a life saving question - can i get into the pool?

​​We can’t always control our children’s access to water (pools, lakes, dams) but we can teach them to respect water for what it is – a place that can be fun but a place with boundaries that need to be respected.  In respect for the two children who drowned at Kingston earlier in the week we are re-enforcing an already existing element of our program – permission to enter the water. 

​Waiting to enter the water – when this is a strongly reinforced message it teaches our children the seriousness of water and the respect it deserves. We want our children to ask permission to enter as well as gaining eye contact from an adult before they swim out. Verbal children should be asking for our attention before they swim off a step or the wall. 

​Teaching a child to wait for permission to enter the water is a social emotional lesson in teamwork and manners but far more importantly it’s about respecting that an adult needs to be watching you and aware of your movements in the water.

​What we will expect of our swimmers

• Before a lesson they wait on dry land for permission to enter the water from the instructor
• In humpty dumpty or batmans they wait until told to enter the water
• At the end of the crocodile mat they wait until told to enter the water
• They are taught to wait on the platforms until we say their name

 
What we will do to reinforce this message:

• Not allow any entry to the step until a child has been invited into the water by name
• EVERY time a child swims out from the wall uninvited or gets into the water without permission we will put them back and we will reinforce the message of asking permission.
• Introduce sitting out consequences for those children who are not following the ‘ask for permission’ rule – safe play or no play 
• We will not allow any child not swimming to touch the water for any reason

 
What we need you to do to reinforce this message:
 
As a parent your responsibility is to not allow your child to touch the water when they do not have yours AND their teacher’s permission. It’s important that this message comes from you as well as from us. They need to know that ALL water needs to be respected at ALL times.

• If your child is not in a swimming lesson please do not allow them to touch the water or step up onto the edge of the pool. Supervision is the number one key to water safety.
• Help your child do the right thing by reminding them the rules on the drive to swimming.
• Reinforce the ‘permission to enter the water’ rule whenever you are in or around water outside of our swimming lessons.

 
Accidents happen and kids are adventurous. By teaching them to respect the water and being consistent in the ‘permission to enter the water’ rule we hope that if our children are near a body of water unsupervised (or if you have your back turned for just one minute) they will steer clear of the edge, preventing an accidental fall and a child quite literally getting in over their heads.