Swimming instructor warns parents not to wrap towel around kids' shoulders

With the school summer holidays in full swing, many families are jetting off to some of our most favoured European destinations and beyond.

And let's be honest, it has been a pretty miserable summer here in the UK so far, so it is understandable why a lot of us would want to get away to somewhere nice.

Despite claiming we love the heat though, a lot of us are desperate to find ways to cool down as soon as those temperatures begin to soar, and frankly there's nothing better than having a dip in the water.

But as summer season is well and truly here, parents are being issued with a strong warning from a swimming instructor.

Pexels

Also known as a water safety advocate, Nikki Scarnati took to TikTok earlier this year to educate parents about the best way to dry off their child and wrap them up in a towel after they've been for a swim.

In the video, Nikki demonstrated 'a proper way to put your towel around your child' by comparing it to the way most parents would 'naturally' dry off their kids after a dip.

She explained: "I see it happen so many times, and I myself, as a parent, did it without even realising it was a thing."

The TikToker then demonstrated putting the towel over the kid's shoulders - which I think a lot of us would say is the way we'd do it.

However, this popular method of drying down is actually pretty unsafe.

"If they were to fall in the pool this way, all of their limbs are going to be restricted under a wet towel," Nikki added.

Instead, you should dry their arms off, then get your child to lift up their arms and wrap the towel around them - essentially like you would with yourself after getting out of the shower.

TikTok/@scarnati.swim

"That way, if they end up in the water, they still have access to their limbs to self-rescue and they're that much safer," Nikki concluded.

Many parents have flocked to the comment section of the video thanking Nikki for the warning they knew nothing about.

"That's a great idea! I bought my son an oversized towel hoodie so his arms stay covered but he's got mobility," one parent said.

While another backed up what Nikki had said, commenting: "I can confirm this is true. When I was two I fell into the deep end of a rec pool with my towel on around my arms and I had to be rescued."