Swimming and Kids

It is no joke and it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that YOUR children learn how to swim! Or, YOU keep them out of pools and oceans!

A person could literally drown in a puddle of water. You many life at this, but it is true.

Those arm bands, inner tube seats, any other type of flotation device is NOT a substitution for teaching your children learn how to swim.

In a nano-second, your child can go under and then are YOU prepared as to what needs to happen next? Most parents are not!

My husband was a life guard many moons ago and he has seen too many children and families not prepared to handle water emergencies. And while, our first inclination is to blame the life guards, the first line of defense is the family!

So, make sure you get your kids swimming lessons and that YOU also can swim and are 100% Attentive in any water filled vessel.

Okay, my soap box is over.....

Re: Swimming and Kids

It is 100% the responsibility of the parents. Life guards are there as a back up.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

True! As i write this im out the door with my 3 and 5 year for their lesson

Re: Swimming and Kids

So true! I was at a hotel pool last summer and there was a family there with two boys around 8-10 years old who could not swim. They kept almost drowning because they would venture towards where they could not stand. Their mother (who was very pregnant , not sure if that is relevant) was also in the pool and stated that she could not swim either. They were also hanging over the deep end of the pool to get their toys and I was so afraid they would fall in.

My friend and I were just sitting on the side trying to have a few drinks but this became pretty stressful for us as there where no lifeguards at the pool. We were trying to verbally help the kids swim (I actually teach swimming) and we were the ones reminding them to be careful bc they could not stand. They were picking up on things and listening to us but it really was too little too late and not our job in that situation at all.
Thankfully nothing happened but I remember my friend an I saying to each other that we will not be happy if we have to jump in and save these kids and if that happens the mother better watch out.

Swimming and Kids

My brother had to jump into the deep end of a public pool to pull a kid out because the lifeguard did not see the 4 yr old jump in and flounder around, unable to swim. The lifeguard was also abut 75' away. The parents were busy enjoying lunch on a deck one flight up and didn't see their being so far away as a problem. Some people just don't get it.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Honestly there are so many parents who don't GAF.

We were at Tanner last weekend and there was a kid who fell in the SPRAY PARK. He had been running around playing with DS, so DH who was supervising took him by his hand and asked him where his mother was. She was way over on the other side of the park, sunning herself.

Her response to DH: oh, go look for his father and let him handle it.

DH was so mad that he went off on the father (also not supervising) and said if neither one of them cared about their kid, he doesn't care either. (Sadly not the case but you KWIM).

This also happens a lot down there. There were kids in the bay beach last weekend and I didn't see any adults supervising.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Im sorry, this is SO inappropriate to post KNOWING the family of the parents of the little boy who lost his life is on this board. Of course it is ultimately the parents responsibility and not the lifeguards (which was mentioned in the other post, wonder where the LGs were, etc) but how insensitive to lecture people right now on whose job it is to prevent you kids from drowning based on recent events on here. Im not saying what your post is about isnt true or important just in poor taste given recent events. Sometimes, tragic ACCIDENTS happen, even to the best parents, have some tact.

Message edited 7/18/2015 10:22:15 PM.

Swimming and Kids

I agree. Everyone questions us why dd has been in lessons since she was 6 months old and why I'm in the pool when she is perfectly fine with her puddle jumper. Um drowning happens very quickly I'm not willing to take that chance.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

Message edited 7/18/2015 2:36:42 PM.

Re: Swimming and Kids

And your kids can have swimming lessons and you can watch them like a hawk and they can still drown. Adults drown. Good swimmers drown.
in the case at Disney the boy was 3. How many 3 year olds know how to swim?. Lessons or not. Accidents happen. He got away from his parents somehow from.what I read.
It could happen to anyone.
I wouldnt be so quick to judge or get on a soapbox.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Message edited 7/18/2015 3:26:47 PM.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Both my kids are in swimming lessons. My 4yr old ds jumped into my sisters pool last year not realizing he couldn't stand. He panicked and went under. It was a party, my husband thought I had him and vice versa. My sister saw him and jumped in and got him. It could have been tragic had she not. Even kids who can swim and have gotten lessons can drown. It takes a moment.


