But of course, as you know, it isn’t all fun and games.  Having a pool is HUGE responsibility, especially with little ones.

Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4?

If you have a few minutes, please read this press release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from last year.

Link to Press Release

Sobering, isn’t it?

While we made it a priority for our girls to take swimming lessons, the fact is that really isn’t enough.  Even kids that can swim tolerably well can still drown, right?  I’m not taking that chance with my kids, and I know you don’t want to take that chance with yours.

Okay, I think we all know that we aren’t ever to let our babies out of sight when they are in or around a pool or spa.  But, all it takes is a short lapse in adult supervision for the tragic to happen.

“To reduce the risk of drowning, pool owners should adopt several layers of protection, including physical barriers.”

So, what does that mean?  What child proofing items do you need?

1.  A fence completely surrounding the pool with self-closing, self-latching gates to prevent unsupervised access by young children.

2.  If the house forms a side of the barrier, use alarms on doors leading to the pool area and/or a power safety cover over the pool.

Okay, so a fence and an alarm at the very least. Let’s talk about pool alarms first.

Pool Alarms:

Pool alarms are easy to install and reasonably light on the wallet.  There are underwater and floating/surface alarms.

The Underwater Alarm we liked is the Poolguard by PBM Industries which ranging from around $169.95 for an above ground pool alarm, to $249.95 for an inground pool alarm.  This model is highly recommended (and tested!) by the CPSC.  They also have a gate alarm which is $69.95.

Poolguard

The Sentinel LINK from Lambo Products Inc. also scored highly.

The Floating/Surface Alarm we liked was the Swim Alert by MG International – Immersion Sensing Pool Alarm System – SWIM007. Good Housekeeping went to Olympic Pool and Spa in Flanders, New Jersey and used its indoor pool site to test the pool alarms. Not only did this model pass their tests, but it also automatically rearms after water calms.  It’s priced around $179.95.

Swim Alert ~ MG International

“Pool alarms can be used as an extra safeguard, but should never be relied upon as the only line of defense in preventing a child from drowning in your pool,” said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. “The keys to preventing these tragedies are placing barriers around your pool, closely supervising your child and being prepared in case of an emergency.”

Fences:

OK, now what about fences?

For inground pools, we like this removable Protect-A-Pool mesh safety fence.

Protect-A-Pool Safety Fence

Prices varies widely, depending on the size of your inground pool.

For above-ground pools, we like this fencing from Poolcenter.com priced at $179.95:

Above Ground Pool Safety Fence

Lastly, here are some important tips, courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

1.  Since every second counts, always look for a missing child in the pool first. Precious time is often wasted looking for missing children anywhere but in the pool.

2.  Don’t leave toys and floats in the pool that can attract young children and cause them to fall in the water when they reach for the items.

3.  Inspect pools and spas for missing or broken drain covers.

4.  Do not allow children in a pool or spa with missing/broken covers. Inserting an arm or leg into the opening can result in powerful suction and total body submersion/drowning.

5.  For above-ground and inflatable pools with ladders, remove or secure the ladder when the pool is not in use.

6.  It is important to always be prepared for an emergency by having rescue equipment and a phone near the pool. Parents should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

With that said, happy shopping for your pool safety items.

And have yourself some safe family fun pool time this summer!

Technorati Tags: child gates, Child Safety

If you are here because you are pregnant with your first, second, third or even tenth child, congratulations!!!  And yes, even someone pregnant with their tenth child can learn something here!

In the world of child safety products, there are always new inventions, updated products and (heaven forbid it be something we own and are using) product recalls.  Even if you have older children, we have a list of items we recommend (house alarms and pool alarms, to mention two).

My name is Cindy and my husband Ed and I are the proud parents of two children, 3 year old, Isabella and 6 year old, Sophia.

When I was about 6 months pregnant with Sophia, I gagged and bound Ed to pay a visit to register at Babies R Us  (as much we love our significant others, I truly believe they would rather get a full bikini wax than spend time registering anywhere! But I digress…)    OK, I didn’t gag and manhandle him, but it took heaping on a good pile of guilt, (“Come on, this is for your child too; Don’t you want our precious baby to be safe?”) and he agreed to come.

The items on the top of our checklist were baby safety items.  I had a general knowledge of what I’d need:  some gates, those annoying cabinet locks that all of your friends with children seem to have, electrical plugs, to start.

We (or rather I) waddled over to the baby gates.  Wait a minute… There are literally DOZENS of baby gates here.  Why are some $19.99 and some over $100?  I asked the Babies R Us employee to recommend a gate, and poor girl, she really tried to help, but she was a teenager with no children. So, I whipped out my collection of baby books and was even more confused. The models that they were recommending weren’t on the floor, and most likely the previous models which were now clearance and/or discontinued. (In the world of baby items, new stuff comes out all the time and models are constantly being upgraded).

So, which baby gate were we going to register for?

After standing there for 10 minutes, Ed wanted me to finally pick a gate, scan it to the registry, and move on to the next item.  But, if you are like me (which, if you are here, you most likely are) you are not content with picking ANY gate.  It MUST be the safest, highest quality, most aesthetically pleasing gate for the most economical price.  I just knew that if I went ahead and picked ANY gate, I would only find out later, after it was to late to return and exchange, which gate I really SHOULD have gotten. And what if the gate I was supposed to have wasn’t carried at Babies R Us, but at Baby Depot, or somewhere online?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place where all new moms and experienced moms could have a place to talk and recommend items?  A place for totally unbiased views on products for the well-being of your most precious possession (unlike asking a Babies R Us employee to recommend an item when you know they are just trying to make a sale)?  Well my friend, that is how this place, ChildProofTips.com, was born.

Right now, we have a complete rundown on each child safety item you may want to consider.  There are links to online sites and stores in your area that carry the products.

Your life is crazy enough as it is right now preparing for the arrival of that adorable bundle, what you need right now is a concise list of what child safety items you need, easy instructions to install those items, so you can call it a day and move on to the next thing on your to-do list.

Feeling lazy?  Want to hire someone to come in and do it all in a day like Rachel on Friends’ did when she was expecting baby Emma?  We also have a list of baby proofers in your area.

The forum will be up and running soon!  Feel free to come back and pop in, register and ask as many questions as you would like!  If you are in the know, feel free to help out other moms in need.

And if you have suggestions, please drop one in the Suggestion Box or leave a comment.  This place is for YOU and so we value your input!

Sincerely,

Cindy

Technorati Tags: Babies R Us, baby depot, Baby Gates, Child Safety, Childproof, Product Recall