Does your child know how to stay safe in the water?

It’s finally May, and warmer weather is upon us!  Many people in the Northeast are opening their backyard pools this week, my mother included.  Last year, my daughter – then 4 – still felt a bit unsure of herself in the water, despite the fact that I encouraged her every time we were in the pool to trust in her ability to swim.  Teaching your children about water safety should be an important part of everyone’s summer routine, especially since according to the CDC, “More than one in five fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger.”  In fact, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years.

So what can you do to help your child feel secure in the water?  Hire a member of the National Registry of Aquatic Instructors or the Infant Swimming Resource team to teach your infant or toddler to be able to save themselves in an aquatic emergency.  According to their promotional video on YouTube, “Infant Swimming Resource has taught over 140,000 children from 6 months to 6 years to float, swim and survive in an aquatic environment.”  There’s plenty of footage online serving as testimony that their technique works.  This video shows a baby, not more than a year old, diving head-first into a pool, then turning himself over to a floating position so that he’s able to cry for help.  It’s wild!  Take a look: Continue reading »

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of our August Photo Contest: Water Babies!

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. . . to sail the open seas, ripping sharks to shreds with his bare teeth? Well this kid does and he’s entered to win a $500 travel card from Best Western to help him explore the world and battle other land and water predators. You can win the travel card too! Continue reading »

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Does your baby know how to hang on the beach like this kid? If so, snap a picture and show it to us over on The Babble Playground. Our August Photo Contest: Water Babies is well underway and we want you to represent! The best pic winner will likely swoon (as will their happy family) as they accept the grand prize Continue reading »

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Best Western wants to help your family summer at one of their many locations around the world. So they’re giving the winner of our August Photo Contest: Water Babies a $500 travel card! How do you enter this fabulous contest? Continue reading »

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