From picking the right sunblock to drinking enough water, summertime presents parents with a bevy of safety must-dos. Now, a mom on TikTok has drawn attention to a rarely-discussed tip that could prevent poolside accidents.
In a TikTok clip that has since racked up over 15K likes, Lauren Mejia rounds up a variety of summer safety moves for parents, like choosing neon colors for your kids' swimwear (so you can see them more easily, especially when they're in the pool) and picking broad-spectrum sunblock that guards against both UVA and UVB rays. She then notes a key footwear tip: "Skip the sandals at the pool, and opt for a shoe with a no-slip grip."
Mejia shows the type of sandal she's warning against: everyday flip-flops with a flat bottom.
Daniel Ganjian, M.D., a pediatrician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California agrees with Mejia's tip.
"Kids love to run and jump," he says. "When you couple that with a wet floor, you are asking for real trouble. That is why it's always best for them to wear non-slip shoes around the poolside."
But making sure your child is wearing the safest footwear is just one piece of the puzzle for guarding against a troubling tumble.
"Always remind your child to not run around the pool or any other wet surface—even with non-slip shoes—to avoid potentially tripping and falling, which can lead to them breaking bones or inadvertently falling into the pool," says Dr. Ganjian.
Ultimately, there are plenty of ways to promote kids' summertime fun while preempting accidents, and one of those is strategies is ensuring they're wearing the right shoes during a day at the pool. Dr. Ganjian sums it up: "We always want to encourage our children to play, but we always want to encourage they do so safely."