Understanding When Childhood Drowning Most Often Occurs

When people picture what it looks like to drown, many see a cartoon-like image of someone wildly flailing their arms and splashing while bobbing about in the middle of a pool or a lake. What people don’t realize is that drowning is almost always nearly silent, and it doesn’t take a large body of water for it to happen, nor does it always happen while people are actually in the pool and swimming together.

Drowning Doesn’t Always Occur When a Child Is Swimming

Sometimes a swimming child will find him or herself in a situation where he or she needs help in order to avoid an emergency when in the pool, lake or ocean during a planned swimming session. But the reality is, drownings most often occur when people aren’t even swimming.

It takes only seconds for a youngster to unknowingly leave the home through an unlocked sliding glass door, through a backyard gate and even through a pet or “doggie” door. And sadly, this is the typical situation for childhood drowning.

This can, and has, happened to even the best of parents for a variety of reasons. 

1. Distraction

Parents and caregivers responsible for watching over kids often multitask and are engaged in other activities like food preparation, checking emails, doing laundry and so many other daily activities that are necessary.

2. Distance

Younger children who are not within eyesight of a responsible parent or caregiver are at a much greater risk of drowning. Even a quick trip to the bathroom or running into the kitchen to grab a snack can be potentially hazardous for a curious child.

3. False Sense of Security

Security in numbers is something far too few of us rely on. This is something which resonates with the friends and family of Levi Hughes, a beautiful 3-year-old boy who suffered a tragic drowning after quietly exiting a room filled with children and responsible adults. It’s vital to never assume someone else is watching a child. 

Katy Swim Lessons a Proven Preventative Measure in Drowning

In 2018, drowning claimed the lives of 91 children in Texas. Swimming lessons play a critical role in teaching children to have a healthy respect for the water and how to survive should they find themselves in a dangerous, life-threatening situation.

Children around the age of one can successfully learn valuable life-saving swim skills which ensures that they can remain safe should they find themselves in an unanticipated dangerous aquatic environment.

The Survival Swim Lessons taught here at Katy’s Texas Swim Academy ease precious youngsters into the water. Once comfortable, our knowledgeable and trained instructors work with babies and toddlers to teach them how to easily roll from their fronts to their backs in the water and then float until found.

For children who are in preschool or elementary school, we offer private lessons as well as group lessons that are geared towards teaching children important swim skills and how to be respectful of the water in a fun and engaging environment.

We also understand that children on the autism spectrum can particularly be drawn to water. This is why we offer our highly specialized Adaptive Aquatics program so that children of any ability can learn critical water survival skills while still having a great time in the water.

For more details on our swim programs, we invite you to contact us online, stop by our Katy swim facility or give us a call at (832) 437-6186.

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY 

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as survival swim, health and wellness, Texas Swim Academy news and more. Follow our Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube pages for even more news, updates, and tips!

 

 

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5 Reasons to Take Year-Round Swimming Lessons in Katy

When the warm weather hits, swimming lessons in Katy are at the top of every parent’s list. After all, swim lessons are a great way to keep a child physically active while still encouraging youngsters to learn valuable life-saving skills.

Unfortunately, families have the tendency to cool off from swim lessons when the weather wanes and chills. But there are many compelling reasons why families should continue year-round swimming lessons in Houston and Katy:

1. Swimming Lessons in Katy Mean Kids Will Maintain and Grow Their Skills

Take a child (or an adult!) out of swimming lessons for a few weeks and a lot of what they have learned – and much of their physical development – may be lost. By enrolling children in Katy swim lessons year-round, children are able to retain their skills while also developing their swim skills both mentally and physically.

2. Kid Thrive On Routine

It’s no secret that children do best when they are on a schedule. Having Katy swim lessons as part of their regular learning helps them stick to that routine. Children will continue to feel confident when in and around water, they will feel safe in knowing that they can protect themselves in threatening aquatic situations, and they will know that they can have fun with family and friends when in the pool or ocean.

