On this week's podcast episode, we discussed water safety. With summer approaching, we wanted to make sure you feel confident heading out in the water with your littles. We compiled all the important information into an easy-to-read blog. Here is a recap of our podcast on Water Safety, with guest speaker Kaylee Kennedy.
Tips for Water Safety with Kids
We all want to be present with our children, right? That’s what is so beautiful about swimming—there’s no place where you could be more present. You need to be exactly where you are! Talking to Kaylee Kennedy, the founder of many swim schools, not only inspired us to get in the water with our children but also taught us the best safety measures to take and methods to teach to foster a love for the water.
Kaylee Kennedy, taught her oldest son to swim as a baby, and it bonded them in such a strong way. It inspired Kaylee to open up Saskatoon Swim School in the Fall of 2014 when her son was just a year old. Her overall philosophy of teaching beginners to swim is to do so as effectively and safely as possible. But it did not end there. In came K&K Swim School throughout Canada. Then, with the pandemic, came a whole new vision - teaching babies and toddlers to swim in their own bathtubs at home - watermellow (previously, KKOnlineSwim) was born. Keep reading to learn more about water safety with kids.
Start Swimming with Kids
Can start as young as 3-weeks-old
The younger, the better!
Can start in the bathtub
Can also learn in a hot tub that is set to 90-91 degrees
Kids should be swimming once a week, or at least twice a month, so their bodies don't forget
Tip: Bring goggles for anywhere with a hot tub or a big bathtub!
Teaching Water as a Caregiver
A large part is going underwater with your kids and having fun!
If you're not a confident swimmer, a swim school should teach you with your child
Once you want your child to learn technique, they can join swim lessons
Get in the water with them and hold them by their underarms and be their flotation device! The lighter your fingers, the more independence they have!Tip: Wear a T-shirt in the water -- it allows your child can grab onto you
Typical Swim Groups
Synchro
Diving
Water Polo
Swim Team
Why We Are Not Fans of Self-Rescue Lessons
Some methods of self-rescue can include listening to the child’s input
Lots of aggressive forms of teaching self-rescue don’t stay attuned to the child’s feelings and progression
The word “rescue” alone brings fear to the water – a child should never have to rescue or save themselves in the water – if a child feels like they are going to die, that’s a very traumatic experience (and then imagine that trauma over and over and over again)
The mindset doesn’t match the intention; instead focus on learning to breathe, have fun, and swim, so children can become independent in the water
Let's Talk Water Safety
Always, always, always, make sure the child is at arm’s reach from an adult <100% supervision>
Teach children to respect the strength of water by teaching them submerging, breath control, and calm controlled movements in the water
Kids learn by submerging again and again and again
The danger comes when kids don’t know what water is capable of, so exposure is key!
Have a gate around pools and an alarm at the back door (and no doggy door) – remember non-swim times are the largest concern, so we need to teach our kids that they do not go in the water without us
When you go to a place with water, make going in the water the first thing you do, and watch what your kids do, so they learn boundaries
PFD's, Lifejackets, and Puddle Jumpers
These products should never be used as a replacement for parental supervision
They are meant to be used if you were to fall off a boat and be knocked unconscious
Kids should not “learn to swim” in these; they don't allow them to submerge and don’t allow them to be in a horizontal position
It’s not a great idea to wear them outside of the pool either, because it gives a false sense of security
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