Drowning is the leading cause of preventable death in children under the age of five, and a lack of supervision is the biggest contributor to drowning in this age group.
Children most commonly drown when they are not expected to be around water but find their way there while adults aren't watching. Toddlers are curious and unpredictable, and it only takes a few moments for an unsupervised child to access water and drown.
What is active supervision?
Active supervision means being in constant visual contact with your child and focusing all of your attention on them. It’s not the occasional glance while you’re doing other things or ‘listening out’ for them. Drowning can happen quickly and silently and, if you don’t have eyes on your child, you may not know something has gone wrong until it’s too late.
How can multi-tasking affect supervision?
Parents are busy and often try to do many things at once to save time. When you multi-task you can become distracted and not give your full attention to maintaining the safety of your children. Distractions like answering the phone, attending to another child, or ducking inside to grab something can have tragic consequences if a toddler is left unattended near water. If you must leave when your child is bathing or swimming, even if you will only be gone for a short time, always take your child with you or have another adult take over supervision.
Can older children watch young children?
No. Older children should not be left to supervise younger siblings around water. Children can easily become distracted and not notice that something has gone wrong or they may think the toddler is 'playing' in the water and not call for help. Responsible adult supervision is always the best option.
What if there are multiple adults present?
A number of children have drowned when there were multiple adults present. If other people are around, it's easy to assume that 'someone' has an eye on the kids. In reality it can mean that no one is actively supervising. Get into the habit of clearly communicating with other adults - whether it is your partner, parents or friends - about who is responsible for watching children around water if you need to leave the area.