One thing that I have been thinking about lately is water safety when it comes to E. With my family living close to the water and how much Kyle and I love water activities we knew we wanted E to be prepared. Our niece and nephew love the water and we know E will be just like them but safety is so so important.
However, when I read Erica's story about her daughter's near drowning I knew that swim lessons were something that we needed to do for E. I am so relieved and happy that her little girl is okay!
My sister and I had previously talked about a video that was circulating of a baby that learned how to float in a pool at 6 months old. While it seems scary these techniques can do wonders! The videos I have seen are incredible, the way in which these babies learn to float is amazing.
Kyle and I talked about it and we decided to enroll E in lessons once we arrive in Kansas. There are a few options but one jumped out at me. Kansas City's Infant Aquatics start lessons at the age of 6 months old. This is exactly what I want. Studies have shown that kids who are not introduced to the water early enough are likely to develop a fear of water around the age of 2. I do not want that for her. I want her to be confident in the water and to enjoy it.
We will also be getting re-certified in CPR/First Aid (both Adult and Pediatric). We as parents have to be prepared for anything.
I am hopeful that with these lessons she will gain confidence as she grows older and that it will give us piece of mind.
Have you ever taken swim lessons? Or enrolled your kids?
Scary stuff. Between this post, hanging around with my little nieces and nephews more, and there being a whole lot of back garden pools here, I am thinking a CPR/first aid course is necessary for me and my husband. You can never be too careful!
ReplyDeleteBoth of my kids have taken swim lessons. When my son was baby he could swim instantly. He had that instinct to dog paddle. It was amazing! My daughter did not have the same instinct. While she loved the water she wasn't a strong swimmer until she had her lessons. My son is now almost 12 and joined the swim team for school!
ReplyDeleteSwim lessons are a great idea at a young age!
That is awesome! I'm so glad that both your kids are good when it comes to swimming, it's so important.
DeleteI think about Erica's story a lot. I didn't know that fact about having a fear of water around age two, I definitely want to get E into lessons before then. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt's so important and it definitely becomes more real after you have kids.
DeleteWater safety is something I think so HIGHLY of, not just for the parent's piece of mind but also for the child. I knew someone who at 30 was scared of the water because she never learned to swim. Helping her early is such a big thing!
ReplyDeleteI took swim lessons when I was an older kid and I hated it. I guess my parents didn't think it was important because we lived around no water aside from the Red River (and no one swam in that nasty thing back in the day lol). Wasn't until I was a teenager and my bff had a pool and I was swimming every day. Definitely good to do it at a young age!! Because I still am like ehhh when it comes to water.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you are comfortable in the water though, I think that can make all the difference. I want E to be comfortable and confident. Especially if something were to go wrong.
DeleteErica's story always sends shivers down my spine! I'm so glad you're getting E prepared with classes :)
ReplyDeleteI have always had a fear of water. I took swimming lessons as a kid but when I was like 6 or 8 or something. I didn't know you should have swimming lessons before 2 to prevent the fear; I will definitely remember that for the future!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about the exposure to water before age 2 thing, but I think it's totally accurate. My kids haven't been around water that much, and they're ages 6 and 8, and they're both terrified of the water. We'll be enrolling them in swim lessons this summer, but ugh. I wish I had done it sooner. Good for you for being safe and proactive. I bet Baby E will be the cutest little minnow in her swim class! ;)
ReplyDeleteI never had much talent for swimming or a body that was good for floating.
ReplyDeleteI know enough to keep me afloat so I think these lessons will help me too.
DeleteI was on swim team from a very early age and water safety is so important to me as well. I think that getting E enrolled in that baby swimming class is going to be amazing, especially since she'll be around water so much of her life!
ReplyDeleteI put my kids in swim lessons at an early age. I'm so glad I did, because they are excellent swimmers now! Better than me, even.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! I really want her to be prepared and ready. :)
DeleteDefinitely get them comfortable in the water at an early age! My parents did that and I am so glad they did! And omg, Erica's story was heart wrenching but glad Hadley's ok!
ReplyDeleteI think it's so smart to get kids comfortable and used to water at an early age!
ReplyDeleteYay! Smart idea!!! Erica's story last year is TOTALLY what sold me as well... as soon as I saw one on one swim lessons here pop up, I enrolled Annabelle that day! I'm glad I did since now I know we'll be living so close to the water!
ReplyDeleteWe are all about water safety too! Being in Hawaii, it was so easy to get the older 3 used to it so I am struggling to get more water activities here. We did swim lessons from about 6 months too and we got some water babies, which I love. :)
ReplyDeleteWater safety is important. We are looking into it for Eve in the future.
ReplyDeleteI grew up taking swim lessons, so I've always known how to swim. It amazes me how many of my friends don't know how to swim and are scared to go in deep water now as adults.
ReplyDeleteR will be taking lessons later this summer! I'm excited to get her some more exposure to the water.
ReplyDelete