Having fun with your children is one of the best and most memorable things for a parent. Whether on beaches, lakes, pools, or playgrounds, many studies have revealed that childhood activities leave lasting memories in the minds of children and their caregivers.  However, taking adequate precautions is essential to avoid regrettable occurrences. Often, we are confronted with sad news about childhood drowning, which reminds us that we must make safety measures a priority. Drownings are the kind of news every responsible parent dreads the most, and drownings happen quickly, sometimes in the presence of parents and guardians. Worse still, sometimes, it does not have to be deep for drowning to occur. That small amount of water could still take the precious life of your child.

While it is fun to go swimming with our children, here are some facts we need to know about keeping children safe around the water and how to prevent drowning:

Facts About Drowning

The latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in children worldwide, especially among children under the age of 5. What makes drowning very dangerous is the fact that it hardly gets the attention it deserves; worse still, the misconception about drowning does not help matters, as it contributes to the increase in drowning fatalities. Wrongly, many believe that drowning only occurs in deep water, but the reality is that you can lose your child in shallow water, and the speed at which such tragedy could occur is unimaginable. It could be a matter of seconds. So whether your child is in a bathtub, shallow children's pool in your garden or even in a bucket, the risk of the child being drowned is high. A good reason never to leave your child unattended to.

Reasons For Drowning

Do you know one of the most terrible and dangerous things about childhood drowning? Contrary to logical thinking, a drowning child hardly screams, splashes or shouts for help. No! Drowning could happen within less than one minute, and the innocent child is gone. Naturally, when faced with drowning, one's unconscious reaction is to conserve energy while trying to avoid drowning, which makes it difficult to call out for help. Once in the unconscious terrain and one does not get adequate help, the brain could be damaged in a matter of four minutes. That shows how dangerous such a situation could be and why we should not take drowning, especially among children, lightly.

Drowning is not limited to children; even good swimmers can be victims of drowning, for example, when strong currents catch up with them or when they are tired or panic during swimming.

Precautious Measures

Prevention, they say, is better than cure. It is, therefore, highly advisable to take precautions such as:

· Enrol your children in age-appropriate swim classes as early as possible.

· Wearing life jackets.

· Having swimming lessons.

· Fencing off swimming pool areas.

· Always keep buckets and containers empty after use.

· Learn basic CPR and teach your children the same, which is necessary in the time of drowning and other emergencies,

· Learning and teaching basic CPR is a crucial skill that can make a life-saving difference in the event of drowning or other emergencies. The ability to perform CPR immediately can mean the difference between life and death. Therefore, it's highly recommended to get a certified first aid and CPR certificate.

· Keep bathrooms securely closed when not in use.

· Most importantly, having a close eye on the children to avoid unexpected drowning.

It is reasonable and necessary to spend quality time with your children, and children hardly forget any quality time you spent with them as a parent. However, doing so also calls for attention and responsibility. Make sure you don't give your child your time and attention in a way that ends in tragedy. Therefore, to avoid such an unpleasant situation, you must, as a parent, make sure to balance fun and precaution. Drowning is a nightmare no parent would like to wish their worst enemy talk less about experiencing it. Do the needful to avoid the emotional torture of losing your loved one to drowning.