The best you can do is make sure to create and implement safety-related pool policies. Most of what will keep newborns and toddlers safe will be tied to their caretakers, from sun safety to drowning avoidance. However, there are unquestionably some things you can do to improve the comfort of your poolside area for your youngest visitors and their caretakers.
Redecorating Your Poolside Area
While the precautions mentioned above can (and should!) be taken whenever a baby or toddler is outside near any body of water, controlling the environment gives you the most power to control and limit how much exposure young ones get to harsh sunshine. This can be accomplished by including shade in the form of trees, a pavilion, or a pergola in the poolside landscaping. A huge umbrella with a tilt feature or a travel sun canopy can also be great temporary solutions if you’d want to add something that can be simply removed or repositioned.
Promoting Healthy Hydration
We discussed the risks related to contaminated pool water in an earlier post. Due to their propensity for swallowing pool water (and spitting it back out), babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of ingesting pool water. But you know who consumes the most pool water overall? Someone who is thirsty! Of the many advantages of proper hydration, children will be less inclined to try to swallow pool water if they are properly hydrated. Perhaps you could have a tiny fridge or cooler near the poolside with ice-cold water bottles for your visitors, or perhaps have some frozen liquid-based snacks on hand to pass out when the sun rises to its highest point.
Breast milk or infant formula will provide the majority of needed hydration for newborns under a year old. While breastfeeding in or near a pool doesn’t endanger the health of other people, doing so in a pool or spa does increase the risk of pollutants reaching the infant’s mouth while they nurse. Providing a spacious place in the area around the pool with comfy chairs for those who are nursing will be very appreciated!
Providing Opportunities for Safe Play
Although any youngsters using the pool should always be under the supervision of an adult, there are occasions when kids will want to splash around while the adults want to take a little break. This type of poolside choice can be accommodated by having a small wading pool available so that infants and toddlers can safely splash around in a few inches of water while their parents relax in the sunshine nearby. Of course, since babies can drown in just an inch of water, adult supervision is still necessary. Young children that visit your pool can be given additional fun by having bath toys, splash balls, and other toys available for them to play with.
You can easily and affordably make your swimming pool a little-kid-friendly area that is safe and enjoyable for the infants and toddlers in your tribe with a little extra time and effort.
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Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 500,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.
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