Safety Tips for New Pool Owners

Welcome to pool ownership! The joys of the hot summer days relaxing by the pool are upon you and your loved ones and beautiful memories are about to be created. 

Before you and your loved one’s dive headfirst into the pool to splash around, it is important to think about safety.  As a mother of a little boy, it is necessary to make sure he knows and understands all the pool rules.  One of the best ways I found to ensure he remembers the rules is to have a family meeting where we came up with the rules together, yes, I coached him on a few of the rules that I felt were important, but since he is the one who said what I wanted him to say, he is more apt to remember the rule – he thinks it was his idea 😊.  So, call a family meeting and brainstorm together, talk about the possibilities, research online for ideas, speak to your local pool professional – they’re in the business and should have knowledge on the subject.

A few that we have in our household include: 

• No swimming alone.  Age doesn’t matter – you do not swim alone.  A cramp can easily take the best swimmer out and cause problems. 
• No toys left on the pool deck, they become a tripping hazard.  There are some great ideas on Pinterest that show creative ways of putting those floaties and noodles away when not in use.
• No glass in the pool area – broken glass cannot be seen underwater, someone will be bound to find it with their foot, or it can tear your pool liner.
• No pushing / shoving / horseplay. 
• No diving in shallow waters or in unfamiliar areas as you do not know the depths.  Follow the manufacturers guide.  If it says no diving, then it is not safe to dive in that area.
• No peeing in the pool – yes it doesn’t sound harmful, just gross, but it is more than just gross, peeing in the pool can cause other issues.  Urine will alter the pH levels which will in turn cause the chlorine to become less effective and take it away from the job it supposed to be doing – killing bacteria and germs in the water.

Post your pool rules in the pool area and make sure your guests know where they are listed and familiarize themselves with the rules.  Be adamant that they must be followed by everyone and have consequences when they are ignored.  Check out Pinterest for some fun ways to display your rules.

We have many blogs written on the safety aspects of pool life, including checklists for not only the pool but for the backyard to keep everyone safe, be sure to check out those articles as well.  Happy Swimming!