With summer here, SafeSplash would like to remind all families of the importance of swimming lessons. In addition to being a fun summer activity for kids to participate in, they are much more than that. Teaching your children how to swim promotes lifelong safety skills that your children will take with them throughout life’s endeavors. Swimming is also a skill that can promote self confidence and support healthy social behaviors with friends over the summer. According to the American Red Cross, over 90% of families with young children will be in the water at some point in the summer. Nearly half of the places families will visit do NOT have a lifeguard on site. With so many children being exposed to water it is imperative that all young children learn how to practice water safety and be safe and confident around the water.
Consider these sobering statisitics from the United States:
- More than one in four fatal drowning victims is children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries-Center for Disease Control
- In 2006, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, almost 30% died from downing. Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years-Center for Disease Control
- Drowning usually happens quickly and silently-many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than 5 minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time-Center for Disease Control
Helping kids build confidence and stay safe around the water is one of the primary reasons SafeSplash was founded. Here are some basic water safety tips to get you started in helping your child become safer around the water:
- Enroll in a learn to swim course (e.g., SafeSplash Swim School)
- Never leave your child unsupervised around water
- Only used US Coast Guard approved flotation devices
- Know your swimming too’s: too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun
It’s also important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics is relaxing its stance against swimming lessons for children younger than 4. The group now says it’s fine to enroll children as young as 1. Click here to find out more about this
SafeSplash would like to encourage all of you to have a fun, safe summer! Swimming is a blast, and not just for kids but also for adults. We hope to see you all at the pool.
