One of the best moments in a boating parent’s life is the day they get to bring their kids along. Or maybe you’re excited to finally invite nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or even the children of close friends onto your boat with you. But, like many activities, boating with children requires some additional preparation and precaution. You want everyone to be safe and have a good time, so check out our tips for boating with children to get you ready.
Teach Kids to Swim Early
This is absolutely a safety concern. Everyone who gets on a boat should have solid swimming skills. The earlier you can teach a child to swim, the more comfortable they’ll be around water. You can find swimming lessons for children as young as 1 (accompanied by an adult), with more formal lessons for older kids. When you know where you’ll be boating, educate your kids on some of the risks of a particular type of body of water, like riptides.
Get Them Used to Life Jackets
Even after they become strong swimmers, everyone on board should be wearing a life jacket. Of course, getting a child to wear something they don’t want to wear is often its own battle. If you can get them used to a flotation device fairly early on, then you won’t have to fight them as much and it’ll become a habit. Keep in mind that you’ll need to get appropriately sized life jackets, even as they grow.
Establish Safety Rules
Once everyone’s ready for boating, establish some safety rules that everyone, including the adults, needs to follow. Basic rules like not sitting on the rails and not touching the console controls should be stated out loud, even if they seem obvious. Some other great rule ideas can include no running on the boat.
Also, take a moment to show everyone where some of the key pieces of safety equipment are on the boat. This includes the life ring, first aid kit, and fire extinguisher.
Bring Supplies
Bringing all the right supplies will be particularly important when kids are on board. They’re a little less patient and may not want to wait until they get back to shore to find tweezers to get that splinter out.
You might also want to bring along some snacks and extra drinks, Dramamine, bug repellent, and sunscreen. And don’t forget the fun gear! Some favorite tunes and even some card games can help fill slow moments.
Keep Kids Warm (or Cool)
Pack for the weather, remembering that once you get out on the water, it’ll be colder than the temperature onshore. If it’s going to get particularly nippy, bring along extra coats and blankets to keep everyone warm. If it’s still going to be fairly warm, then you might want a way to create some shade or bring along some shorts for your kids to change into. In fact, a change of clothes is a good idea anyway, in case theirs get wet.
Keep it Fun!
In all the preparation and planning, don’t forget that taking your kids out on the water is supposed to be fun! While we want everyone to be safe and happy, part of that means enjoying the family time you’ve set aside for your boating trip. Try to make the most of your afternoon or day so your kids have lasting positive memories on the water.
The first step in creating the perfect boating experience for your family is to get the right boat. The team here at Island View Marina stands ready to assist you in choosing the perfect boat for your upcoming family adventures. You can find plenty of boats for sale at our dealership in Kankakee, IL. We serve customers from Beecher and beyond, so come shop with us today!