So where are your kids right now? Are you sure? Hopefully we know with some certainty. But there are always those times we do not know. None of us can foresee every situation our kids will encounter, but we can take action to help our kids be keenly aware of water safety. It’s ultimately our job as parents to equip our kids with skills and information to keep them safe around water.

Water safety is not a single item, quick fix subject. Sure, there are many devices available to assist you with your backyard swimming pool, but true water safety should cover all types of water, and that comes from us parents. It is a discipline that must be established for every household. This discipline can be taught to our kids as they grow up so they come to respect water as much as they enjoy playing in it.
This discipline will be carried with them to their friend's houses, beaches, lakes and canals where we are not in control of the safety devices available or the rules that govern use of the water

Here are a few basic rules you could teach your kids' as they are able to understand them.

1. Never go into the water without an adult present. (The other side of this rule is for us parents: ALWAYS supervise children playing in or around water)

2. Never dive headfirst into water. Enter the water feet first. We don't always know how deep it is, or what is under the water if it is not clear.

3. Always swim with a buddy.

4. No horseplay in the water. Ever. We do not know each other's capabilities.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission have a lot more information on water safety on their website (www.cpsc.gov).

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