It’s Memorial Day Weekend and our own pool just opened up today – which means summer is officially here! But let’s not forget that there are some scary situations that can come along with summer-like drowning.

Drowning has always been a concern of mine (my dad never even learned how to swim!), and I wanted to get Max acclimated to the water as soon as possible. He’s been avidly taking classes for almost a year now, and a really great swimmer. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find me still watching over him like a hawk in the pools. We’ve actually had very close friends experience near-drowning accidents and it can hit close to home.

Scary facts: Almost 350 children under the age of five down every year in pools – and most children who drown were being watched by parents. 

While Maximo is almost six, he’s been taking little lessons on and off for a few years, but I should have started him even sooner. At Goldfish Swim School, you can start as early as four months, and the American Red Cross claims the #1 thing parents can do to keep kids safe around water is to enroll them in swim lessons. So here are Goldfish Swim School (and mine!) W.A.T.E.R. safety tips for summer:

W – Wear your life jacket.

A – Act. Throw – don’t go.

T – Take swimming lessons.

E – Educate by learning swim safety skills

R – Respect and play it cool by following the rules.

Remember, downing happens fast and it can be difficult to notice because it doesn’t involve crazy splashing and loud yelling. If someone is having trouble in the water, they may quietly slip under the water. That’s why it’s important to recognize the signs of drowning and what to do if someone appears in distress. And designate someone to be your W.A.T.E.R. Watcher – that means NO CELL PHONES OR DISTRACTIONS – just someone to supervise kids at all times (even if there is a lifeguard!).

Want to learn more about Goldfish Swim School?

Goldfish Swim School has locations all over American from Colorado to Florida, including in Garden City (where we go) and most recently Farmingdale, Long Island as well. They also have locations in Pittsburgh n’ at.

 

*Statistics by the CPSC. This is a sponsored post by Goldfish Swim School – all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Football Food and Motherhood.