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You mean throwing him over the edge and seeing if he comes back up isnt the right way to do it? Thats what my mom did....
LOL, that's what I did! Well, not exactly...but I lived in an apartment complex that had a pool. There was a kiddie pool, but my daughter didn't want to go in that pool, she wanted to go into the big pool. She wasn't even two years old yet, and she kept running to the big pool and down the stairs into the water.
I took her into the pool, showed her how to hold her breath, and then holding her by her waist, put her down under the water and back out again. She was sputtering and choking so I showed her again how to hold her breath, told her to keep her mouth closed, and we did it again a few times until she came up with her mouth still closed and still holding her breath. By the end of that day she was jumping to me from the edge of the pool and swimming a few feet underwater.
She was told she could NOT go into the pool without me; however, by the way she kept running into the water at the beginning of the day, I figured if she ever got away from me or somehow ran to the pool without me seeing, at least she knew how to hold her breath.
This wouldn't have worked with a kid who was afraid of the water--the problem was that mine was not afraid. She continued to love swimming, and passed her deep-water test at the age of 7 at the swimming place we went to when she was older. She was a lifeguard later on.
Another good thing to know is the signs of drowning are not always obvious. Your child could be a few feet away from you in the water and be in trouble and you might not realize it.
Thank you for posting this. I read something similar a few years ago and was stunned to learn that people who are drowning do not splash around or call for help. They CANNOT. The following statement just about froze my heart:
Quote:
To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC).
Thank you for posting this. I read something similar a few years ago and was stunned to learn that people who are drowning do not splash around or call for help. They CANNOT. The following statement just about froze my heart:
I was stunned too, so I post it every chance I get. My kids have always been in the water all summer long and we live on one of the Great Lakes, I have always been with them but I am not sure I would have recognized the signs before reading this. It was a big wake up call.
Just an FYI - the Y isn't cheap in all areas. The Mommy and Me classes here are almost $200 for eight 30 minute sessions. For me that's just too much to spend just to introduce and infant to the pool. I'm going to wait until he's old enough to actually learn some things. I know there are classes that actually teach little babies how to flip themselves over in a pool, but the Y does not have those. I just don't want anyone to be discouraged by the prices and never do it.
Often gyms with pools offer swimming lessons for less. And our county parks have very reasonable rates as well. So look around if your Y is too expensive. You might be able to find something else.
What age can you start the classes? I dont know if anyone remembers my thread of good summer activities for my 7 month old but this sounds great! is 7 months too young?
What age can you start the classes? I dont know if anyone remembers my thread of good summer activities for my 7 month old but this sounds great! is 7 months too young?
The Y offers as young as 6 mos, IIRC. Whether it is too young depends a lot on what you want your child to get out of it. The young baby classes are usually geared towards just getting the child comfortable in the water with a parent - lots of songs and splashing around in mom/dad's arms. DS's classes didn't work on the safety stuff until he was closer to 2, I think.
I had a child in my care spend almost a second struggling in a stream no bigger than an arm. It DOESN'T look like drowning. But that was what she'd have done if I hd not scooped her up. She did not have the agility or strength to position herself any other way. Eventually her arms would have given out, and face plant in the water she'd have done.
In my opinion. be with the kids in the water from a young age with regular frequency. They don't need classes at 6 months old. When they get to preschool age and beyond, then they are useful.
What age can you start the classes? I dont know if anyone remembers my thread of good summer activities for my 7 month old but this sounds great! is 7 months too young?
Our county only had ones that started at 1 year. But private places usually start at 6 months. There's a place near us that sells scuba equipt and offers certification - that's another kind of place you can look for for lessons. They aren't going to be learning much but if you're looking for something to do my Mom friends did enjoy doing it at around your babies age!
Great article! As a parent, I was drawn to this article and I'd also like to share a safety tip of my own. It's imperative to protect your child's eyes from the summer sun. I personally just bought a pair of Babiators and they are awesome- virtually indestructible and the kids love them. Way better than the super cheap ones we normally buy-they actually keep these on because they're cool to wear.
If you have little ones,this may be the BEST thing you ever teach them
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