Pool Safety Training for Babysitters and Nannies

When hiring a nanny or babysitter, pool safety for kids has to be a primary concern if you own a swimming pool. Even if your home doesn’t have a pool, the water safety skills can help prepare them for a variety of emergencies and ensure a responsible and trained adult is around as your kids attend friends’ or family members’ pool parties with their caregiver. Beyond making sure they’re certified in infant and child CPR, you should prepare a babysitter safety checklist to help you hire the right person for the job and make sure they have the information they need to keep your kids’ swimming time safe.

Trust and Confidence

Leaving your children with someone else as a caregiver can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s hard to find the right person to offer the guidance, love, and care you can’t be there to give them in person. It has to be someone you trust not only to make good decisions, but also that you have confidence they’ll act with decisiveness in an emergency. Picking a candidate who has the right experience and training in pool safety for kids can be the perfect litmus test for their drive to protect and care for their charges.

Basic Pool Safety Skills for Supervising Kids

• Infant and Child CPR – The American Red Cross offers certification in adult, infant, and child CPR through partnerships with local organizations and trainers across the country. These classes teach you the basic lifesaving skills you need if someone stops breathing or has a cardiac event that stops their heart. A mix of classroom training and practical skills testing in simulated situations, it’s a class every parent, grandparent, and childcare professional should proudly have under their belt.
• Childcare Training or Experience – We don’t have to tell you caring for a child can be demanding work. Experienced caregivers have already demonstrated their compassion and dedication to guiding the kids they supervise and can often provide references. Newer nannies and babysitters may have professional training and credentials from programs they’ve completed, like the Red Cross Babysitting and Childcare class.  

• Swimming Competency – Whether you own a pool or just expect the caregiver to supervise your children as they visit other homes with a swimming pool, your sitter needs to be ready for swimming emergencies. This includes being able to reach a distressed child, calm them, and rescue them to safety, even if calming them failed. An ideal candidate may even hold lifeguard certification, proving they have the skills and training needed for kids’ pool safety. 

Training Your Babysitter or Nanny for Safe Pool Use

Once you’ve hired the best person for the job, your work isn’t over. The goal is that they never have to use their Infant and child CPR training or emergency skills, and that starts with creating a nanny and babysitter safety checklist that gives them the information they need to know to keep your kids safe. This should include the written information they’ll need for both emergencies and everyday situations, and it should be readily accessible in a place they know to look for it. Compiling your checklist in a three-ring binder that is always on the kitchen island or a convenient table or desk is a great choice. 

Make sure you go over the entire checklist with them before the first time they’re left alone with your kids, and make sure that as you update the book, you let them know what has changed. This keeps them in the loop while also letting them know safety is a priority for you. Here’s what you need to include in the book:

• Emergency Contact Information – Beyond the usual list of phone numbers for you and emergency contact relatives, including the number for utilities, emergency services, and the poison control center.  
• Important Documents – From copies of permission slips to medical powers of attorney for kids who may need the caregiver to accompany them on doctor visits, these documents will be unique to your individual needs and your confidence in the caregiver.
• Pool Safety Instructions – Kids want to use the swimming pool, so make sure the babysitter knows your expectations for kids’ pool safety. This includes your pool safety rules, mandatory supervision, guest limitations, and cleanup after pool use. Make sure your babysitter knows how to remove and reinstall your swimming pool safety cover or safety net. You should also explain the pool fence gate latch and any installed pool alarm system.
• Location of Emergency Equipment – From first aid equipment to fire extinguishers, the tornado shelter, and spare clothing, your babysitter safety checklist needs to cover the most commonly needed items for a variety of both major and minor emergencies.
• Alarm Codes, Notifications, and Key Storage – Your babysitter or nanny will need appropriate access to your home’s security and entry systems. This can include the alarm code for any doors, connecting them to your pool monitoring alars or security cameras for emergency notifications, and letting them know where keys to back gates, storage sheds, or the pool fence gate are. 

One Last Bit of Contact Information

Finally, keep a whiteboard near your babysitter safety checklist with your expected location and contact information if your situation is outside the scope of what’s covered in the binder. This can be handy for work parties, days you take to yourself, or family emergencies when you need to care for a loved one. Keeping your children’s caregiver in the loop helps them manage the homefront while you’re away.

Makes Sure Your Pool is Safe

Our ASTM-compliant swimming pool safety barriers are easy to use and help your babysitter or nanny focus on kids pool safety by limiting unsupervised access. Your local independent installer is ready to tailor an estimate to meet your needs and create a safer pool area for your loved ones. Request your free quote for an All-Safe Pool removable mesh pool fence or safety swimming pool cover today.