Gold Medal swimmer Brooke Hanson is passionate about protecting children in the pool and at the beach over summer. She offers some tips and recommendations that parents can use to ensure their children feel comfortable in the water as the weather heats up.
“With summer upon us, it’s important for us as parents to consider the various ways in which our children can find water environments challenging. Though water safety is always paramount and spoken about a lot, there tends to be less discussion around the physical issues many Aussie kids face at the beach or pool,” says Brooke Hanson.
Firstly, Brooke recommends moisturising and washing skin both before and after entering bodies of water, as even for children with sensitive skin/skin conditions this can drastically aid in the reduction of reactions. Brooke then advises that safety is everything. “It’s important to remember that water safety begins with you as the parent. Ensure that you’re always within arm’s reach whenever your family is in, on, or around water. Regardless of someone’s swimming ability, no person is ever drown-proof.”
Brooke’s next tips are to do the homework with your children and use keywords to create positive reinforcement. By working alongside your children and affirming their actions with distinctive keywords, children’s confidence in the water is encouraged, as well as swimming technique. Brooke’s final tip is to foster familiarity and fun with nursery rhymes and toys, as incorporating rules and safety tips into a song format can aid in the familiarity of concepts.
Brooke says, “We can make a real difference and support every Aussie kid’s right to feel comfortable and confident in the water this summer and beyond.”
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