Ex-Butlin's lifeguard on why she never gives her children armbands & 4 more red flags to avoid when swimming with kids
I SEE so many red flags at pools and beaches, sometimes even from other parents.
It's worse when families are in holiday mode and aren't being as vigilant as they could be.
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Here are a few things I've spotted that could be putting young swimmers at risk this summer.
My top bugbear is parents using armbands and other buoyancy devices and assuming they will keep their kids safe.
When I was lifeguarding, I lost count of the number of times I had to fish a distressed youngster out of the water on the lazy river after the current had taken them out of sight of their parents and an armband was slipping off, leaving them unable to float.
The kid goes into panic mode and has no idea what to do. Keep your non-swimmer with you at all times!
Communication between family members is key at the pool or beach, as adults should always know where non- and weak swimmers are and who is looking after them.
It's too easy to assume that they are with the grandparents or they've popped to the loo, but how do you know they aren't in trouble just out of sight?
We can all get distracted blowing up rubber rings or sorting swimming gear when you arrive or are leaving, but watching the little ones is top priority, not counting how many pairs of goggles you're going home with.
For kids who can already swim, my main red flag is not teaching them about different bodies of water and how swimming conditions vary.
If you've only ever swum in the very controlled environment of the pool, leaping into an open body of water outside is going to be a shock.
Teenage boys in particular are at risk of drowning when they are messing about with mates in rivers or lakes.
The water is cold, you can't see what's under the surface and you might not find an easy exit route once you're in the water.
Sign your kids up to a free Swim Safe session at to give them the tools they need to keep safe when you're not there.
It's not just parents who need to do their bit to keep kids safe.
There's a few red flags that I've come across at pools as well.
Not only is it disgusting when you head for a swim and find a filthy changing room, it also makes me question what other corners are being cut and whether that might affect pool safety.
We've all seen young lifeguards having a chat rather than watching the water, which is less than ideal.
It only takes seconds for someone to get into trouble and for a dangerous situation to develop.
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I was absolutely shocked when my local leisure centres started charging for under-fives to go for a swim.
If children don't develop water awareness and confidence at a young age, it can be difficult to overcome that later.
Parents are already paying for their own swimming session, so tots should go in free.
Everyone should be able to swim by the end of primary school, but a few lessons at school probably aren't going to cut it.
Instead youngsters need time to practise and councils ought to be doing more to offer free swimming to all under-16s, encouraging them to use lifeguarded leisure centres rather than open water like a lake, reservoir or river.
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
"If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard."
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
"It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life".
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: ' Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
' Children may try to grab these from the pool's edge and fall in."
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
"And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
' Waterparks are often very busy places and it's easy to lose sight of a child in a split second."
Now the hot weather is here, enjoy getting into the cool of the pool, but remember to stay safe.
We all love a splash about and it's important to keep safe swimming on the agenda at all times.
A mother has also given a chilling swimming guide showing how visible kids are underwater.
Plus, the free UK lido designed just for kids is down the road from one of the world's best beaches.
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