Safe Summer Practices

1. Limit access to bodies of water, like pools or lakes.

 Always make sure your kids know not to go near any body of water without an adult. If they're too young to understand this, make sure there is something in place to prevent them from wandering to it on their own. Whether it is a fence, baby gate, or a baby-proof lock on the door- is there something to keep your child from gaining access to the water? Also, be sure to double check when you're renting a vacation home with direct water access as-well. Do they have safety features in place?

2. Always have a designated watcher.

Have you heard the ad on the radio of children playing in the pool, then the narrator asks, "did you hear the child drowning?". This is an excellent example of the importance of a designated watcher. Drowning, often times, is a silent scenario. It is vital that, even with a crowd of adults, someone is directly in charge of watching the children. This removes any assumptions of "I thought someone was watching" and ensures at least one person is staying aware at all times. 

3. Floaties and inflatables are not life-saving devices.

We all love the big, inflatable flamingo, but he's not very good in a life-saving scenario (no life-guard certifications available for flamingos, unfortunately). Make sure you have size and skill appropriate floatation devices for your child. For boating, Georgia law requires all children under 13 years of age wear a USCG–approved PFD while on board any moving vessel.