Skokie, IL 
There are few skills more important to teach to your child than proper water safety. Learning how to stay safe around water is a must for kids of all ages. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death among American children, and the vast majority of drowning incidents could be prevented with proper water safety. At British Swim School of Downtown Chicago, our team knows what it takes to teach and encourage water safety in young children. Below, we’ve outlined what Chicago parents need to know about keeping children safe around water.
Importance of Water Safety
Whether kids are in the bathtub, at a public pool, or enjoying time at the beach, safety is crucial whenever kids are in or near water. Parents should keep the following facts and statistics in mind when it comes to their children’s water safety skills:
- Over 3,500 people die of drowning each year in the United States, and over 800 of those deaths are in children and teenagers.
- The most at-risk group for drowning deaths is children aged 1-4 years old.
- Home pools are the most common place of drowning in children above the age of 12 months.
- Of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan experiences the highest rate of drownings and near-drownings year over year.
- Children between the age of 1-4 years who have taken swimming lessons are at an 88% lower risk of drowning.
Water Safety Tips for Chicago Parents
If you’re concerned about water safety — as any parent should be — there are a number of steps you can take to make sure your child stays safe in and around the water.
- Any time your child is in or near water, they should be monitored by a parent or another adult.
- Never leave children unmonitored near water, even if only for a moment.
- Purchase a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest for your child. Make sure that it is the right style and fit for your child’s age and size.
- Teach children proper behavior related to the water, including pool deck behavior and to avoid playing unattended around bodies of water such as rivers, ponds, pools, and drainage ditches.
- Water safety lessons for toddlers can teach toddlers how to float with their mouth above the water line.
- As children grow older, swimming lessons teach essential skills like treading water and basic swimming strokes.
Water Safety Lessons in Chicago, IL
If you’re looking for water safety lessons for your child in the Chicago area, we invite you to contact British Swim School of Downtown Chicago today. Our water safety programs are available to kids as young as 3 months old, and are relied on by families throughout the Chicago area. We have classes available throughout Downtown Chicago, and offer classes in other pools that are easily accessible to parents in Skokie, Evanston, Lincolnwood, and North Shore Chicago.
British Swim School Chicago offers premium water survival and swimming lessons for infants, toddlers, children and adults, starting at just 3 months old. We proudly serve the Chicago and North Shore communities of Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Bridgeport, Chinatown, the Loop, East Loop, West Loop, River North, Streeterville, Gold Coast, Uptown, Lincoln Park, Bucktown, Ravenswood, East Lakeview, Lakeshore East, Lincolnwood, Skokie, Niles, Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview and Morton Grove . Call (708) 613-5179 to enroll or you can also register for swimming lessons at www.BSSChicago.com.
