Parking Lots, Playgrounds or Pools

“Come here.”

“You can not go without me.”

“Wait for us.”

“Hold my hand.”

“Don’t run.”

“Stand beside me.”

What scenario am I talking about??

Well, a parking lot of course.

Or 

Even a playground.

What scenario do I wish I was talking about??

Being at the pool with your child or children.

We as parents have all kinds of rules when it comes to how our children need to act when they are in a parking lot or on a playground.  I don’t know why, but it seems that while those same rules need to be in place at the pool, they often aren’t.

Over the years, I have watched MANY parents put some kind of a floatation device on their children when they get to the pool and they allow the children (who are not independent or safe swimmers) to go in to the pool on their own.  Maybe the parent is getting the pool side area set up but many times I see a parent sit down and pick up their phone.  Other times, a parent turns their back to the pool when speaking to a friend or getting other children ready for their time in the pool.

No matter what the reason, it’s incredibly unsafe…but it happens.  OFTEN.

Over the years, I have NEVER watched any parent with a young child put a bright colored vest on their child and then allowed them to head out of a building and in to a parking lot while they attended to other things or other people.

Over the years, I have NEVER watched any parent with a young child get to a playground with slides and climbing walls etc, send their child off to play and sit down on a bench, pick up their phone and pay little to no attention to their child.

I do not know why parents treat parking lots and playgrounds differently and with so much MORE regard for their safety than they do at a swimming pool but I do know that I would like to change both the way parents think about this situation AND the way they act as well.

When you allow a child, especially a child who is not an independent or safe swimmer, who DOES NOT have the skill set needed to save their own life, to go in to a pool on their own, without you or the direct supervision and you or another adult using TOUCH WATCHING, (this means being within an arms reach of your child BUT your eyes are always on them) your child will think that this is OK.  

All the time.  

Children lack discernment so they probably won’t understand that while this was OK once, it will not be another time.

I bet it happens countless times each summer…a child gets out of the pool (that they have been in by themselves) and a parent or the child takes off the floatation device they wear in the pool.  Everyone has lunch.  Child finishes lunch and then jumps up and runs back to the pool and jumps in…without the floatation device on.  The child is then in a very dangerous situation. A potentially FATAL DROWNING situation.

Hopefully an adult sees what has happened and can jump in to get the child.  If this family is at a public pool, hopefully the lifeguard would have seen and would rescue this child.  But please remember that a lifeguard is NOT a babysitter.  (We will talk about that in another post!!)

If no body sees, this child could drown.  I do not say this to scare you.  I say it because it happens and I do not want it to happen to you.

Moms and dads, this situation NEVER needs to take place.  You can control a pool environment just like you do a parking lot or playground environment.

You can have rules around the water.  You can enforce those rules.  You are the one in charge.  You are the one who understands how fun water is but how dangerous it can be in the same moment.

To help parents navigate situations like this, I have created the Waiting Whale Family and have developed drowning eradication strategies and systems to help save lives that will work for your family and will help you to be more in control of this environment, just like you are in the parking lot or on the playground.

These strategies include the introduction and practical use of the Waiting Whale Mat as well as teaching your child when a water environment is “CLOSED” and they will WAIT or establishing an “I will WAIT here” area.  All 3 of these strategies together are the Waiting Whale Family – Drowning Eradication System that I have created.

It is my goal to provide you with information, situations and scenarios that make you look at water differently and cause you to think about how you can better keep your child or children safe in and around the water.  It is also my goal to provide you with resources, strategies and a straightforward game plan to help you be successful as you navigate the world of water.

I hope that this information gave you an “ah ha” moment and that now we can work together to create an environment for you and your children that is fun and less stressful but about all else SAFE and we can ERADICATE DROWNING.