Whether you are a swimming instructor or parent, when it comes to teaching infants and toddlers to swim–PLEASE choose your approach carefully.   It is absolutely imperative that you really research the pros and cons of the teaching method before enrolling in an infant swimming program, especially one that may promise drown-proofing or mastering survival skills.  These approaches can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.  Simply put, your baby’s (or student’s) life and emotional well-being is in YOUR hands.

Teaching an infant or toddler to swim can be done successfully in a naturally progressive, child-centered learning environment.   One that is gentle and kind.  It is my professional opinion that this is the ONLY method any responsible person should consider for a baby.   We certainly want children to learn to swim for safety, but there is no iron-clad, guaranteed defense against drowning.  There is no such thing as drown-proofing.

In fact, the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force in Florida published a program called Water Smart Babies.  They created the program to help educate parents on how to best protect their children and keep them safer around the water.  Water Smart Babies stresses that the parent is the most important factor  and encourages parents to Follow the Safer 3, a layered approach to drowning prevention.

To keep infants and toddlers safer, parents should be taught to take every precaution when the child is in or around the water.  Never let your guard down no matter how many lessons a toddler has taken or how many times they have shown the ability to swim.  To keep children safer, we must combine learn-to-swim with as many layers of protection as possible, from touch supervision, to lifejackets, to fences, to self-closing gates, and pool alarms.

But you ask:  What about those infant-survival skills that  I’ve seen on YouTube?  I believe former NDPA Executive Director Kim Burgess hit the nail on the head in the position statement for the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force, “The water-survival skills program make compelling videos for the internet, but no scientific study has yet demonstrated these classes are effective.”

The report also concludes that these types of programs place inexperienced swimmers in what he perceives as life or death situations.”  If practiced repeatedly this places a child in a chronic stressful situation of “saving his life” every time he swims, which could detrimental to the child’s emotional and cognitive development.

Karen King, also referenced in the report, states:  “Putting babies in life or death scenarios is not an acceptable teaching practice in swimming or any learning situation. It’s like showing a child a busy street, putting him IN the road, and watching to see if he makes it to the curb.”  Do you see the cruelty and absurdity in this?

The bottom line is that the ultimate goal of teaching infant, toddlers and young children to swim is so that they love their swimming experience and learn to be safer in the water in the process.   Like any other worthwhile skills, skill mastery is a process–not an event.  Don’t be fooled!

Here is a short video example of what the Swim Lessons University “Parent & Tot” learn to swim program looks like.

Give a child a lifetime gift–teach a child to swim using a gentle, loving approach.   An approach that has proven effective for not only my own three boys, but for the thousands and thousands of students who have safely learned to swim with a Swim Lessons University certified instructor.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

According to SafeKids Worldwide, 50% – 90% of all drownings and near-drownings in backyard pools would be prevented if a four-sided isolation fence was installed.

Amazingly, also according to SafeKids Worldwide, only four states (CA, AZ, FL, and OR) require some type of fencing around residential pools.   FENCING SHOULD BE MANDATORY IN EVERY STATE.   Don’t agree with me?  Ask Jo-Ann Morris.  Ask Michelle Zieg.

Every residential pool should be fenced in… period!   If children reside in the home or will ever visit, four-sided fencing is a must!  In addition, while it is not substitute for fencing or supervision, every child should learn to swim.  Self-closing gates and pool alarms like the SAFETY TURTLE should also be used.  Every parent should follow the Safer 3.

Eric Probst, an attorney at the Law Firm of Porzio, Bromberg and Newman in Morristown, NJ has represented the swimming pool industry for over ten years.  While he states clearly this message does NOT constitute legal advice, he comments:  “I can tell you that a pool fence is definitely not a luxury.  Fencing in your backyard pool is about safety. Child drowning issues are paramount for the builder and homeowner alike.  Children are too often injured who have parents with the best intentions of keeping them.” As for  liability, no hard-fast rules exist for imposing liability on a homeowner. Each case turns on the status of the person injured (trespasser, invitee, guest) and the facts of the case. Whether a state where a drowning occurs requires the pool owner to have a fence around the pool or not, would be but one fact for the court and jury to consider when evaluating whether the homeowner is responsible for the child’s drowning. There are many other facts that could exist that would affect the ultimate liability determination.

Several other experts have weighed in as well:

Rebecca Wear Robinson • Pool fencing can only be considered a luxury by people who don’t understand why fencing is needed. Indoor plumbing was considered a luxury as well – and people became sick and died from contaminated water sources (and still do in many areas). The bigger issue is communicating to everyone why a pool fence is no different from seat belts and car seats in cars – we have to teach children how to be safe for their whole life, but while they are learning we have to help keep them safe. A pool without a fence is no different from sending a 2-year old off to preschool with a cheery wave, hoping they figure traffic patterns successfully.

Jim Reiser • Rebecca is absolutely right! Fences around public pools are a requirement, and they should be for residential as well. No fence?  No pool!  It should be law!  Whether it’s selfishness or ignorance, the lack of fencing around residential pools is basically killing innocent babies, toddlers, and young children. The homeowner, I would assume would not only be extremely liable if a child drown in their pool, they would have to live with that for the rest of their life.

Jeff Steers • I believe a pool fence is not a luxury, in terms of either safety or facility financial considerations.

It is my understanding (and I’ve been wrong before) that here in Indiana, a fence is required around pools in residential areas but not legally necessary in rural areas. I could be cynical and suggest the residential requirement is more for liability regarding the neighbor kids rather than legislating good parenting skills for the homeowner’s own children, but again, I could be wrong.

If we had a residential pool when our sons were toddlers, we certainly would have had a fence, not around the backyard, but the pool itself. We know how quickly very young children can escape even the best parental monitoring and supervision, and constantly hear news reports about how that has ended with a drowning in their own home pool.

Changing gears, what is the additional expense of installing a fence at a facility compared to the huge liability expense should an incident occur? And I would presume that the absence of a fence would create a larger ongoing liability expense in terms of increased premiums.

When I say liability expense, I am also speaking in terms of moral and ethical liability as well as financial. First, who wants to be known as the Drowning Place? Second, and more importantly, do we not have a caring responsibility toward our fellow human beings to prevent access when rescue staff are not available? To be even more melodramatic, not installing a fence around a pool is like the Titanic builders saying, “Ah, we don’t need so many lifeboats…”

I agree; I see a pool fence as not only very important, but as near necessity.

Don Coppedge • I’m glad we are on the same page. As someone in my line of work, I can’t tell you how many times I have come across misinformed consumers who do not think they can ever become victims of an accident; therefore, don’t need a pool fence.

I hope this blog will serve as a means to prevent childhood drowning.

Please feel free to add your comments too.  If you are pro-fencing—I will approve them!

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).