Do you know how to swim? If not, then it is ALWAYS time for swim class.

I’m a mother first and I am filled with horror stories. Isn’t that what gets our blood boiling and our bodies into action, horror stories. According to the CDC:

Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years.

OMG! Yes, it’s always time for swim class!!

My mother put me in swimming lessons before I turned one. On graduation day she stood with me on the diving board and threw me into the water, where my dad caught me under the water. I have no memory of the scary event, but I obviously survived to learn how to swim. Now a days supervision around pools is pretty prevalent and having our youngins wear life jackets in the pools is common as well. The horror comes when accidents happen. How much time does it take for you to look away and not see your little one fall in?

Horror story w/a happy ending (I promise, remember I love happy endings): at the end of last summer a 5-year was walking around his cousins pool. He was surrounded by dozens of relatives and his parents who were keeping a close eye on him. But he’s 5 now, parents of 5-years know that our kids are not headed for trouble every second of every day and our eyes can comfortably turn back to the conversation around us. The kids were not yet in their swim trunks and were just hanging out around the pool. Swimming would be happening soon and then closer supervision would most certainly occur. The 5-year old boy leaned over the edge to look at something he saw floating on the surface. He reached for the bug and fell quietly into the pool. He had a few swim lessons each summer, but was not yet proficient and was unable to kick back up to the surface. His mother looked around and after not finding him she got up and her nightmare began. She saw him floating at the bottom of the pool. She screamed and jumped right in and pulled her boy to the surface. His father was at the side of the pool and pulled him out. The boy’s skin was turning an ugly shade of blue. His father put him right over his shoulder. The boys belly felt the impact and water burst from him. He started breathing again. I told you it was a happy ending. Luckily for this family he was found before brain damage could occur. Now the little boy will be in swim class year round until he is a proficient swimmer.

The little boy has been in swim classes with my little boy all fall and winter. The two have improved a lot this winter, but still have a way to go and many more swim classes are ahead of them.

According to the same CDC report, participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children aged 1 to 4 years. Seconds count. CPR performed by bystanders has been shown to improve outcomes in drowning victims. The more quickly intervention occurs, the better chance of improved outcomes.

Have you received CPR training recently? Most places say you should renew your CPR skills every two-year.

Are you a proficient swimmer? If not, remember it may not always be warm out, but it’s always time for swim class.