Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the PreK12 Plaza. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
There is nothing more important to me during this time of year than SAFETY!! Of course, I practice safety in all that I do because I am a mother and a teacher, but water safety holds a tender spot in my heart and I will tell you why.
When I was younger and we moved from our apartment in Brooklyn, NY to our lavish first family home, my dad had an underground pool placed in our backyard. I knew how to swim without taking any formal lessons because of my summer trips to Puerto Rico and I also knew CPR because I was already certified with CPR Training in Kitchener at the age of 18. Did I ever think that I would have to use it? NO WAY! But one summer, I sure enough had to and yes, I saved a life!
I will spare you the details that rocked me to the core but I will tell you that from that day forward, I have always been on alert near water. The statistics amaze me when The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides us with the following data based on drownings and the target age. After that day, I was referred to as “Titi CJ” (referring to the lifeguard from Baywatch) and I wore the title proudly. Did we know this accident was going to happen? NO! Did we mean for it to happen? No! Could it have been prevented? ABSOLUTELY!
Here’s how to keep yourself and your kids safe in and around the water:
- Never leave children unattended with other children or with adults who can’t swim.
- Always wear life vests or protective gear in and around the water.
- Speak to children about the depth of the pool and to not go to the deep end unattended.
- Have children learn to signal to you verbally or with their hands when they need help.
- Be CPR certified just in case.
That day changed me forever. I am always vigilant and on high alert at our home pool and even (especially!) at water parks. Wherever I go where there is water I am alert and always have my guard up. What many don’t realize is that children can drown in the least bit of water. This matter is taken too lightly and it just scares me. After personally experiencing dragging a child out of my parents’ six foot deep pool and performing CPR to give him life again, I am simply not the same. I never want to have to do it again, but if I had to, I would in a heartbeat! Had we followed those five tips above, I would have never had to spring into action that day. I am happy that I acted on training and instinct and jumped right in to help all those years ago. Do I consider myself a hero? NO! I consider my self blessed to have been present when it happened because I felt that I knew what to do and was quite possibly the only one there who could have saved him!
Make it a priority to always be on guard and alert when around children and adults in and around a pool. Don’t ever force a child into a pool who doesn’t want to. Swimming and water-play should be a fun experience and we all want to enjoy a safe and pleasant summer without any scares!
Care to share: What safety measures will you take this summer while your children are in and around the pool?
Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the PreK12 Plaza. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Water safety is so important to me. As a person who almost drowned when I was a teen due to suddenly freezing up and forgetting my swimming skills, I know how important this is. I have my toddler signed up for lessons and my new baby will be taking lessons too.
Thanks for sharing your tips. I too am certified in CPR
Wow! That must had been a scary and difficult experience. I cannot imagine. Your CPR skills were helpful because it allowed you to react automatically and know what to do. Once I saw my son going down in the water and I just kept looking and it and not doing anything thing it didn’t cross my mind that he was drowning., but my oldest son went down and rescued him.
This is a great article. I personally don’t know how to swim and it’s something that I have honestly been avoiding. I need to make it a priority because life happens and I need to be ready. Thanks for the reminder. Great read.
Water safety is so important and parents should definitely have boundaries when it comes to kids being in the water. When my youngest daughter was about 2 years old we were at a friends house and after all the kids had been taken out of the pool and the moms were all dressed, my 2 year old decided that she was going in for a swim again. Thankfully one of the other moms saw her and I jumped in the pool to take her out. I also remember a time when my younger brother at about the same age fell in our home jacuzzi. We don’t realize how important it is for us adults to be aware when there are kids around a pool. You never know what could happen.