Toddlers have an insatiable curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for exploration. Their enthusiasm often extends to the water’s edge – whether it be a pool, a bathtub, the beach, or even a puddle. While their innate inquisitiveness is admirable, it underscores the necessity of water safety education from the earliest stages of life.

Natasha Wallis is a qualified swimming instructor, surf lifeguard, and the owner of Aqua-Heroes Swimming Academy in Whiteriver. She stresses, “The significance of water safety for toddlers cannot be overstated. It lays the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyable and secure aquatic experiences.”

Natasha shares some tips to help parents keep their little ones safe as they adventure into the wonderful world of water.

Pro tip #1
The first rule of toddler safety around water is constant supervision. Never leave children unattended in the bath or around a pool or any other body of water. Make sure a responsible adult is always there to keep watch and take action in case of an emergency.

Pro tip #2

Start water safety awareness with your baby from as early as one week old. Babies naturally have what’s known as a diving reflex to help protect them from drowning. When a baby is submerged in water, the instinctive survival reflex is to hold their breath and open their eyes. You can elicit the same reaction when you blow air gently over a baby’s face.

When bathing your baby, take a wet, lukewarm facecloth and squeeze the water out over their head. Say, “One, two, three, under” and gently blow over your baby’s face. The reflex kicks in, and you teach them to associate the feeling of the water with the command. When this reflex disappears at around six months, you will already have started water training.

Help them to become comfortable and confident around water. You don’t always need a pool to do water training – fill a crate with water and add safe objects from your kitchen. Allow children to explore, but always be within arm’s reach.

Pro tip #3
Training for tots

Taking toddlers for structured swimming lessons with a professional coach can be a transformative experience. These lessons cultivate water familiarity and comfort while imparting basic water survival skills. Supervised instruction teaches toddlers to float, kick, and exit the water. Instruction serves a two-fold purpose: to build essential life skills and to nurture a positive relationship with water from an early age. It also promotes a positive attitude towards water and safety, making their responsibility an adventure rather than a restriction, while ensuring a secure approach to aquatic environments. As they grow and develop, water education can evolve with them to give them a broader understanding of the dangers of diving or jumping into unfamiliar bodies of water, the power of water, and the importance of reading warning signs.

Training for parents
Parent education is an important cornerstone of water safety for toddlers. If a drowning occurs, it’s crucial to act fast! Being well informed about potential hazards, emergency procedures, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques allow you to respond swiftly and effectively in an emergency, and save a life. If you’re a parent who doesn’t know how to swim, make sure you learn. It’s an essential life skill that not only helps you but also gives your child confidence seeing you comfortable in water.

Training for helpers

If a nanny or helper looks after your child where there is a pool or open water area, consider taking them for swimming lessons too. It will give you peace of mind knowing they know how to swim and what to do to save your child’s life in case they fall into the water.

Pro tip #4
Whether you’re hosting a party or your children are attending a friend’s, clear rules around water play and basic water safety principles are essential. There should always be:

• a strict ‘no running’ rule around the pool area, as wet surfaces can be slippery, leading to slips and falls;
• at least one water watcher, someone who can swim, to keep an eye on the little ones; and
• emergency equipment, such as a lifebuoy and first-aid kit, and at least one responsible adult who knows how to use them.

Also have the number of an emergency service saved in your or the responsible adult’s phone if needed to call for emergency help.

Pro tip #5
In addition to having a child-proof fence around your pool, do everything you can to make your poolside safe. Invest in a net or cover, and even cameras, to prevent drowning incidents. Also remember that it’s natural for toddlers to put everything in their mouths as they go about getting to know the world around them. So, remove all pool chemicals from around the pool area and garden to make sure they’re out of sight and stored safely out of reach.

A lifetime of aquatic fun
While early water safety training lays the foundation for safe water adventures, vigilant supervision, clear boundaries, and structured swimming lessons are also vital. Appropriate safety equipment, child, parent and nanny education, and a positive attitude all contribute to nurturing a secure and enjoyable aquatic experience for your young explorers.