Why Life Jackets are the Best Choice Around the Pool
(Top Floatation Devices for Kids Around the Swimming Pool)
Even when you have a pool fence installed around your pool, parents still need to keep children safe. When little ones are in the water, especially if they’re not great swimmers, adult vigilance is paramount.
It’s even more important if they can’t swim at all. The American Red Cross recommends all children wear only U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets.
U.S. Coast Guard Approved Jackets are easy to spot, because they have the Coast Guard stamp right on them. When you’re purchasing a life jacket, be sure to follow the weight limits listed, so you can be sure it fits correctly.
If you’re teaching your little one to swim, there are swim life jackets that are U.S. Coast Guard approved, like the one illustrated with arm bands. The arm bands help kids learn to swim.
For complete child safety in and around the pool, the U.S. Coast Guard nor the American Red Cross recommend “floaties”, water noodles, and other floatation devices because they simply don’t prevent drowning. Those arm “floaties” so many parents use can slip off, leak air unexpectedly, and can even restrict arm movement; all things that pose a drowning danger.
Water noodles and other floatation devices are viewed more as pool toys rather than safety devices and should not be relied upon to protect kids in the water. Of course, devices and life jackets alone are no substitute for parental supervision. Even when your child has a life jacket on you should be watching him at all times. Statistics show that about one in five people who drown are children 14 and younger.
Supervision combined with the right floatation device and pool safety precautions can help keep your child safe in the water.
Visit our site to learn more or to find a Protect-A-Child Pool Fence dealer near you.
