Orlando, FL – Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), the safest provider of survival swimming lessons for babies and toddlers from six months to six years old, encourages the following beach and lake safety tips to help families protect their young children in and around the water this 4th of July weekend.
According to a recent American Red Cross survey, "Nearly 8 in 10 households (78 percent) will participate in at least one water-related recreational activity this summer."
"This holiday weekend highlights the importance of active supervision as a parent’s most important defense against drowning," says Harvey Barnett, Ph.D., founder of Infant Swimming Resource. "With picnics, pool parties and day trips to the beach or on the boat, it is important to be aware of unique distractions such as heat and noise -- awareness is the first step towards keeping your child safe."
Lake and Beach Safety Tips
Supervision - Never turn your back on your child around water. At the beach, it is important that the supervising adult is within an arms reach. Segment the supervision responsibilities so there are never questions about which adult is responsible for watching the child.
Survival Swimming – Select a swimming program that will teach your child to survive if they go unnoticed in a body of water. Survival swimming is an added layer of protection.
Bright Colors - Dress your child in bright colors when going to the lake or the beach. Using a consistent bright color and style of swim suit will help all family members have a consistent image of what the child is wearing.
Dock Safety - Have a rope and floating throw ring attached to the dock for use at a moment’s notice. Teach and practice their use but do not allow unsupervised practice or play with these vital rescue tools.
Life Jackets - Life jackets are the law for infants and young children in many areas. But, life jackets are not a substitute for the ability to swim nor for adult supervision. When picking out a life jacket, please read the warning labels as some of them will not float a child face-up.
Floaties - Flotation devices such as floaties, inflatable rings, etc., can often times provide a false sense of security for parents and children. These items can easily deflate or fall off your child’s arm leaving them in a potentially dangerous situation.
About Infant Swimming Resource
Founded in 1966, Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), with it’s Self-Rescue™ program, is nationally recognized as the safest provider of survival swimming lessons for infants and young children. With a primary focus on safety and effectiveness, and as the world’s leading behavioral science based instruction program, ISR is the only choice for parents who are dedicated to their child’s safety, education and developmental needs. ISR’s worldwide network of highly qualified, certified Instructors has successfully delivered over 7 million safe lessons to infants and young children, which have resulted in our record of nearly 800 documented cases of a children utilizing ISR’s survival techniques to save their own lives. For more information on ISR, water and swim safety or to find an instructor in your area, please visit www.infantswim.com.
