EPISODE 144: SWIM Q&A W/ LISA COOK

 

This week on the podcast, we answer all your questions about water safety with Kidswim CEO & Master Swim Instructor, Lisa Cook. You asked and we answered!

We cover when’s the best time to introduce your child to swimming, the truths and misconceptions of dry drowning, how to deal with kids being afraid of the water, pool/ocean safety tips and pool toys. Whether you have a pool at home or visit the beach and/or community pool, you will takeaway tons of valuable information that will help your child (and yourself) become more comfortable with swimming. 

A couple of key takeaways:

Age-related 

  • Every 6-month old baby is ready to begin swim lessons (yes, you heard right!)

  • Lisa always recommends mommy & me classes starting out

Dry Drowning 

  • Dry drowning is super rare (phew!) but Lisa provides us symptoms and action steps you can take if you suspect your child is experiencing dry drowning: Keep an eye on them for at least an hour after getting out of the pool, if you see signs of weakness or a abnormally bloated abdomen- call your doctor.

  • Always keep a cup of water by the pool to prevent your child from dehydrating

Dealing with fears 

  • Being afraid of bathing and the pool don’t always correlate

  • Start swim lessons without asking too much of your child. Ease them into it and don’t put too much stress on them.

  • Definitely stay away from dunking your child’s head into the water

Water Safety

  • Always keep a phone by the pool in case of any emergency & have a raft ready in case you need to pull someone out

  • Take a CPR class! It’ll make a huge difference. Here's a link to American Red Cross' CPR Classes in Los Angeles

  • When at the beach, use the lifeguard as a resource. Don’t shy away from them

Pool Toys/ Life Vests

  • Puddle Jumpers are the best option, like this one: Body Glove

  • When you and your child is recreationally swimming and you're deciding whether or not to put them into a puddle jumper or life vest, here's a good rule of thumb:

    • If you have an independent child: put him/her in it

    • If you're handling both a toddler & baby: put the toddler in it

    • If you're on vacation or at a pool party/ hotel where there is a lot of activity going on: put him/her in it

  • You don’t ever want to have them in life vests during swim lessons

Thank you to all the Super Mamás for your questions! The winner of the kidSwim giveaway who will receive either a 50% off a six pack of lessons OR 50% a Parent-Child Class is ....

@ileana_82!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please contact the kidSwim office at info@kidswim.org or by phone at 1- 888-579-7946 to claim your prize.

For more information about swim lessons, water safety or any other questions please feel free to contact Lisa and her team, here: 

Kidswim.org

IG: @kidswimla

Facebook: kidSwimLA

email: info@kidswim.org 

Pick or Tip of the Week

Lisa shared with us a couple of the best sunscreen for kids:

Paulina's daughters have eczema and their doctor has advised against bubble baths BUT she found these awesome bubble pods that work perfectly with her daughter's very sensitive skin, TruKid Eczema Bubble Podz. Hooray for bubble baths!

Bricia recently finished remodeling her backyard and her tip for everyone is to invest in outdoor lighting. It makes a huge difference and will create the perfect ambience for any backyard occasion. She got her's at Lamps Plus and wrote this perfect blog post about her Backyard Remodel Journey, here

Show Notes

WSI program

Hyland's Earache Drops, Swimmer's ear