In the summer, kids love to spend time in the water, but parents don’t always have the time. So that they can walk alone, parents should pay attention to a few things.
Splashing around in the outdoor pool is simply part of summer vacation. However, children are not allowed to go alone until they are old enough to do so. “Legally, this is possible when children are seven years old,” says Eric Voss from the German Society for Bathing.
According to the German Civil Code (BGB), children from their seventh birthday are considered to have limited legal capacity. That means: “They can then buy things with their pocket money, such as ice cream. Or they can pay for the entrance to the outdoor pool themselves,” says Voss.
Under certain circumstances, a visit to the outdoor pool without parents or other supervisors for seven-year-olds can also come a little too early. Because being allowed to do something and being able to really master a situation are two different things – and in the swimming pool it is of course about the safety of the children. Therefore, parents should also ask themselves the following questions:
How well can the child swim?
“We recommend pool operators, but also parents, that the children must be able to swim safely before they come alone,” says Voss. But that is not the case once the child has achieved the seahorse badge.
“Parents often misjudge that,” says Martin Holzhause, spokesman for the German Life Saving Society (DLRG). “Because then a child can move a bit in the water and has learned some basic skills, but still has to practice more.”
If children want to go to the open-air pool or lido without adults, they should at least have the bronze badge, also known as free swimmers. “A child receives the badge if it has mastered at least two types of swimming and can swim for 15 minutes at a time – i.e. has a certain stamina,” explains Holzhause.
How reasonable is the child responding?
In addition, the child can then dive and keep their eyes open under water. “This is important in order to be able to orient oneself in the water basin even when the swimming pool is full,” explains Holzhause. “However, the employees in the outdoor pools cannot check in detail whether a child really has the bronze badge. So the employees have to be able to rely on the information provided by the parents or the children,” says Voss.
In order to pass the bronze badge, the children must also know the bathing rules. “They know, for example, that they shouldn’t run at the edge of the pool, that they have to rinse off in the shower before swimming and that they’re not supposed to call for help just for fun,” says Martin Holzhause.
In addition to age and abilities, the character and behavior of the child also play an important role, says Voss. How well can the child express themselves? How sensibly does it react and accept rules, for example? Parents should trust their children.
Who is the child with?
“When a lot of kids get together, it can change the dynamic,” says Eric Voss. For example, young people can throw younger children into the water for fun. Not everyone finds this funny. “If several children go to the outdoor pool together, parents should take a closer look at the playmates – and in particular the dynamics between the children,” advise both experts Martin Holzhause and Eric Voss.
Even in groups, it is not enough if only individual children can swim well, explains Holzhause. “Because how someone can swim says nothing about their ability to rescue” – i.e. how a swimmer behaves when someone is in danger or in a difficult situation. This also applies if older children take younger siblings with them.
“Parents shouldn’t overwhelm their children and shouldn’t shift their responsibility onto their offspring,” said Holzhause. It is important to realize what siblings can really achieve.
Does the child know all the dangers?
Parents should practice going to the outdoor pool with their offspring. “The child should know the way to the swimming pool and everything on site,” advises Holzhause. “It’s best for parents to keep talking to their children about rules, dangers and correct behavior in certain situations, such as when something happens,” recommends Holzhause. Repeating these topics regularly is helpful for many children.
At the beginning you should only leave the children alone for a short time, advises Voss. “You can initially observe your child, for example from the fence or from a quiet corner in the bathroom.” So you can see how the offspring behaves alone in the swimming pool.
2023-07-12 23:41:52
#Cooling #summer #children #swimming #pool