Someone mentioned the puddle jumper hindering learning. My sons coaches told us to put them in life jackets not puddle jumpers bc the puddle jumpers restrict arm motion which is necessary in swimming.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

my daughter is 11 and is on a swim team. She is an excellent swimmer. That being said, I still watch like a hawk when she is swimming. Even though she is such a good swimmer, if there is a pool party, I stay. No one, not another parent or a lifeguard is going to watch your child the way you do. Also, please keep in mind it's not just pools and the ocean/bay. I had a great nephew drown a few years ago in Colorado. They moved to a new complex that had a pool, fenced in, but also had a small man made water feature. I guess the thought of the water feature never crossed anyones mind. He was 7, a good swimmer, etc. But if they fall in somewhere and panic it does not matter how good they are at swimming. Besides the sides were slanted and he could not get out. It took two firemen to help another fireman out of it after they found him. I am overprotective and I know it and I do not apologize for I one bit!!

Re: Swimming and Kids

Swimming and Kids

A 5 yr old girl drowned last night just a few blocks away from where I live.I ccan't stop thinking about it, about what her parents are doing and feeling at this very moment. I am sure they will forever blame themselves but its called an accident fir a reason. Like previous posters mentiined it can happen to the most vigilant of parents and a kid who CAN swim. Lets nit be so quick to judge. A good reminder to be super vigilant is welcome

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

Re: Swimming and Kids

I agree with many of the PP.
While the message you want to get across is an imporant one and I don't think anyone would argue that.
It's the timing and the way you come across that could've been more sympathetic.

Message edited 7/20/2015 6:55:56 AM.

Re: Swimming and Kids

I agree with many here.

Terrible timing.

Extremely insensitive.

Lacks so much empathy.

Please TRY and put yourself in their shoes for a moment... And I hope you wouldn't say, I can't put myself in their position bc that would never happen to me. Because the tone in your post sounds like that would be your response to that. Which is not true, anything could happen to anyone when it comes to children. It's so hard. They don't say all it takes is a second for nothing.

I honestly thought you were unaware of the fact that there is a poster on here who lost a loved one literally DAYS ago to a drowning... I figured you would say, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I was just upset since its summer and I'll edit it but you did not and that bothered me more.

That is why I posted. I waited to allow you the opportunity to do the right thing.

But now I feel like, if you were aware, then did you make the post in response to that?? Are you finger-wagging to those poor people??

I wish you'd reconsider and edit the post. I really wish you would have that level of sensitivity and grace.

Message edited 7/20/2015 7:07:19 AM.

Re: Swimming and Kids

DH were just talkin about swim lessons. I feel that they "should" be considered a necessity but year round lessons are $$$. I wish there was more $ assistance so kids can learn at a youger age. Not just parents who can afford $200 per month for lessons.

The town lessons that are offered that can be a little cheaper are only in summer and start at 4yo. Most kids can't learn to swim that quickly in such short period of time(summer) at such young age so they need lessons throughout the year. For my family growing up, it would have been unattainable for us to afford lessons.

I don't understand how one can be so flippant about stating parents should find a way to pay for these lessons. It's just not possible for many. I have also found that kids that have confidence in the water from lessons sometimes don't know their limitations in other pools. I saw 2 kids plucked out of the water yesterday by lifeguards at a public pool yesterday who seemed to have been swimming fine until they panicked in the deep end. So even lessons will not save all children. DD has been doing lessons for 2 years outside of her instructing pool she won't apply the skills.

Re: Swimming and Kids

Not for nothing, but I've gotten lots of negative feedback about many of these swim lesson places on LI.

Like, half hour lesson where there are one or two instructors who play favorites amongst a not so small group of kids.

Not arguing that being a vigilant parent is not important, but I also don't think shelling out $$ for lessons is the answer either.

I eventually learned how to swim but under my parents supervision and not costly lessons.