| There are few things that go hand-in-glove better | | | | You may be surprised to learn that classes on how |
| than water safety and early childhood education. | | | | to float in water are taught to toddlers as young as |
| Swimming lessons for toddlers, infants, and | | | | 18 months. This is the life saving skill that all children |
| preschoolers is a topic all of us need to learn about | | | | need to have. An easy lesson to teach every child is |
| and share with our loved ones. | | | | never go to the water without an adult. |
| It is a sad, and an all too commonplace occurrence to | | | | This is the a big part of the story of the Josh the |
| read about needless toddler drowning stories. It's | | | | Otter book that has been given to literally thousands |
| incumbent upon all of us as parents or grandparents, | | | | of children around the United States and educates |
| or anyone who knows a child who can't swim, to get | | | | them and their parents. But more need to learn. It is |
| that child necessary live saving skills. There are | | | | something that is not thought about as much as it |
| numerous free (or low-cost) preschool swimming | | | | should be, but is the first thing that should be taught |
| lessons offered around the globe in most every | | | | in early childhood education about water safety. |
| community. | | | | Another point that needs to be recognized is how |
| One simple example is of a two-year old boy, who | | | | fast a drowning can occur, no matter how innocent |
| had been seen asleep at 7:30 a.m., was found lying | | | | the circumstances. There are numerous statistics |
| unresponsive in a pool an hour and a half later that | | | | about how many drowning accidents occur outside |
| morning. Had the boy learned important water safety | | | | of pools and lakes or bathtubs. We must teach our |
| skills, he might have had the capability to roll on his | | | | children and grandchildren to be cautious around |
| back to float and cry so someone could hear him or | | | | water. We must also teach ourselves as parents and |
| he might have been able to reach and hold the edge | | | | grandparents to keep our guards up, no matter the |
| of the pool. | | | | situation. |