3. Swimming Complements Other Activities

Katy swim lessons complement so many other activities your children are engaged in. Because swimming builds stamina and listening skills while developing all muscle groups, children enrolled in year-long swim lessons often also perform well in other activities like soccer, dance, football, and gymnastics.

4. Swimming Relieves Stress

Children have a lot of stress which often goes unacknowledged by adults. From educational pressures to social pressures to developing themselves as an individual, growing up can be pretty rough.

Swimming lessons at Texas Swim Academy give kids a much-needed reprieve from what their day throws at them. In our supportive and friendly environment, kids can toss the problems of the day away and focus on improving their swimming skills among supportive peers who will be rooting for their success.

5. Kids Get Exercise In The Off-Season

While the weather may not be as unfriendly in Katy as it is in other areas of the country during the fall and winter, sporting activities slow when the weather cools.

Because our facility is indoors and the waters of our pools are always kept at friendly temperatures, children can’t wait to jump in and go for a splash and swim. Children maintain their fitness when they participate in year-round swim lessons while also burning off some much-needed energy in the process.

Explore Your Katy Swimming Lesson Options at Texas Swim Academy

Leaders in Katy swimming lessons, Texas Swim Academy can help direct you to the right type of lesson to best support an infant, child, tween, teen or adult! We offer both group and one-on-one training provided by fulled trained and experienced instructors who can provide custom guidance to ensure that your swimming development goals are met.

For more details, we welcome you to contact us online or by phone at (832) 437-6186.

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY 

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as survival swim, health and wellness, Texas Swim Academy news and more. Follow our Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube pages for even more news, updates, and tips!

 

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Three Reasons to Enroll Your Child in Survival Swim Lessons

Gone are the days when it was thought kids should be in preschool before they learn how to swim. As we now know (and as the American Academy of Pediatrics now openly acknowledges), children as young as one year of age should be taking survival swim lessons.

A parent’s knee-jerk reaction to this is fear. Fear of their child being injured in the water, fear of their child suffering emotionally, fear of the lessons themselves leading to a drowning incident. But it has been proven time and time again that survival swim lessons – lessons where babies learn to roll from their front to their backs and float – are an important life-saving skill.

The primary reason for enrolling your baby in survival swim lessons is simple: It can save your baby’s life. But there are a host of other reasons as well, including:

1. Water Confidence and Competency

Experiencing water in a positive and fun way is what we’re all about at Texas Swim Academy. Your child is gently introduced to the pool and taught that being in the water can be fun and enjoyable! We then build upon that confidence when the time is right by gradually teaching your child essential swim survival skills.

You may be surprised to find that as your child’s confidence grows, yours will too! You’re giving yourself peace of mind in knowing that your youngster has the ability to save him or herself should they be placed in a dangerous aquatic situation.

2. Building Stronger Bodies

As cute and tiny as your little one may be, he or she is amazingly strong! Survival swim lessons are a great way to help your child continue to build stronger muscles, and the physical activity means that they’ll likely enjoy a deeper and longer night’s sleep (which is a benefit for parents too, of course!).

3. Growing Sharper Minds

Survival swim lessons require your child to be able to respond to voice commands. Taking these lessons both increases their level of understanding and sharpens their cognitive skills.

Sound too good to be true? Griffith University in Australia conducted a study that found that children who swam in their early years (before kindergarten) were ahead of their non-swimming peers by as much as 15 months when it came to language, numerical literacy, and following direction.

At Texas Swim Academy, we offer swimming lessons for all ages and abilities. Contact us online or give us a call at (832) 4376-6186 to learn more about our Houston infant swim lessons, group lessons, adult programs and more!

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY 

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as survival swim, health and wellness, Texas Swim Academy news and more. Follow our Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube pages for even more news, updates, and tips!

