Have I got your attention? I hope so because, as I speak, your children’s lives may be threatened.

What am I talking about? Well, I hope you don’t think me too pessimistic, but seeing all the kids hanging out in my neighborhood this summer while their parents are off at work has gotten me thinking…what happens when they all jump in the neighbor’s pool to cool off and someone gets in trouble? What if little Suzie jumps in after her big sister and she doesn’t know how to swim? Or Jimmy Jr. gets a leg cramp and can’t climb out of the pool?

The risk posed by our children in just these types of situations are why experts have dubbed drowning, “the silent killer.”

In the 1990s, drowning was the second leading cause of preventable death in children. It’s now the leading cause of death for children less than 5, according to experts.

Todd Appleman, founder of PoolSafetyNetwork.org, says parents just don’t understand the danger posed by backyard swimming pools, or the risk associated with letting kids swim alone or unsupervised.

“70 percent of children who drown in the pool, their parents are nearby and state later they did not hear or see anything indicating their child was in trouble,” Appleman relates; thus the label of “silent killer.”

But what can be done to minimize the risk and keep our kids safe around the pool this summer?

I ran across some interesting tips this morning on WebMD I thought I’d share with you. Even if you don’t have little ones of your own, being a responsible pool owner means following certain guidelines to keep others safe–and avoiding a home insurance claim due to a pool-related accident in the process.

Here are some commonsense recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and WebMD:

• Never leave young children alone or in the care of another child while in swimming pools. Make sure an adult is constantly watching them.
• Teach children to swim when they’re developmentally ready, usually after age 4.
• Parents and caregivers should take CPR, and keep a phone and life-saving equipment at poolside.
• Do not use air-filled swimming aids (like “water wings”) in place of lfe jackets or preservers. This can give a false sense of security and increase the risk of drowning.
• Never drink alcohol or eat a meal just before swimming. Food can cause stomach cramps, and drinking can slow response in an emergency.
• If you own a pool, place barriers nearby to create obstacles for children who might wander too close. For example, install a locked gate in a tall fence around the pool area; put alarms on any doors leading to the pool, and use a motion detector or immersion alarm as a last line of defense to notify you the moment someone falls in the pool.

According to Appleman, the real keys to keeping children safe when swimming are vigilance and active adult supervision. In other words, if you plan to talk on your cell phone or read the paper while your kids are in the pool, don’t! The consequences could be disastrous.