A seriously alarming image has proven exactly why you need to be careful when it comes to buying swimming costumes for your children.
Parents have a whole lot more to worry about in the swimming cozzie department beyond mere fashion or comfort, as a major safety element is a huge issue, which some may not actually be all that informed about.
Parenting Instagram account, @tinyheartseducation, which boasts 965k followers, shared a post last week depicting 15 different popular swimming costume colours against the background of a swimming pool as well as an open ocean.
Shockingly, many of the colours were near-undetectable when shown 'underwater', with light blue, white, beige and light grey being most invisible in a pool, while dark blue, dark grey, black and purple being most invisible out in the open water.
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"Your child's swimwear colours matter," the post's overlay text reads.
Tiny Heart Education explained the post further in the caption, writing: "The easier a child is to see in water, the faster you can respond when something goes wrong.
"Certain colours disappear quickly in pools and even more so in the ocean. Dark colours, muted tones, and neutrals blend into the water, shadows, and movement, making it harder to spot a child in distress.
"Bright, high contrast colours stand out and are easier to track, even with glare, waves, or splashing."
It continued: "Drowning is fast and silent. Visibility buys time, and time matters.
"Swimwear colour does not replace supervision, barriers, or swimming skills, but it is an important additional layer. When you are scanning water, you want your eyes to catch your child instantly.
"Choose visibility. It is a simple decision that can make a meaningful difference."
It didn't take long for fellow parents to rush in and share their thoughts, echoing in agreement and sharing their own personal experiences on the matter.
"I will only buy a swimsuit for my kids if it’s neon orange, so easy to see them in and out of the water," penned one Instagram user.
A second commented: "Amazing - never thought about this but so so important!"
"Yet most swimwear isn't in these bright colours! It's very frustrating!" lamented a third.
Another echoed: "My boys wear fluoro orange and my daughter pink or yellow. But yes, the boys' section is usually dark blue, white or black!"
And a final Instagram user praised: "Couldn’t agree with this post more, it’s so important!"
Topics: Advice, Life, Explained, Parenting, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle