📝 Step 1: The Basics
Child’s name and age
Class day, time and pool
School’s footwear rule
Where bags and shoes go
Where parents wait or watch
Adults who bring my child
🚶 Step 2: Walking Feet
Teach “walking feet” on every deck. Wet tile and concrete are slippery; a fall can hurt or slide a child toward the water.
Hold hands with young children from the door to the bench. Point out puddles and keep a calm pace.
No pushing, chasing, wrestling or horseplay. Praise calm walking.
Use the school’s entry and exit path. Keep clear of other classes and swimmers.
Keep my eyes on my child. Rules help, but they do not replace watching.
🩴 Step 3: Footwear and Gear
Ask the school what footwear it prefers. Bare feet, pool-only shoes or grippy sandals; follow the rule.
Pack grippy water shoes or sandals if allowed. Loose flip-flops can slip and trip a child.
Choose a snug swimsuit and tie back hair or use a cap. So nothing blocks my child’s view or catches on gear.
Bring a towel or robe for the walk back. A warm child walks more steadily.
Keep bags, shoes and bottles in the assigned spot. Away from walkways and the pool edge.
🚪 Step 4: Water Entry
Wait with an adult until the instructor says to get in. Never go in or near the water alone.
Stay within arm’s reach before class and right after it ends. Young children can reach the water in seconds.
Apply the same rule to siblings who are not in the lesson. Give each one a job away from the edge.
Walk in, sit and slide, or use the steps. No running jumps, and no diving into shallow water.
Learn where the doors, gates and exits are. Close them behind me and never prop them open.
🧹 Step 5: Spills, Doors and Injuries
Tell staff about spills, puddles or anything left on the deck. Wipe up what I can and use the mats.
Keep food, glass and breakable items off the deck. Eat in the lobby or the spot the school allows.
Report any slip, bump or injury to the instructor or lifeguard right away. Take my child out of the water and follow the school’s first-aid plan.
Watch for worsening symptoms after a head bump. Call my child’s doctor if I am worried.
Know my emergency plan. Call 911 or my local emergency number if a child is unresponsive or not breathing normally.
📈 Step 6: Weekly Deck Log
Look for a pattern. If a rule is hard every week, practice it at home and tell the instructor.
✅ Step 7: Our Family Plan
Our three deck rules
Who watches siblings
Adults and relatives who need a copy
Changes after the first month
Rules never replace supervision. Stay within reach and keep watching. If a child is in trouble, get help and call 911 or my local emergency number. Lessons do not make a child drown-proof, at any age.
