Can you hear it? It’s that wooshing of water sound as thousands of pools are filling up for summer swim season. And if you’re a mom of a little one who doesn’t know how to swim, summertime can be one of the most stressful times of the year.
Enter Goldfish Swim School Wyckoff — specialists in swim lessons and swim safety.
The fact is, 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. In honor of National Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Month, we asked the swim-and-water-safety experts from Goldfish Swim School Wyckoff to help buoy your pool-time confidence with practical skills you can use to keep your little swimmer safe this summer.
-
The number one thing 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.
-
Any time kids—EVERY SINGLE SECOND!—are around water, designate a “water watcher,” who will avoid cell phones, conversations, magazines, and anything other distractions that might keep them from keeping an eye on swimmers.
-
Get swim lessons for yourself or any other caregiver.
-
Floaties, noodles, and plastic inner tubes do NOT protect against drowning—they’re toys, not life-saving devices. Always have U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets at the ready.
-
Even the most seasoned swimmers can still encounter trouble: make sure swimmers don’t overestimate their skills and understand the importance of never swimming alone.
-
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 ones will be strong enough to manage the movement on their own!
-
Master the Sea Otter Float. Work with your child on turning over and getting his/her face out of the water to take a breath when he/she fatigues.
For even more essential swim and water safety skills, check out Goldfish Swim School Wyckoff’s kid-friendly Jump Start Clinics, which are specially designed for families looking to get their kids water-ready in a hurry. You’re guaranteed to see significant improvement in your child’s swimming skills in just four or five days. Hurry, classes start June 20!
Visit wyckoff.goldfishswimschool.com or call (201) 254-3474 for more information.
Goldfish Swim School
327 Franklin Avenue, Wyckoff
(201) 254-3474
Goldfish Swim School
327 Franklin Avenue, Wyckoff
(201) 254-3474
