LIVE’S BEST THE HEAT WEEK: SWIM SAFETY FOR SUMMER TIPS…with Jenny McCuiston and Ryan Murphy

1. Enroll in Swim Lessons + Practice Basic Moves Before Returning to the Pool:One of the best ways to protect your children against drowning is to improve comfort level in the water and strengthen swimming capabilities through swim lessons, which have been proven to reduce the risk of childhood drowning by 88%. Lessons help increase muscle memory by practicing basic techniques for kids to use during a water emergency – such as the crab walk, properly getting in and out of the pool, going under water, rolling on their back, treading water, learning different strokes, etc.

2. Swap Out Floaties & Puddle Jumpers for U.S. Coastguard-Approved Lifejackets:Don’t rely on floaties and puddle jumpers to keep your kids afloat. They give children a false sense of security in the water, they can easily come loose or deflate, and they teach children to float in a vertical position which is the opposite of how our bodies actually float. Search for the Coast Guard approval on floatation devices, because it means the lifejacket has met all the regulations that the Coast Guard has set in place as it relates to performance, construction and materials. Pay attention to proper fit too. The fit matters, because if your head or ears can slip down beneath the life jacket, the device won’t be able to work as designed to keep your head above water and allow for proper breathing.

3. Seek out Bright Colored Swimwear & Properly Fitted Goggles: When shopping for swimwear, avoid colors that could blend in with the water and choose swimsuits with bright colors instead. They will stand out in the water and make it easier to spot a swimmer in need of help. When shopping for goggles, there’s a couple factors to look for: making sure they fit around the eye comfortably (the top of the goggle cup should fit under the eyebrow and comfortably seal on the bottom under the eye socket), that the nose piece is not too tight or too wide, straps easily adjust.

4. Play it Cool and Follow the Rules: Sometimes when our little ones are in play-mode, rules fall by the wayside. Review rules together as a family before letting your kids loose to enjoy the water. Pay special attention to pool hours, and always schedule your swims when lifeguards are present, if possible.

5. Designate a Water Guardian: Make sure to keep your eyes on your kids at all times – even if lifeguards are present. Kids are as curious as they come and are always willing to push the limits without knowing the true hazards. Designate an adult “Water Guardian” and be sure to change guardians every 30 minutes so he/she is alert and refreshed.A Water Guardian’s sole responsibility needs to be keeping an eye on the swimmers. Vigilance is key – no chatting, no checking your phone, no distractions.

6. Act. Throw! Don’t go:Make sure your kids know what to do in a water emergency. Their first instinct may be to go toward the person having trouble in the water. Instead, they should throw or reach a life preserver of sorts – and don’t go! That way, they aren’t putting themselves in jeopardy as well and are truly able to help.

7. Never Store Toys in Bodies of Water:Children are naturally curious! Storing floatation devices or other pool toys in the water serves as an open invitation to reach in and try to grab it. Having a designated toy bucket or basket outside of the pool (in-ground, popup, kiddie pool, etc.) prevents slipping and falling into the body of water.

8. Install a Four-Sided Fence Around any Pool with Door/Pool Alarms: There should not be an option for children to enter a body of water unsupervised. Surround your pool with four-sided isolation fencing and install a self-closing and self-latching gate that a child cannot reach and/or use a lock. Drowning is often a silent death, but there are certain measures you can take to alert you of danger. To prevent kids from slipping outside unnoticed, install a secondary barrier such as pool alarms and locks on doors and windows that have direct access to the pool area. These secondary barriers will alert adults of opening doors and gates.