I’m a pretty lax parent when it comes to supervision because I’m from the generation where we were all allowed to play outside completely unsupervised, and I’m trying to give my kids some of that childhood. Olive and Charlie are 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 years old and I’ve been leaving them alone in limited durations in the car (with the engine on), our house, stores, and restaurants for years here in the Philippines (something I wouldn’t be able to do in the US). But one thing I will never do is let my kids swim unsupervised.

Living on an island with a pool, you can imagine that we get more than our fair share of water time. Both Charlie and Olive have had swim lessons and continue to get them regularly as their babysitters are also swim teachers. They are both very confident in the water, but that actually makes me even more vigilant; Charlie especially is likely to take more risks because he is so confident in his swimming ability. Many parents here let their kids swim in pools without direct supervision where adults are around, but not specifically watching the kids. For this reason there are very few people I trust to watch my kids swimming because I know most won’t be as vigilant as I am!

Here are some sobering facts about drowning for you:

  • Drowning kills more children 1-4 years of age than anything else except birth defects. Among children 1-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death (after motor vehicle crashes). (source)
  • Although the months of May through August are peak time for drownings, the month of June is the most dangerous month of the year for kids losing their lives in this way (source)
  • More than half of drownings among infants occur in bathtubs. (source)
  • In nine out of 10 drownings, parents or caregivers say they’d been supervising the child at the time (source)
  • Most childhood drownings in pools occur in the child’s home pool. About one-third of these drownings occur in pools at the homes of friends, neighbors, or relatives. (source)
  • Two-thirds of kids who drown, believe it or not, are excellent swimmers. (source)
  • Older children, teens and young adults typically drown in natural water settings, such as lakes and rivers. (source)
  • Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male. (source)
  • If a child is missing, check the water first. As many as 69% of young children who are found drowned or submerged in swimming pools were not expected to be in or at the pool. (source)

At a recent pool party, a three-year-old who couldn’t swim walked straight into the pool without making a single sound and sunk to the bottom. His mom was watching and immediately dove into the pool to rescue him. Had she not been watching, he could easily have drowned because with everything going on, no one else noticed him entering the pool. Drowning doesn’t involve shouting and flailing about like it’s portrayed in the movies; with kids it’s usually silent because they’ve swallowed water or have already slipped below the surface.

There are no specific guidelines as to when kids can swim unsupervised, but most seem to suggest the age of 12 as the absolute youngest age, with some even going as high as 15. I definitely plan on watching my kids closely until they’re at least 13 years old!

As summer vacations start and families head to beaches and pools, please educate yourself on water safety and drowning prevention for kids!