I’m grateful for the guest post from Faith Munsell of Fibre Tech Inc. She’s preparing families for summer fun in the SUN, but because of the extra hard Winter we’ve had I’m thinking a lot of families are going to be heading OUT of the PNW in search of their own fun in the sun for Spring Break!
Mr Teacher Karen would blame my DNA for not craving the sun like he does–and maybe there’s something to it as all of my ancestors lived a long, long way from the equator…. In any event, fun in the sun MUST include water safety when you have young children. Water safety includes always supervising children when they’re near water. Accidents happen–plus an accident could happen to other children; check out local CPR classes with the Red Cross…and be prepared!
Yours in Play!
Teacher Karen
Below is the guest post from Faith Munsell:
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What to Do When Your Child is Drowning
Summer is just around the corner.
This means that beach trips, pools, and other trademarks of summer fun are closer than you may think.
Surely, your pool will be easy to open since you closed it the right way.
Summer should mean relaxation time for parents, but it can be stressful if you’re constantly worrying about your child’s safety in the water. You should know what to do in the event that your child is endangered while swimming. Creating a plan will help relieve anxiety about the chance of drowning.
- Identify the issue
This can be more difficult than it seems. Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D. and Aviation Survival Technician First Class Mario Vittone discuss how hard it is to tell when someone is drowning in this U.S. Coast Guard magazine article. Although this article is very helpful, there are a few other things you need to take note of.
What you see on TV when someone is drowning is not what it looks like in real life. Professionals state that “except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help.”
Moreover, drowning victims are unable to wave for help, because their arms are occupied while trying to tread water. Their mouths bob above and below the water alternately without enough time to breathe normally, making it difficult to cry for help.
Dr. Pia refers to the signs above as the “Instinctive Drowning Response”.
These are crucial guides to keep in mind, but it is also critical to note that there are other things to look for.
- Get them out of the water
After you’ve realized that someone is drowning, you need to get them to safety as soon as possible. This is one of the most important steps, and can be dangerous if you yourself are not a great swimmer—be sure not to endanger yourself while trying to rescue someone else. With this in mind, proceed to our next tip.
- Find help
Finding help is extremely important, but if you are alone, you should move on to the next step. Swift response is the most critical thing you can do.
Check for breathing and attempt to resuscitate before calling 911. If you do have someone else with you, send them to call 911 and get help, then move forward to the next step.
- Check for breathing
Put your face near the victim’s and feel for breathing from the mouth and nose. Look to see if the chest rises and falls. Speak to the victim and attempt to get a response from them while you check.
- If you find no signs of breathing, CPR is required!
Time is of the utmost importance in drowning cases and knowing CPR, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, can be the difference between a near-tragedy and heartbreak. Many community centers, fire stations and local YMCAs offer CPR classes. Be proactive–sign up for CPR NOW!
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