WebParenTips - The Online Parenting Newsletter vol.6 no.7, July 2005

            KIDS AREN’T WATERPROOF!

Just read a startling statistic. Steven Levitt, a
University of Chicago economics professor finds that a
child is 100 times more likely to die in a swimming pool
accident than be killed by a gun.

No, don’t unlock your gun safe or throw out the trigger
locks. But don’t ignore the dangers of swimming pools,
either.

I live in Arizona where drowning is the leading cause of
accidental death in children under five. I’m looking at my
own swimming pool now; it’s sparkling and beautiful, a
great place to cool off and exercise.

BUT it is a dangerous place, especially for young children.

Whenever children are playing in a public or home pool,
there should always be a "designated watcher" who is
doing nothing but watching the children--not grilling chicken
or talking to friends. Never leave a child alone near the pool
even for a minute. A child can drown in the time it takes to
answer the telephone.

Never rely on floaties or other inflatable toys to protect a
child from drowning, keep toys like tricycles out of the pool
area, and do not permit running near the pool.

Equip pool areas with rescue equipment like a pole and life
ring as well as a telephone and learn CPR. In Arizona home
pools must be properly fenced and equipped with self-closing,
self-latching gates. Parents are advise to not keep any patio
furniture or toys nearby that a child might use to climb over
the pool fence and to equip all doors from the house with
self-closing, self-latching mechanisms.

You may live in a place where home pools are uncommon.
But the dangers of water lurk in places many parents don’t
think of. Never leave a child alone near ANY body of water --
ocean, lake, pond, drainage ditch, wading pool, bathtub,
even a bucket!

Have a cool, happy, and SAFE summer!
    
Happy Parenting,
Marilyn Heins, M.D.


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Dr. Marilyn Heins is a Tucson pediatrician, parenting
columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, author of the book,
ParenTips, as well as a mother, stepmother and grandmother.

She is available for workshops and lectures to groups of
parents, teachers, and grandparents. See: Dr. Heins' Lectures
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More parenting information can be found in Dr. Heins' book, ParenTips