These days it is standard to hire a lifeguard for your child’s swimming party. Here are some things to know, to help you get the most for the money you are spending on what has become a necessity for safety and peace of mind.
1) make sure the lifegaurds are not sitting down on the job - literally. They should be standing and in fact, if there is only one guard, they should be circling the pool for better head counts and to take in all areas of the pool. The guard should talk to the children, explain the rules clearly and firmly and remind if necessary. Two or more guards should rotate positions throughout the party.
2) For drop off swim parties, lifeguards should conduct a swim test of some kind (usually having the children swim on lap of freestyle and treading water for 30 seconds or a minute) to determine who can and cannot go in the deep end. Even though parents should give accurate information as to each child’s swim level, it is up to the lifeguard to decide who does not seem safe in the deep end.
