We are enjoying another beautiful summer here in Dayton. And that means plenty of time at the pool, beach and local water parks! Many families are planning on water-related fun for the upcoming 4th of July weekend.
Sadly, every summer communities across the country are impacted by drowning or near-drowning incidents and Dayton, OH is no different. The bottom line is that these accidents can happen fast and parents need to be aware of what they can do to keep kids safer around water. At Goldfish Swim School Dayton, we are making it our mission to ensure that ALL Dayton-area families have the skills and information to keep kids safer around water!
Drowning is the leading cause of injury death to children ages one to four—and the second leading cause of injury death for children ages one to 14, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to the drownings reported, many children also suffer other water-related injuries each summer. This is a topic that every family needs to be aware of.
So what does drowning look like? What are the warning signs?
● It happens quickly. A child can drown in as little as one inch of water and in as little time as 20 seconds.
● Often, adults are around when a child is drowning but they are unaware of what is happening.
● Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that we see on television is rarely seen in real life. You will not see screaming kids flailing their arms! Constant supervision is important so you notice a child whose face has gone under water or is struggling. If they are taking on water, they WILL NOT be able to shout out for help.
How can we educate our kids about water safety?
● Goldfish Swim School has a Water Safety Program that we bring to local schools, day care centers and community group to educate kids and families about some water safety basics. We are happy to bring this FREE, engaging program to interested community organizations to teach kids the basics of water safety. We encourage any interested schools to reach out to us because this applies to every child. Water safety can be part of any school’s curriculum.
What skills can parents practice with their kids?
Enroll your child in lessons and practice basic water safety whenever you are in the water together. Here are some skills you can work on this summer:
● Work on getting in and out of the pool safely. Elbow, Elbow, Tummy, Knee! Help your little ones learn how to get out of the pool by manipulating their bodies in this order: elbow, elbow, tummy, knee. Practice this often; you can even do in on your living room floor by having your baby climb onto a couch or chair! After you practice, always remember to celebrate. Eventually, your little one will be strong enough to manage the movement on their own.
● Jump, Turn, Swim to the Wall! Once they have the movement down, let your child jump off the side of the pool to you, help them physically turn back to the wall and then assist them in getting out of the pool by using the elbow, elbow, tummy, knee method. Do this over and over again as they get more confident let them go under the water and come to the surface on their own.
● Crab Walk. Help your kids work on their grasp reflex to assist with their ability to get out of the pool. Support them while they crab walk by holding onto the wall and eventually inching their way down.
● Pulling. Assist your baby to practice pulling paddle motions with their arms. This trains both the mind and muscles to perform techniques for later swimming strokes.
For more information on Goldfish Swim School please visit https://dayton.goldfishswimschool.com/
