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Children and Water Safety
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Having a two-year old boy who loves swimming (being in the water) and frequently going fishing with me made me very concerned for his safety around the water. He showed no fear around and in water including the ocean with the waves crashing on the beach. He has spent time with me in a boat fishing where he is always required to wear a life jacket but I was still concerned for his safety around water due to him not being afraid of it. The last thing I wanted to do was teach him to fear the water. Instead my goal was to teach him to both respect and enjoy being near and in water.
Recently I found an organization where children are taught how to survive in the water alone if they should accidentally fall into a swimming pool, lake, pond, etc… The instructor teaching the class in my area was Chuck Teasley. He cares for each child as if they were his own and teaches the children to survive in a situation where they encounter the water. This is not a typical swimming class where children play in the water or learn different styles of swimming. This is infant water survival training and the youngest of children are capable of learning the techniques.
Chuck taught my son how to become comfortable in the water (this took about 30 seconds for him) and how to survive if he were alone in a body of water. He was taught to float on his back so he was able to get air while in the water. While in the pool the children were moved away from the edge and instructed to get back to the side to exit the water. Children didn’t have the strength to swim all the way to the side without needing to stop for air and/or rest. This is where the floating on the back comes into play. When they get tired or need more air they are taught to flip on their back for both air and a resting period.
I highly recommend this course for all children and the younger they get started the better. Personally I consider this course a must for any child who spends time in a boat, boat docks, lakes, and swimming pools. There are videos of how children respond to this training on the web site link below. However, I have seen it first hand and it is amazing how these children learn water survival.
Please visit the link below and get your child enrolled in this amazing program.
Marc Rogers
Midwest Fishing Tackle
Infant Swimming Resource
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