A few months before out first son was born, I started talking about a pool fence. “Too expensive for now,” my husband said. He dismissed the danger to a baby who was at least a year away from walking anywhere near the aqua expanse mere steps from our screen porch.But as soon as his baby boy starting rolling over and before he could even crawl — much less take his first step — he started getting worried too. “Call for estimates,” he told me. Turned out, the 4-foot-high fence wasn’t as expensive as we feared. And with three little boys ages 4 and under running around our backyard now, it was worth every penny.Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths in the U.S. for children ages 5 and younger, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.Other stats show how pools, trampolines, swing sets, and lots of other fun stuff can turn into hazards as fast as a mom’s heart skips a beat. Here’s how to mitigate the risks.Swing setsWhen it comes to sliding, swinging and monkeying around, make sure the set is sturdy and secure. Whitney McNab of Backyard Adventures in Austin, Texas, offers these tips:Don’t rely on pictures.You can’t tell how sturdy a set is by looking at pictures online. Better to see what you’re buying assembled and in person. “Rickety equals risk,” she says.Put up an age-appropriate set.Start with a basic set — slide, ladder, and swing beam. Later, add a fireman’s pole and monkey bars, around age 7 or 8.Keep the area 10 feet before and behind the swings clear.That gives room for kids to safely jump off and for people to walk around the set.Check hardware regularly.As the set ages or if you inherited an older set with a home purchase, a good turn of the screws to tighten them can keep the set safer.“I always encourage kids to learn under parental supervision,” McNab says, explaining that it’s safer for kids to experiment under loving, watchful eyes in the backyard before encountering a new challenge, like monkey bars, at the park.Pools and spasMore than 3,400 unintentional drownings occur annually in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and one in five happens to a child 14 or under.As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to keep your pool area safe. The Insurance Information Institute recommends a host of precautions you can take, including:Erecting a fence 4 feet or higher around the pool.Keeping floats and toys out of the pool that could lure unattended toddlers into the water.Watching kids at play in the water.Posting emergency numbers and having a phone nearby.The Pool Safely campaign offers many other tips and ideas for pool owners, as well.Play it safe is Jennifer Chappell Smith’s motto. Even her 22-month-old has had swimming lessons.
