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People tend to relax during the last days of summer. With good reason — everybody wants to soak up as much summer living as possible in the remaining weeks of August. Where you don’t want to become relaxed, however, is with kids around water.

If you’re looking for a refresher on water safety and kids, or any number of other topics, you can look to AboutKidsHealth, a health education resource for children, youth and caregivers approved by health-care providers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), as a trusted resource. The AboutKidsHealth monthly newsletter has everyday health information and advice on a wide range of topics, including tips on how to keep kids safe around water. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Here’s the type of information you could expect to receive in an AboutKidsHealth newsletter:

It’s important to know that drowning can happen in as little as 20 seconds, even in shallow water only inches deep. Most drowning or near-drowning cases happen in backyard pools, bathtubs and inflatable pools. Natural bodies of water, toilets and drainage sites are also potential danger areas. Always supervise children near any water, which means not turning away to answer the phone or focus on something else, because children can drown in seconds.

It’s also worth noting that drowning in real life doesn’t look like it does on TV; there is rarely any yelling or flailing limbs. You’ll want to be on alert for signs of drowning because a child in distress is typically unable to yell for help. Do not assume they will make noise to alert you.

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FIVE SAFETY TIPS FOR ENJOYING POOL TIME WITH KIDS

1. At arm’s length

Babies and toddlers always need to be either held or should be within arm’s reach while wearing a life-jacket or personal flotation device (PFD) in a pool.

If you have a backyard pool, check to make sure that it follows local by-laws. Make sure a fence with a self-latching gate surrounds the pool on all sides. It’s important to have a four-sided fence around the entire pool. The back of the house cannot be used as one of the sides around the pool, because a child can still gain access to the pool by going through a door unsupervised. Keep toys and furniture away from the pool fence to prevent children from climbing over them to get to the pool, and make sure to have a safety ring with a rope near the pool.

A child who doesn’t know how to swim should always wear a life-jacket or personal flotation device (PFD) in or around pools. Water wings are not sufficient. The other thing to remember, if your child is wearing a PFD, is you need to make sure it’s functional and the appropriate size for your child’s weight and height.

You should always have an emergency plan for adults who are supervising children in case something goes wrong. You’ll want to establish who is going to call 911 and where they are going to meet. Also, anyone who has a backyard pool or supervises children should have basic first aid and CPR training.

You want to make sure anyone who is going to be around a backyard pool has taken swimming lessons. The first time your child is in the deep end should not be at their friend’s backyard pool. Having kids take swimming lessons from a young age can go a long way toward preventing potential drowning or injury.

Get more content like this by signing up for the AboutKidsHealth newsletter, a free monthly newsletter that provides trusted information and advice from SickKids experts on everyday health matters. Whether you’re looking for information on water safety, tips on how to build resiliency with your kids, or any number of other topics, the AboutKidsHealth newsletter is a credible source of everyday health information and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Don’t miss out! Sign up today at www.aboutkidshealth.ca.

Disclaimer This content was produced as part of a partnership and therefore it may not meet the standards of impartial or independent journalism.

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