Keeping with our summer theme, this is the most important post I have written and the one I hope you share. We all know the importance of water safety and teaching our little ones how to swim but are we forgetting to train ourselves? Do you know how to swim? Do you know CPR? Water safety begins with you. Taking time now to be prepared can make all the difference.
Water accidents have not personally touched my close family and friends, but I have seen how it’s impacted another family. Through the wonders of Instagram, a beautiful mama has opened her soul to share their personal tragedy. To see them go from a family of five to four overnight due to a water accident, my eyes are wide open to the importance of water safety.
Turn on the news during the summer and you’re bound to hear stories of a child drowning during a family pool party or wandering through an unlocked gate to an empty pool. It’s so easy to get scared by these stories and wonder how you’d handle the tragedy. This summer was the first time I decided to stop wondering what could happen and instead took action with water safety.
My daughter is only five so we’re pretty much on repeat mode on many life lessons. We regularly talk about pool safety and how important it is for her to listen to her body when she is tired and struggling in the water. I have reassured her it’s perfectly okay to take a rest, skip the next cannon ball instead of trying to keep up with the others.
Things you can do to prepare yourself and your family:
- Find a local CPR class and get certified. Visit American Red Cross for more information.
- Sign up for water safety and swim lessons at a local swim school. This is money and time well spent.
- Most of all, talk to your family about water safety and how to handle an emergency.
My hope is that we all be fully present during water adventures. Put down the phone, skip taking that amazing photo and really watch our kids.
What does water safety mean to you?
Well said. Living in the Arizona mountains, we still get our evening news from Phoenix and sadly, it seems at least once each week or two there is a sad outcome to the discovery of a small child who has fallen into a swimming pool. Literally, in the blink of your eye, little feet can motor fast into harm’s way. And, we all know how inviting a big pool of water can be especially during super hot weather. Be aware and keep the radar on your little ones while also teaching them what to do, even as young as 10 mos can learn to hold their breath in water and maneuver to the side or steps of the pool. And, everyone should be certified in CPR. I hope so anyway, in case I ever need to be rescued whether in water or on dry land!
Exactly, it’s a lot about being prepared for those emergencies that can happen so fast. Literally in seconds!