The image source is EnvatoHow to keep your kid’s phone out of the pool this summer
There are more than a few horror stories of kids plunging into the pool and tears streaming down faces. Meanwhile, you’re grimacing to think about the cost and how this could have been easily avoided. To help, we have some tips for making sure no pool-related disasters happen to your kid’s phone.
Inspect Pockets
As social media continues to thrive, your kids will want to use their phones in and around the pool. Before your kids or their friends get in the pool, remind them to check their pockets or anywhere they might have a phone on them. It is especially easy to forget at the beginning of summer when you are used to having your phone and electronics always on you. Try creating a spot right outside your home and out of the sun that is designated for phones and electronics. This will be a helpful and easy reminder for those that want to get into the pool.
Confiscate Phones
Your kids can have a good understanding of why phones and pools are a bad mix yet still end up with theirs soaked and ruined. To keep this from occurring, require them to give you their phones and keep it on your person while they’re in the pool. You need to make sure you’re in a spot where nothing will happen to the phone and you won’t be distracted. If your budget allows it, consider investing in an enclosed gate around your pool with a lock. If your teens want to use the pool then they will need to put their phones in a designated place where you can see them. This option also is beneficial in that you will always be made aware of who is in the pool because they have to get permission from you for the key. This just adds an additional layer of safety for your family.
Let Them Know The Consequences
Phones don’t end up in pools on purpose, but negligence is not an excuse. Explaining consequences to kids and teens can be difficult, as they’re more likely to be focused on what’s going on now than what could happen. If your kids are being so careless with something they’ve claimed to be responsible enough to own and use, you need to be staunch in how you address things. You might take away certain privileges for a set period of time, even if their phone doesn’t end up damaged. It is important for them to learn that being inattentive is a trait that should not be exhibited. Giving them real consequences for such actions is a very important lesson to impart. If breaking their phone becomes a bad habit, have them earn their own money for a new phone. This will help them learn the value of items and money.
What To Do If It Ends Up in the Pool
A phone that’s gone into the pool is one that’s in jeopardy, if not completely ruined. However, there are ways to salvage it. As quickly as you can, get the phone to a cell phone repair service. Whether or not the phone is saved depends on how bad the damage is and how quick the response time is. Turn the phone off and get it dried off as well as possible. Don’t try anything that could risk further damage to your phone while you’re trying to save it. The repair shop should be able to give you a reasonably fast diagnosis as to whether or not your child’s phone can be saved.
By teaching your kids responsibility and setting ground rules about their phones, you can get a headstart on preparing them for adulthood. If they disobey you and damage their phones, they can learn an all-important lesson about what it means to care for their belongings. Time spent at the pool should be full of fun and recreation, not regrets over the loss of electronics
