New York Nanny Center » swim

Summer Water Safety

Lindsay Bell — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 06:02:21 +0000

Summer is a time filled with beaches, tropical vacations, swimming pools, slip & slides, kiddie pools, open fire hydrants, outdoor showers, lakes, and every other type of water imaginable to help beat the heat. Kids love the water, but they also need constant supervision.

We’ve compiled the most important safety tips of the summer to keep your lil’ ones safe and happy.

1) Always assign one parent or guardian to watch children actively and rotate if possible. This may seem like a no-brainer, but did you know that children can drown in under 2 inches of water? Drowning can happy anywhere with water; this means being absolutely vigilant when lil’ ones are anywhere near water and keeping your full attention on the children.

2) Ask children to go near water with a buddy. If something goes wrong, their buddy will be able to help or call for help to a nearby adult. This ensures that even if your gaze slips to your phone or the mosquito on your leg, your child will have someone else looking out for them.

3) Make sure your child feels comfortable around the water. Lil’ ones who know how to swim either from swim lessons are generally safer around the water. If your child is too young to learn to swim, make sure they are outfitted with the proper water safety equipment, such as floaties or a life vest, anytime they get near water (playing in a backyard with a pool, sitting on the sand at the beach, etc.).

4) Ensure the water (and child) is ready for swimming or playing before they get near water. Water that is too cold or rough can cause children to freeze up and have difficulty swimming. If you have a personal pool, consider getting a child-safe cover or fence to make sure they are not near the water when it is not ready or an adult is present. Children should have plenty of fluids to ensure they are not dehydrated and should let food digest; doing both of these helps prevent cramps mid-swim.

5) Have an emergency plan. Make sure children know where lifesaving devices are just in case and all adults should know the plan in the event of an emergency. CPR classes are always a good idea, but if you just need a quick refresher feel free to refer to Parents.com’s Guide.

Fun info fom the Red Cross book, Whale Tales

Water fun is always great during the summer; now you and your lil’ ones can enjoy it while knowing you are fully prepared to have a safe time! Splish Splash!

Lauren is a BFC (formerly LLD) babysitter and lover of the water. She grew up swimming and went on to become Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor certified! She currently works in-house as the Marketing & Social Media Consultant.

Summer Vacation (Post-Baby)

Alison Gore — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:56:46 +0000

The two words teachers love the most are “Summer Vacation.” In fact, one of the reasons that I became a teacher was so I could enjoy two months of vacation from work. Every summer for the past 18 years I have gone to Harbor Springs, Michigan and had the best time. I could sleep in late, go play tennis, lounge at the beach and read fluffy books, and stay up with friends to the early morning hours. Well….things are a little different now with baby Henry joining me!

I wake up every morning by 6:30am, give Henry a bottle, take out the dog, play with the baby, feed the baby breakfast, change him and put him down for a nap. All before 9am! Then I have to make the decision if I’m going to go play tennis (while my saint of a mother watches the baby), take a nap, or be productive. Nine times out of 10, I choose to go back to sleep! Hey… It’s vacation after all!

When Henry wakes up I usually spend the next 45 minutes getting him ready to go to the beach. Swim diaper (please don’t poop!), sunscreen, rash guard-check! Beach toys, beach blanket, water, sun hat-check! Long gone are the days of meandering down the path with a magazine, beach towel, and sun screen. I feel like Mary Poppins. You’d be amazed at the things I’ve pulled out of my beach bag this summer!

FINALLY we make it down to the beach. It takes an army of at least 3 to get all the chairs, umbrellas, bags, coolers, baby, and other junk down to the beach. It’s quite an event! We are in walking distance to the beach, but the thought of having to trek back up to the house because I forgot something is unimaginable!

Me and Henry soaking up the sun

We sit down, Henry plays on the beach blanket for about 5 minutes before deciding he wants to crawl down to the water. Up I go! Following him around and wiping his face every time he decides the sand looks “good enough to eat!” Wipe, rinse, repeat! An hour later (if we make it that long) it’s time to take all the baby stuff back up so he can take his afternoon nap. At this point I’m exhausted and so very thankful I have my family there to help! I laugh at my unopened book laying in my beach bag. It leers at me like, “Ha! You thought you’d actually get to read me today?!”

Oh well…one look at my smiling baby’s face and I know all the hassle of packing and getting to and from the beach is worth it! Happy baby means a happy mommy!

Beach baby

(I really must give a shout out to my family, especially “Granny” for helping me all summer—I’ve managed to read a couple books and have some uninterrupted time at the beach!)

-Maureen is the LLD Chicago City Coordinator and a new mommy!