 

 

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The Six Layers of Protection for Maximum Pool Safety

Drowning is quick, silent and it’s 100 percent preventable. Sadly, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 360,000 drowning deaths occur worldwide with children having access to water being among those at the greatest risk. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to pool safety. This is why drowning prevention advocates have developed what is known as the “Six Layers of Protection” for infants and children.

Layer 1: Stay Within Arm’s Reach of Your Child

Young children should never be left near a source of standing water without an attentive and responsible adult nearby. Pools and hot tubs are obvious sources of danger, but keep in mind that kiddie pools, bathtubs, and even water tables are a risk to the youngest and most vulnerable among us.

Layer 2: Adult Supervision Is a Must

When kids are near water, there should be a minimum of one adult “water watcher” present at all times. This individual should have his or her attention fixed on the pool. This means no smartphones, no books, no distractions.

Layer 3: Teach Children How to Survival Swim

A common misconception is that children under the age of four are incapable of learning how to swim. This couldn’t be further from the truth. And the American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed their stance to reflect the fact that children around the age of 1 are capable of learning lifesaving survival swim techniques. 

Texas Swim Academy offers Survival Swim lessons taught by trained swim experts. Not only do these lessons help your little one feel more comfortable in the water, but they will also learn how to safely roll from front to back in case of an emergency situation and float calmly in the water until they are rescued.

Layer 4: Create Several Pool Safety Barriers

The more walls – both physical and metaphorical – you can put between people and the pool, the better. All pool fences, gates, alarms, and drains should meet governing regulations. Potential escape routes like pet doors should be removed or secured. Pool and hot tub covers should be sturdy and not collapse should a little one crawl on top of it.

Layer 5: Make Pool Safety Equipment Easily Accessible

Lifesavers aren’t a decoration for your pool area. They’re a valuable drown prevention tool. Other pieces of pool safety equipment to keep nearby includes buoys, throw ropes, pool safety signs and a first aid kit.

Layer 6: Learn CPR

Older children, teens, and adults are all capable of learning CPR. Take the time to learn and then review lifesaving rescue techniques and strategies before each pool season, or at least once a year. Standard first aid and CPR courses are taught in every city and can easily be found with one quick internet search.

For more information about Texas Swim Academy’s Survival Swim lessons and other swim programs for kids and adults, we welcome you to give us a call at (832) 437-6186.

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY 

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as

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Survival Swim Lessons Reduces Drowning Risk

As temperatures begin to soar, school comes to an end and the workday is over, we all have one thing on our minds: Let’s get in the water! Whether it’s hanging out in the pool, the lake, the ocean or even heading out on a motorboat, we all love cooling off by spending time in and around the water.

The unfortunate fact is that drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 and 4, and it is the third leading cause of accidental death for those between 5 and 19. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, close to 1,000 children died from drowning in 2017, and nearly 9,000 hospital emergency room visits were due to a water-related injury.

American olympic skier Bode Miller and his family became a part of those statistics last year when their daughter died due to accidental drowning. On June 10, 2018 during their time at a friend’s house, 19 month old Emmy slipped away from a room filled with adults and other children. The next time he was seen was moments later in the deep end of a pool.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time the Miller family had suffered a loss due to drowning. Bode Miller’s first cousin, Jeffrey, had also wandered from the front steps of his home as a child and was found in a large hole filled with rain water.

Nicole Hughes also suffered an unimaginable loss on the same day as the Miller family, when after splitting a brownie with her 3-year-old son, Levi, he managed to quietly leave a room filled with adults and children. Shortly thereafter he was found face down in a pool.

Through her tragedy, the Hughes family was able to raise awareness regarding the importance of survival swim lessons being taught at a young age and were instrumental in the American Academy of Pediatrics recently changing their recommendations regarding the age in which children should start swimming lessons. 

Layers of Protection Needed to Prevent Drowning

Pool fencing, self-locking gates and alarms are not a luxury – they are a necessity for everyone, whether or not there is a child in the home. Spa and hot tub covers with locks, emptied wading pools and emptied bath tubs are also needed to protect the youngest and most vulnerable among us from suffering an untimely death.

