Pool Safety

Nationally drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children, however it’s the number one cause of death in children under five in Florida, Arizona, and California (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2007). Steve Levitt, author of Freakonomics, states that a home with an accessible pool is more dangerous for a child than a home with a gun (Levitt & Dubne, 2005). The largest proportion of drowning occurs in private swimming pools with the preschooler population rating the highest (CDC, 2008). Sixty-five percent were in a pool owned by the child’s family. A parent may not understand that allowing the pool area to serve as a play area is as bad as letting young children play in a busy street or with poisonous chemicals (eric@poolfence.com, 2007). According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, sixty nine percent of accidents occurred while one or both parents were responsible for supervision (eric@poolfence.com, 2007). Drowning happens so quickly and without warning that seventy-seven percent of the children that are subsequently discovered in pools were seen five minutes or less before being missed (eric@poolfence.com, 2007). All it takes is five minutes without air for a child to suffer severe effects. Based on the statistics, if drowning were a disease it would be considered an epidemic. Learning Domains

Within the cognitive domain of learning, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development states, that although a preschooler can explain a concept, they are doing so as they have heard it. When explaining a concept, the child may only have a limited understanding of what they are reciting. Therefore, even if a preschooler can give examples of pool safety concepts the reality is that they are not likely to understand them and may still put themselves at risk for drowning. It is important for parents of preschoolers to be aware that their children may not be able to recognize and perceive information related to pool safety. The affective domain...

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