The baby pool, the wading pool, the easy set up, sometimes inflatable answer to an in-ground pool that many of us will see blooming in our backyards this weekend and through out the summer. As adults they make for a quick splash and cool off while we work in the yard or maybe sit in the sunshine. For kids they can be hours of entertainment, fun, and inherit danger. That's right, studies show that these smaller pools pose just as much of hazard as the bigger pools do.

Based on what I have read online the real danger comes from most of us parents not giving these pools the same respect we would an in-ground pool. These pools are smaller, not as deep, what could happen right? It surprised me to learn that during the summer months the life of a child is lost every five days because of one of these pools.

Since we don't see these pools as hazardous as the big pools we as supervisors and parents will get distracted doing yard work, take a phone call, run inside for just a second, and that's all it takes. Another danger of these smaller pools is our neighbors who have them might not go to the security lengths they would if the pool was in ground. There are many cases of toddlers wandering next door to the back yard of a neighbor only to meet with tragedy.

So what should we do if we have one of these pools in our yard or in a yard nearby?

1. Teach your child to respect the water, even if it's only three feet deep.

2.Teach your child to never go into a pool unless he or she is supervised.

3. Watch your children at all times, no phone, no Facebook, no yard work.

4.Assign someone to watch the kids at all times during a party, no exceptions.

5. Drain your pool when you're not using it.

6. Don't forget sunscreen

7. Be mindful of wasps and other stinging bugs that like the water too.

These may seem like common sense guidelines and to be truthful they are. However, sometimes common sense doesn't stay intact during July 4th celebration or when everybody has been called to the picnic table to eat. Kids are naturally curious about water and in Louisiana we have a lot of it to be curious about. We suggest water safety and swimming lessons even for your young children. They need to learn to respect the water and know that while it can be fun, it can also be full of danger even when it's only three feet deep.

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