Can your child swim?
Can your child swim?
"Seventy five percent of our planet is water- can you swim?" - Author unknown.
Summer is right around the corner. For me, summer memories are filled with late night games of kick the can, sticky Popsicle's and running through sprinklers in the back yard. But my fondest memories of summer are of those lazy, perfect afternoons spent at the beach or community pool with my family or friends. And now, I can't wait to create some of those same memories with my daughter. Swimming, or at least the close proximity to water, is an integral part of summer, but, how do you make sure your kids are safe?
Childhood drowning is the number one unintentional cause of death inmany states,for children under the age of four, and is the second leading cause of injury related death among children under the age of 15 (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).As a parent, I find that terrifying.But there are ways to help keep your children safe.
1. Children in or around water should have adult supervision at all times. Barriers. Have at least
2. barriers to the water. Purchase door locks for every door and window leading to your pool and install a fence.
3. Teaching your kids to swim and to have a healthy respect for the water is crucial. Most swimming programs start kids as young as 6 months old.
4. CPR. Every parent should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
There are many options locally for swimming instruction. If you are serious about your child learning water survival techniques, you should definitely look into ISR, Infant Swimming Resource, a comprehensive swimming instruction program, with an emphasis on self-rescue. To date, they have a 100% safety record. Meaning, not one, of the over 175.000 kids that have been through the ISR program, has ever drowned. In fact, there are 788 documented cases where the program may have saved a child's life.
Sharks and Minnows offer both group and private classes that teach the basic swimming skills such as getting in and out of the water, floating, jumping in and returning to the wall and swimming to the side to children at least 6 months of age. Sessions continue consecutively through nine levels, until they reach Shark ranking, at which point, they can perform all strokes perfectly.
Your local YMCA offers affordable swimming classes for all ages. Beginning with parent/child classes teaching water adjustment and then to classes that focus on floating, treading and getting back to the side.
As terrifying as the idea of childhood drowning is, it is certainly not the only reason to teach your kids to swim. Learning to swim at an early age increases a child's physical development, enhances children's natural flexibility, and promotes muscular development. Swimming develops superior coordination and concentration. Improvement in social, emotional and physical development has also been published. Plus, new skills build confidence and self-esteem in children of all ages. And, swimming is the building block for many new sports and amazing lifelong adventures.
Swimming is also recognized as one of the best forms of therapy for the disabled. According to Rob and Kathy McKay, recipients of the Paragon Award for Aquatic Safety and founders of the nationally acclaimed Lifestyle Swim School, in Boca Raton, Florida, "Water is a forgiving healer, its caressing and stimulating effect on children with special needs is most remarkable. Its buoyancy is like an invisible helping hand. Zero gravity allows for freedoms that do not exist on the dry land."
For most, a day at the beach or pool is an amazingly inexpensive way for the entire family to bond and just have fun, while keeping the heat of summer at bay.
To learn more about ISR, Infant Swimming resource, or to observe a lesson, go to www.infantswim.com.
Also check out www.sharksandminnows.com or your local YMCA schedule. Teaching your kids to swim and to have a healthy respect for the water is crucial. Most swimming programs start kids as young as 6 months old.
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