If You See an ID Kid Wearing Blue in a Pool, Pull Them Out ASAP

Losing a child is arguably every parent's greatest fear. For many Idaho moms and dads, that fear intensifies during swim season.

At the national level, the Centers for Disease Control reports drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death for kids between the ages of 1 and 15. Additionally:

one study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also confirms 390 deaths a year occur on average in pools or jet tubs;
while the Treasure Valley YMCA reports 2022 saw an average of 11 drowning deaths per day in Idaho swimming pools, spas, fresh water, and boating-related incidents.

If you're as horrified by those statistics as I am, we're not alone, friend.

I had just finished updating an article on Boise-area swim lessons for littles when a Facebook reel on child pool drownings appeared in my Facebook newsfeed (thanks, Big Brother). The reel with 144,000 views was posted by a concerned Florida mom who cautions parents from buying blue bathing suits for their kids. To watch the reel, click here.

Is there a correlation between the color of your kid's swimsuit and their odds of drowning?

Alive Solutions, an organization that specializes in water safety, believes so. In 2020, the group conducted an informal study test on the visibility of a variety of colored swimsuits in light and dark-bottom pools, as well as lakes.

Overall, their findings indicated white and blue swimsuits were the least visible, therefore increasing the risk a child may be overlooked during a drowning incident. On which colors parents should select for their kids' swimwear, AS suggests going with bright neon colors that stand out in any body of water.

As Idaho heads into the summer months, we wish you and your family a happy and safe season of swim! For more information on water safety for Idaho children, click here!

Special Reminder to Book Your Boise Swim Lessons ASAP

🥽 ENROLL NOW!

In the gallery below, we've listed 10 Treasure Valley/Boise-area swim schools and instructors to help you find the best instructional fit for you and yours in time for spring and summer sign-up!

Gallery Credit: Ryan Valenzuela

Idaho Kids Do This Every Day Even Though It Could be Against the Law

Idaho's Child Pedestrian Protocol: rule or law?

We were today-years-old when we learned children 10-and-under do not and cannot process roadway environments the same as adults.

Walk Smart Idaho

According to Walk Smart, a pedestrian safety initiative launched by the Idaho Transportation Department, "Children observe a roadway environment from a different perspective than adults" for multiple reasons.

Rule or Law?

While we support the logic laid out in Walk Smart's child pedestrian section, it remains unclear as to whether or not it's actually against the law for kids under 10 to cross the street alone in Idaho.

One on hand, we have ITD making the point that "young children are vulnerable near traffic and should always be accompanied by an adult." On the other hand, Idaho Statute 49-702 , Pedestrians & Bicycles, makes no mention of minors or children 10-and-under crossing streets.

Whether it's a residential or high-volume street, scroll on for seven reasons the state of Idaho says young children should never cross a street alone.

Gallery Credit: Ryan Valenzuela