byWhen I was a teen I lifeguarded, first at the public pool, then at a lake. Here are two things I learned:
- Children can be fearless—despite the caution you’ve instilled.Never leave your child near the water unattended. As you’ll read in my main post (linked to below), if you let them out of your sight, they just might decide to take a dip in the deep end without knowing how to swim.
- - Lifeguards don’t see everything. Don’t put your child’s life solely in the hands of a lifeguard. Many times the pools are crowded. There’s a lot of noise. It’s impossible for one person to never take their eyes off of everyone in the pool. Your child can go under in a split second and not come back up, and no one might notice until it’s too late. So, for people who can’t swim, or who are weak swimmers, someone needs to keep a constant watch, ready to help, or yell if help is needed. Even if your child is a great swimmer, they should never go into the water without a good-swimming partner nearby.
For a more on what I learned about kids, adults, and how to save someone from drowning click here.
What’s been your experience? Have you ever saved someone from drowning? Maybe even yourself?
