The world is 71% water. Are your children 100% prepared?
Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14 in Texas. Teaching children how to swim and be safe around water is one of the most important life skills parents can help their children learn. According to the Center for Disease Control, formal swim lessons can reduce drowning by 88%.
The Most Dangerous Locations Vary By Age
Children younger than one year old are more likely to drown at home. For children younger than five, 87% of drowning fatalities happen in home pools or tubs. Most take place in pools owned by family, friends or relatives. After pools, bathtubs are the second leading location where young children drown. However, buckets, bath seats, wells, decorative ponds and toilets are also potential drowning sources for infants and toddlers. Those 5 to 17 years old are more likely to drown in natural water, such as ponds or lakes.
To ensure safety around water:
- Know that any depth of water is dangerous
- Place barriers around water
- Always designate or be a water watcher – be diligent!
- Remember drowning is quiet and quick
- Learn water rescue skills and CPR
- Take formal swim lessons
Help Keep Your Children Safe
Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. But, as a parent or caregiver, you can’t keep your children sidelined. You need to equip them with the tools they need to be confident in and around water, so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends and the sense of accomplishment when they learn new skills. Teaching children how to be safe around water is not a luxury; it is a necessity. The YMCA can help you make sure your children learn essential water safety skills, which can open up a world of possibilities for them to satisfy their curiosity safely.
Safety Around Water
The YMCA’s Safety Around Water program can help you make sure your children learn essential water safety skills, which can open up a world of possibilities for them to satisfy their curiosity safely.
What Is Safety Around Water?
Through learning how to perform a sequenced set of skills over a period of lessons, the risk of drowning is reduced, giving your child confidence in and around water. Sessions are offered throughout the year at apartment complexes, school districts, and more.
For more information about our safety around water program, please contact saw@ymcahouston.org.