✂️ Cut along the dashed lines
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Water Watcher
I am watching the water until I hand this card to another adult.
✓ Eyes on the water — all of it
✓ No phone · No alcohol · No side tasks
✓ Arm's reach for kids under 5 & non-swimmers
✓ Count heads out loud every 30 seconds
✓ Handoff = pass card + say "You're on watch"
WaterWiseKids.com
👁️
Water Watcher
I am watching the water until I hand this card to another adult.
✓ Eyes on the water — all of it
✓ No phone · No alcohol · No side tasks
✓ Arm's reach for kids under 5 & non-swimmers
✓ Count heads out loud every 30 seconds
✓ Handoff = pass card + say "You're on watch"
WaterWiseKids.com
How the Water Watcher System Works
- Assign before anyone gets wet. The first Water Watcher takes the card before the first child enters the water. No card holder, no swimming.
- Run 15-minute shifts. Attention fades after 15–20 minutes even in motivated adults. Set a timer at the start of each shift — the timer is the only approved phone use.
- Make the handoff explicit. Pass the card hand-to-hand and say the words: "You're on watch." Until the card changes hands, the duty has not changed hands.
- Position for a full view. The watcher stands or sits where they can see the entire pool — including the bottom. If glare or floats block the view, move.
- Close the pool when the card retires. If no adult can take the next shift, everyone gets out of the water. The pool is open only while the card is worn.
On-Duty Rules (The Non-Negotiables)
- No phone. One text costs 20–30 seconds of attention — longer than it takes a child to slip under. Phone stays pocketed except to dial 911.
- No alcohol. Even one drink slows reaction time. Drink after your shift, never during.
- No side tasks. No grilling, no reading, no extended conversations. Watching is the whole job.
- Touch supervision for under-5s and non-swimmers. Within arm's reach — in the water with them when possible. A deck chair is not close enough for this group.
- Count heads on a rhythm. Every 30 seconds, say each child's name as you confirm them. This catches the quiet absence eyes alone can miss.
- Floaties are not supervision. Water wings and inflatables are toys. Only a USCG-approved life jacket is a safety device — and even then, the watcher keeps watching.
What Drowning Actually Looks Like — It Is Silent
- Head low in the water, mouth at water level — bobbing, not splashing.
- Body vertical with weak or no kick; climbing motions that make no progress.
- Glassy, empty, or closed eyes; hair over the face; sudden quiet from a previously noisy child.
- The test: ask "Are you okay?" A child who cannot answer needs help NOW.
- The 10-second rule: if you cannot clearly see a child's face for 10 seconds — act. Call out, check, or get to them.
- If a child is struggling: Reach with a pole or arm first, throw something that floats second. Go in only as a last resort, with flotation. Call 911 the moment a child is pulled out unresponsive, and start CPR if trained.