THE WORLD IS 71% WATER

YOUR CHILDREN ARE 100% CURIOUS!

As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that is in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans. And that means the risk of drowning is as prevalent as ever. With National Water Safety Month in May, now is the time for parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of equipping their kids with essential water safety skills.

As “America’s Swim Instructor,” the Y typically teaches more than 1,000,000 children invaluable water safety and swimming skills each year.  With many pools closed last summer due to COVID-19, the Y wants to make sure parents, caregivers and children make water safety a top priority as they head back to the water this year.

Here are five tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming experience for all.

1. Never swim alone or without a water watcher. When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions.

2. Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water. Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or lake, make sure your children are within arm’s reach at all times.

3. Don’t engage in breath holding activities. Children should not hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can cause drowning and has several other severe physical side-effects.

4. Wear a life jacket: Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

5. Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water. If a child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try to save them. Even if a child is a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them and easily pull the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique children can help their friend without compromising their own safety.

For questions about water safety and swim lessons for your family, contact Aquatics Director, Josephine Rojas! She organizes and oversees the YMCA’s Swim Lesson Programs.

The best way to communicate with Josephine is email. When not on the pool deck, she can be reached via phone or in her office. Her promise to all parents is to return phone calls and emails as soon as feasible possible.

For more information about swim lessons, Contact Josephine Rojas, jrojas@westporty.org, call 203-226-8981  x139 or visit westporty.org/aquatics/swim-lessons/