Rearing children brings with it various unexpected joys as well as the carefully-attended-to responsibilities. It is our duty as parents to look after our children in every respect to maintain their innocence, safety, and well being. As part of emergency preparedness, it is absolutely necessary to plan ahead and consider what could happen to our little miracles and what can be done to prevent mishap or even tragedy.

I was very fortunate today to be able to witness a very important skill that I learned can be developed by small children (as few as 6 months old) to keep them safe from harm and prevent them from drowning or near drowning in any body of water (lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, backyard pools, etc.). I watched a labor of love in action as Alba, a survival swim instructor, expertly guided children of varying ages around the pool, facilitating their confidence in themselves to be able to perform this much needed technique in children between the ages of 1 to 4. Please reference the Monday, August 17th article in the Salt Lake Tribune for a greater understanding of the risks associated with this age group and some frightening statistics that survival swimming seeks to avoid. There are also many helpful suggestions and habits to develop in order to more conscientiously align yourself and your children with safety awareness and practiced preparedness.

A BIG thanks to Alba and her willingness to allow her expertise be demonstrated and shared, all in hopes that more parents will become aware of the options they have in taking a proactive approach to the safety, survival, and well being of their children.

Related Posts:

The Safekeeping of Our Children Part of Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness: Physical Fitness
Emergency Preparedness: Vital Emergency Supplies
Emergency Preparedness for the Safety and Protection of Our Elders

Tags: accident, children, drowning, emergency, Emergency Preparedness, families, family, Outdoor Survival, outdoors, parents, Preparedness, safety, survival, survival swimming, swimming, swimming pool