescents, should be  in a pool without adult supervision.Children do not have adult judgment and they do dumb dangerous childish things: they need adult supervision.

At a party, where adults and children are swimming, the host or hostess should clearly and unequivocally and repeatedly explain that it is each parent's' responsibility to watch his or her own child and be responsible for the safety of that child. It isn't the host's responsibility,  It isn't the responsibility of other parents to watch your child or of you to watch their children swimming.  It isn't  the responsibility of a young adolescent acting as a lifeguard.  If you can't be bothered to watch your own child in the pool, get the child out of the water and to a place where he or she will be safe. And then make sure that he or she stays out of the water, regardless of the taunts of invitations of other kids.

Pay attention. Have a cell phone available, but don't use it to text or chat, or respond to calls,  because you will be distracted and unlikely to be paying attention to your child. Know the address of the house or place where the kids are swimming because in an emergency, that information may save a few precious seconds. Alcohol-containing drinks will probably interfere with your ability to respond to an emergency: save the drinking for another time and place.

Adults should enforce routine safety around swimming pools, stopping potentially dangerous horseplay or behaviors which may result in injury.  Don't apologize to the kids (or their parents) who complain about restrictions on dangerous behavior: explain that you are serious about the safety  rules you are enforcing.

Read the material in the links above because that information may save a child's life, save you from a lifetime of anguish, and save you from financial ruin.

Take the risk of drowning in a family pool seriously. Be a responsible and caring adult.