The Hughes family decided to turn their tragedy into a positive drowning awareness campaign and have added a layer of protection of their own. They have created a “Water Guardians: Levi’s Legacy” tag and lanyard which reminds everyone who is in charge of supervising those who are in and around the water.

Survival Swim Lessons Save Lives

Another critical layer of protection for youngsters are swim lessons. But not just any kind of swimming lessons. 

Earlier this year, through the dedication and perseverance of families like the Millers and Hughes’s, the AAP updated its swim guidelines to now state that swim lessons are recommended for children starting at or around the age of 1. Research has indicated that starting swim lessons when children are this young may help reduce drowning rates for toddlers and preschoolers.

Survival swim lessons are not like traditional swim lessons, which typically focus on strokes and swim skills. Instead, youngsters are gradually introduced to the water by a trained and certified instructor and are then taught three lifesaving skills: surface, roll back to float position and breath, and then swim to the wall. These important skills teach the child to remain calm as they wait for someone to retrieve them from the water.

The survival swim lessons at Texas Swim Academy are done with the utmost care and concern. Our accomplished swim instructors work with children to create positive associations with the water, and we guide them through the steps necessary to teach toddlers and preschoolers how to roll from their tummies to their backs so that they can float and remain safe until found.

For more information about our Houston survival swim program, we invite you to read more about our program or give us a call at (832) 437-6186.

 

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Tragic Toddler Drowning Raises Awareness About the Importance of Survival Swim Lessons

There are many steps we, as parents, take before and while raising our little ones to ensure their safety. We adhere to recommended nutritional guidelines. We diligently follow instructions about the proper installation of infant and booster seats. We take them to the doctor and dentist regularly for their health and well-being.

What is sadly often left off of this list is teaching our infants and toddlers about how to be safe in and around the water.

Drowning remains the leading accidental cause of death in the United States for children aged 1 to 4. Despite this glaring and perpetual statistic, the American Academy of Pediatrics continued to overlook the importance of teaching the youngest and most vulnerable among us how to swim and float until recently when they changed their stance on the age in which children are ready for swimming lessons to around 1 years old thanks to dedicated advocates like Jenny Bennett.

Jenny, a Tomball resident, and her family tragically lost their 18 month old son and brother, Jackson, in 2016 due to an accidental drowning. Having moved from Colorado to a home in Texas with an outdoor pool, they understood that measures would need to be taken to keep their toddler safe. This included adding a lockable dog door and taking their son to “parent and me” swimming classes.

A False Sense of Security

The Bennett’s had one understandable goal when attending swimming lessons with their toddler. They wanted Jackson to feel comfortable in the water. The lessons achieved just that as their son, outfitted in a puddle jumper, regularly splashed and played in the pool alongside his two older sisters that summer.

What should have been a time of fond and beloved memories took a tragic turn for the Bennet family one evening that July. When it was discovered that Jackson wasn’t upstairs playing with his sisters like they thought, Jenny raced out toward the pool only to find the youngest member of her family face down in the water.

Being an emergency room nurse, Jenny immediately took live saving measures on her lifeless son, and he was soon transported to the hospital by ambulance. Despite all efforts, including life support, Jackson was declared brain dead days after the horrible event, and the family made the decision to donate his viable organs.

Jenny acknowledges that no one can know why her son jumped into the pool. He may have been reaching for a toy, though the Bennett’s strongly suspect that it was Jackson’s false sense of confidence in the water, due to his use of a puddle jumper, which resulted in him taking a leap into the pool which he understood to be a fun, exciting and safe place to be.

“We thought these parent-child swimming lessons would set [Jackson] up to be safe in the water and to help him be comfortable,” Jenny says. “But it turns out that it probably gave him a false sense of security and confidence in the water when he wasn’t able to rescue himself.”

Puddle jumpers have long been criticized for giving children a false sense of security when in the pool. Doors, gates and windows – as much as we parents and caregivers try to stay vigilant in keeping them closed and locked – can also be overlooked and accessible for curious and determined children.

