Water Safety Info Every Family Needs to Know, PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

May is National Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Month. This important topic impacts all families. Every adult that supervises children in or around water needs to know basic information on how to keep kids safer in around water.

When it comes to drowning, the statistics are pretty staggering. 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. What’s more, statistics show that thousands of children are hospitalized each year for nonfatal drowning incidents.  Accidents can happen quickly. A child can drown in as little as one inch of water and in as little time as 20 seconds.

Every parent and caregiver needs to keep the following water safety tips in mind:

Any time kids are around water, designate a “water watcher” who will avoid cell phones, conversations, magazines and anything else that might distract the adult from watching swimming children EVERY SINGLE SECOND. After all, most children who drown are supervised.

The American Red Cross says that the number one thing that parents can do to keep kids safer around water is to enroll them in swim lessons. Swimming is an essential life-saving skill with numerous physical, mental and intellectual benefits.

Get swim lessons for yourself or any other caregiver who cannot swim or is afraid of water.

Realize that floaties, noodles and plastic inner tubes do NOT protect against drowning. They are created as water toys, not life-saving devices. Life jackets should be designated as U.S. Coast Guard-approved.

Know that even the most seasoned swimmers can still encounter trouble. Make sure swimmers don’t overestimate their skills and that they understand the importance of never swimming alone.

In addition to these tips, there are several basic skills that the water safety experts at at Goldfish Swim School work on with students every week. Parents can practice these skills with their kids anytime they are in the water together:

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 this 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! This is a skill that kids continue to use to safely exit the pool -- even when they are older!

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. This teaches kids to automatically turn back to the wall behind them to climb out. If a child were to fall into a pool, this skill could help them find the quickest way to safety.

Sea Otter Float. Work with your child on turning over and getting their faces out of the water to take a breath when he/she fatigues..

We’d love to see you and your family in the pool to work on essential swim and water safety skills this spring or summer! ! In addition to weekly lessons, we are also offering Jump Start Clinics. Jump Start Clinics are four consecutive days of 30-minute swim lessons that focus on everything from the fundamentals of water safety to fine-tuning stroke technique.  

For more information, please visit our website or call (770) 744-0250.

About Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek​Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), shiver-free 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek also offers weekly family swims (for both members and non-members) and birthday party packages. For more information or to register for lessons, visit the website or call (770) 744-0250.

GIVEAWAY:

May is National Water Safety Awareness Month. The American Red Cross says that the number one thing you can do to keep kids safer around water is to enroll them in regular swim lessons. We are partnering with Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek to give one lucky winner ONE WEEK of Jump Start Clinics OR a MONTH of lessons! Winner's choice! 

Jump Start Clinics are four consecutive days of 30-minute swim lessons that focus on everything from the fundamentals of water safety to fine-tuning stroke technique. 

Please fill out THIS FORM to enter to win. 

Bonus Entries:

2 Entries: Comment on our Facebook post with your favorite poolside treat!

10 Entries: Refer a New Subscriber. Make sure they put your name in the "How did you hear about us?" box.

Entries will be accepted from Monday, May 8, 2017 through Sunday, May 14, 2017. You must be a subscriber to enter and win. 

Comment on this post and tell us the ages of your little swimmer(s) to be entered to win a Jump Start Clinic or a month of swim lessons from Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek this summer! Winner will be chosen at random. Contest ends at XXXXX.