Houston’s weather is warming up and many families are coming back to the pool for the first time this season. As a parent, here are some steps to take that will help make the transition back to the pool safe and easy. These include knowing the reservation system, water safety, and assessing your child’s current skill level.
The Houstonian has moved to an online reservation system for all pools through the
MyHoustonian website. Members can utilize this wonderful tool up to three weeks in advance and parents may have up to two standing appointments at any one time. Walk-ins will only be available if there are unused reservations. Becoming familiar with our reservation system will help you and your family enjoy a stress-free relaxing time at the pool.
Before heading to the pool it is important to talk through water safety with your child, this first begins with understanding your role as a parent. You are the first line of protection for your child. What does the first line of protection look like? As stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, "an adult should actively watch children at all times while they are in a pool. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be paying constant attention and free from distractions, like talking on the phone, socializing, tending to household chores, or drinking alcohol. The supervising adult must know how to swim.”
Following the AAP guide can make all the difference whether you are at a pool with a lifeguard or a private body of water. A lifeguard’s job is to guard patrons equally; your child will always be your number one priority. Teaching your child how to act around any body of water is vital to their safety. Part of being the first line of protection is helping your child understand what the rules at the pools are, as well as understanding why they are important to follow. Examples include:
- No running on the pool deck because the deck can be wet and it is easy to slip and hurt yourself.
- Staying in your line of sight, so that you are aware in the event they need help.
- If your child is not water-safe, making sure they know not to go down the slide until you are in position at the bottom of the slide, and have given them the thumbs up, this way you are always prepared to catch them.
Children are more likely to follow rules and respect boundaries when given the reason behind them. The lifeguards will always be around to enforce the rules when needed, but it will be more effective if the lifeguards are your backup in enforcing the rules.
When you get to the pool for the first time this season, before letting your children get in the water on their own, be sure to test their current swim level. Children will regress the longer they are out of the water. If your child was swimming at the end of last summer, it does not mean they will start off swimming at the same skill level this year. This regression leads to a peak in saves by lifeguards at the beginning of each swim season. An area of high risk at The Houstonian is the slide, it has two currents and if a child is not a strong swimmer and gets taken by the bottom current, they may not have a high enough skill level to get themselves safely to the side. Taking the time to evaluate their skill will save them from a possibly traumatic situation of having to be saved by a lifeguard. If you are comfortable in your knowledge of the basic swimming techniques, go through a 10 to 20-minute refresher with your child in the water. If you are not comfortable, we recommend setting up one or two private lessons to make sure they are starting the season off right.
Following this guide should lead to a stress free fun summer. We look forward to seeing you at the pool soon. For questions on reservation please contact Erica Meyer, Aquatics Director at
emeyer@houstonian.com, and for questions about swim lessons, contact Kaitlyn Sowell Youth Swim Program Coordinator at
ksowell@houstonian.com.
By Kaitlyn Sowell, Youth Swim Lesson Coordinator