Survival Lessons Critical for the Safety and Development of Children

Confidence in the water is only part of what children need to know when being in and around water. Knowing how to survive in an emergency situation should and must be a priority.

There are many misconceptions about what survival swimming is about. Parents fear that their child may be unnecessarily put in a dangerous position and that the lessons will do more harm than good.

Survival swim lessons are safe and enjoyable for infants and toddlers. After being gently introduced to the water, your child’s instructor will guide your little one through a series of steps which teach the child how to roll from their front to their back and float. Children feel calm in the water, they are able to regulate their breathing, and they are able to remain safe until help arrives.

Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning is one of the leading organizations who are working hard on dispelling the many myths surrounding infant survival swimming while raising awareness about drowning and water safety. Jenny Bennett is one of the many parents who have joined the cause in hopes that childhood drowning can be eradicated for good. For more information on this worthy and important organization, we encourage you to visit their site.

To learn more about survival swimming and to register your infant or toddler for survival swimming lessons in the Greater Houston area, please contact Texas Swim Academy at (832) 437-6186.

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as survival swim, health and wellness, Texas Swim Academy news and more. Follow our Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube pages for even more news, updates, and tips!

 

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How Swimming Lessons Can Help Kids with School

When most parents sign their children up for swim lessons, they do so with the intention of their youngsters learn lifesaving water safety skills. But swimming lessons benefit children in more ways than one. In fact, lessons can even help your child excel in his or her learning at school.

 

Greater Self Confidence

Research has shown that self confidence can have a tremendous impact on how successful your child is at school.

Learning how to swim gives children the opportunity to set goals and work towards them until they have been reached. Swimming shows children that with dedication and practice, he or she can achieve anything they set their mind to. This helps build their self confidence and improves their self worth.

 

Better Social Skills

While swimming is largely thought to be an individual sport, lessons give your child the opportunity to interact with new peers outside of the school environment. Children learn how to behave appropriately around others, how to respect personal space, and lessons reinforce the fact that everyone learns at a different pace.

 

Swim Lessons Burn Off Excess Energy

Children need to get enough exercise during the day to eliminate excess energy. Without exercise, children can have a hard time being calm in the classroom and getting a good night’s rest. This leads to daytime fatigue which will impact his or her academic performance the following day.

 

Learn How to Work as a Team

Taking lessons with other people means learning how to work as a team. Your children will learn that each person on that team – including themselves – plays a key role to the team’s overall success.

Working as a team also teaches your child that his or her attitude can impact the morale of the entire team. They also learn accountability and how to take responsibility for his or her actions.

 

Improved Trust and Respect

Swim lessons allow your child to build a respectful relationship with another adult. They learn that they can trust people beyond their immediate family and that they can rely on others for help.

 

Children’s Swim Lesson at Texas Swim Academy

Texas Swim Academy offers Katy swim lessons to everyone living in the Greater Houston area. We have a variety of swim programs available starting for children as young as six months old!

 

Contact us today at (832) 437-6186 to learn more about infant survival program, survival swim program, our adaptive aquatics program, our group swim lessons and more.

 

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY

Texas Swim Academy is a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering water safety, survival swim, and kids swimming lessons in Katy, Texas. Owners Kathleen and Bruce McMordie, alongside our certified staff, help parents introduce children to water at an early age through the Infant Survival Swim Program , teaching life-saving techniques and basic swimming skills.

Our Stroke Development Program offers six different levels to help students progress in their swimming skills at his or her own pace. Our Adaptive Aquatics Program was created specifically for children with special abilities. Find swimming class registration information here. By subscribing to Texas Swim Academy’s blog , you can stay current on valuable water safety resources such as survival swim, health and wellness, Texas Swim Academy news and more. Follow our Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube pages for even more news, updates, and tips!

The post How Swimming Lessons Can Help Kids with School appeared first on Texas Swim Academy.

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