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With the weather warming up and long, hot summer days fast approaching most kids are already counting down to spending time at the pool with family and friends. Diving, practicing their cannonballs, racing and seeing who can hold their breath for the longest.

Summer is all about getting wet and enjoying yourself, but what happens when the fun stops? A day at the pool or at the beach can seem perfectly harmless, but children and water can often be a dangerous mix, especially when their parents aren’t supervising them fully – they don’t know their own swimming limits, or they don’t appreciate how dangerous water can be. This isn’t to say that you can’t enjoy a day at the pool, you simply need to ensure that your kids stay safe around water, that way your family day out won’t be marred by tragedy. This content is full of helpful ideas.

Here we’ll look at how to keep your kids safe around the pool.

Teach your kids basic water safety

Basic water safety is essential for any child. And they’re never too young to start learning. Let them know the following:

• Running around the pool’s edge is dangerous. 
• They should never enter the water without permission. 
• They should only swim in water that is supervised. 
• They should always swim with an adult present.

Get them swimming lessons

Swimming is a basic life skill that all children should have. Being able to swim and stay afloat in the water when they get into difficulty could mean the difference between life and death. As soon as your child is ready, you should introduce swimming lessons into their routine. You’ll be able to find a swimming school or instructor who can tailor your child’s lessons to their abilities and confidence and help them understand and respect the water. All whilst having fun of course!

Supervise!

You’re probably well aware of the importance of supervising your children around the pool. However, it’s incredibly easy to get distracted and that’s when accidents can happen. Young children, in particular, are at risk here, so if possible, ask another adult to help you supervise your children. Keep your younger children within arms reach and set clear rules for your older children to help keep them safe. Avoid drinking alcohol as this can impair your judgment or make you sleepy.

Ensure pool toys are put away

If you own your own pool or you’re swimming in a public pool, remember to keep the poolside clear of trip and slip hazards. If you’re in a public pool highlight any issues or dangers to the pool staff or lifeguards.

Keep your pool covered

If you have a pool at home, you’re visiting relatives with a pool or holidaying in accommodation with a pool then ensure that it is covered when not in use. Or that there is a secure fence around the pool to prevent curiosity leading to accidents. 

Remember buoyancy aids

Buoyancy aids are a life-saving piece of equipment, so if your child is young or is a weak swimmer then a life jacket is ideal. Make sure it’s worn even if the child has gotten out of the water. 

 

 

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Did you know that the average family wastes around £700 worth of food every year? We may worry more now about plastic waste and general rubbish buildup than ever before, but our food waste caddies are overflowing, and we don’t even know it!

The irony is, of course, the fact that food production is perhaps the worst thing for our environment, creating endless greenhouse gases and using as many as 20,000 litres for one measly kilogram. As such, you could say that our efforts elsewhere are pretty much useless until we turn our attention to the pressing problem of food waste.

Of course, most areas do now offer food recycling, but that in itself doesn’t mean we can keep chucking food away without a thought. This is an especially pressing problem with Christmas fast upon us. At the festive season, more than any other time, we’re guilty of throwing away insane amounts of uneaten grub. 

If you’re spending time thinking about how to have a more sustainable Christmas this year, then, reducing food waste needs to be at the top of your list. Forget cutting back on wrapping paper; keep reading to find out how you can really make a difference when this festive season rolls around.

Buy a crown, not a turkey

There may be something magical about a whole turkey at Christmas, but let’s be honest; very few of us need it. In fact, our turkey carcasses are typically so packed with meat when we chuck them that it’d be considered a crime in any other country. If you strip those bones until they’re shining, then, by all means, buy your whole turkey this season. If, however, you leave a lot of meat, then think again. 

Turkey farming in itself is an enormous environmental strain through the year, and settling for a crown instead can at least help that strain go towards consumption rather than waste. What’s more, crowns contain all the meat most of us get off a whole turkey, anyway! You can even stuff a crown just the same and yet chuck away half the meat in the process. That’s what we call Christmas magic. 

Forget the Christmas pudding

Sad as it might seem, you can probably also do away with the Christmas pudding. Honestly, how often do you actually eat the thing? It’s astounding how few of us get around to this Christmas staple, what with the massive meals, table of chocolates, and mince pies galore. Still, we buy a pudding every year. Our outlandish suggestion is that you just don’t bother this time. Let’s be frank; your guests won’t exactly go without any other nice sweet treats if they fancy them, will they?

Focus on key pieces for your buffet

Christmas evening and boxing day buffets have to be the worst cause for food waste of the whole festive season. We plan elaborate pieces and entire tables filled with food only to, not altogether surprisingly, chuck them out at the end of the day. Worse, the leave-out nature of food like this means we can’t even reuse it! But, there’s an answer to reducing food waste even here, and it comes in the form of focusing on key pieces rather than whole mountains of food. 

While it’s nice to do an impressive spread, there’s simply no need for it. Besides, you can still impress guests by focusing on these few fun, festive party food ideas and others like them. By centering your buffet around these critical pieces instead of countless plates of food, you guarantee the festive wow-factor without putting out enough food to feed an army when everyone’s already full!

Plan meals around your leftovers

This may be an oldie, but it’s a goodie and involves planning leftovers around the food you’ve got for the foreseeable after the Christmas period. As well as helping you to reduce wastage drastically, this is ideal for getting you off the cooking hook for the rest of the holidays. What’s not to love? 

Don’t think, either, that leftovers have to mean eating the same old thing for weeks on end. A turkey and cranberry sandwich or two probably won’t go amiss, but you can also get creative here. Why not make turkey curries, stews, and soups? Shove those extra brussels in a pasta dish, or get creative with a brussel sprout hash. The Christmas leftover world is your oyster. Make the most of it this year to keep your caddy empty for (most of) the festive season. 

Ax

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