Having your child enrolled in swim classes is the first step to helping them become knowledgeable about water safety and learn valuable swimming safety skills that can keep them safe. But there’s no substitute for swimming supervision (and by that we mean, active supervision); and so it’s equally important you talk with your child regularly about best practices near water.
Below, we’ve created a short, three-question quiz you can ask your kids, based on their ages, to get the conversation going and make sure they know water safety guidelines.
Ages 3-5
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Should you ever go swimming without an adult?
This should be an easy one for kids to answer, especially if you’ve spoken with them about it before. The answer is always “no.” Make sure to tell young children that an adult means a mommy or daddy, and that an older sibling doesn’t count (since those in this age group might not be completely sure who is an adult and who isn’t).
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Do floaties always work?
Again, this answer should be no. It’s okay for your kids to use rafts or pool toys under your supervision, but they should know never to use arm floaties (whether with you or with another adult). Knowing this helps them to get into the habit of avoiding this practice, as floaties can deflate and are a false sense of security.
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How can you get out of the water if you need to?
It’s beneficial to review skills children learn in swim class that could help them get out of the water if they’re ever in a sticky situation and don’t have immediate help. Remind them they can hold onto the side of pool edge and “monkey” along until they get to the steps, they can rest in a backfloat if they need to, or they can climb out by following the “elbow, elbow, tummy, knee, knee” technique.
Ages 6-8
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What are our family’s pool rules?
This is a good question to ask kids ages six and up because they can remember a simple set of rules. Make them easy to recall, and be sure “never swim without an adult” is part of these rules. This also helps kids to remember what you’ve told them and adhere to it, no matter if they’re at your house, a friend’s house or elsewhere.
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What should you do if your friends are playing rough in the pool?
Kids between the ages of six and eight often roughhouse in water. Ask your child what they would do if another kid was splashing too much, tried to jump on their back while in the pool, or acted in any way that was potentially dangerous. If they’re unsure how to handle such a situation, give them words to use and actions to take so they’re equipped if it ever happens.
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What are some safe games you can play with your friends in the pool?
Along the same lines of the question above, children should have a few ideas for games they can play with friends that don’t pose any dangers (of course, assuming they are being actively supervised by an adult). Some ideas include having swimming races, handstand contests or treasure hunts. These are all activities that are generally safe, and if your child already has them in mind, it’s much more likely that they’ll remember to suggest them when playing in a group and stay safe.
Ages 9-12
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What are our family’s pool rules?
Again, this is something that should be reinforced with this older age group, especially the rule about never going in water without swimming supervision by an adult.
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What should you do if your friends are playing rough in the pool?
This is similar to the question above, but you can take a different approach to it with older kids. Once children are more in the 9-12 age range, they can be very concerned about looking cool in front of their friends. Help them brainstorm ways to handle a situation when their friends are playing dangerously without making them feel awkward.
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What would you do if you were at a friend’s house, and they were trying to pressure you into going swimming in their pool without an adult present?
Since the 9-12 age group is often when peer pressure really begins to set in, this is an important question and ties into the previous one. Help your child figure out ways they can handle peer pressure situations, especially those that occur around water, in order to stay safe and not give in to something dangerous.
The biggest takeaway from these quizzes is to keep the kids swimming safety conversations regular and open with your children. Using a quiz format can keep the dialogue light and fun, and help reinforce really important concepts about staying safe when swimming. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about water safety or about our swim programs.
