My kids all took ISR swimming lessons. These lessons teach kids survival swimming skills from the youngest age possible. Brielle started the day after she turned 6 months old. These lessons were shown as “controversial” on The Today Show a month or so ago. There is nothing controversial about saving lives in my opinion. Below is the video link of Brielle at 6-7 months old floating on her own in the pool. She has been able to swim and float before she could walk or talk. Valuable skills in my opinions since in several states including Florida, Texas, and California drowning is the #1 cause of accidental deaths for small children.

Here is a link to the video of Brielle floating from my Facebook page. I made this video “public” so everyone can see it. ISR Lessons are amazing and I KNOW they save lives.

https://www.facebook.com/magdalena.battles/posts/274917752617169

On average, there are 390 yearly deaths from drowning. There are also 4,900 injuries from near drowning incidents (if they had have drowned, they would be dead hence the term “near drowning”). These stats are from the CDC (http://www.poolsafely.gov/news/drowning-deaths-and-injuries-infographic/). Statistics can be meaningless unless it has happened to you or someone you know. I was married previously for almost 7 years. I was Step Mom to a little girl who was a victim of near drowning. When I met her she was 8 years old. The incident happened when she was around 2 years old, and I was told that she was a happy, healthy, vibrant child. Her injuries changed her life forever, as she is now in her 20’s and still cannot walk, talk, feed herself, or even use the restroom on her own.

Drowning is scary stuff. It only takes a few minutes. People always think that they will hear the noise a child makes if they are drowning; such as yelling, splashing, and struggle at the surface of the water. However, this is not how drowning for young children happens. DROWNING OF A YOUNG CHILD IS SILENT. They slip below the surface of the water and never come back to the top, so there is no noise.

How do we protect young children from drowning? Here are some tips from the government pool safety website I posted above.

  • Keep children within arms reach when in or around a pool.
  • Have an adult be a “Water Watcher” at all times when children are near or in a body of water.
  • Fence in your pool using measures that are deemed child-proof.
  • If you own a pool or live near a body of water have door alarms installed on all doors and windows.
  • Have pool alarms installed on the pool (some float right on the surface of the water).
  • Teach your children to swim.
  • Learn CPR.

I am grateful for ISR lessons. They are effective. I am often asked how the lessons work. Lessons are approximately 8 weeks long. The child attends 5 days a week. The lessons are only 10 minutes each day. Only 10 minutes? Yes, only 10 minutes. They are not playing in the pool, they are learning survival skills for the water, which includes floating, rolling over in the water, and swimming. Only 10 minutes are needed, because it is a lot of work for little ones. All of my kids took ISR lessons. ISR Lessons have been around since the 1960’s. They have a proven method and formula for teaching babies, toddlers, and children survival swimming skills. I am grateful for my kid’s instructors: Kathy Cole (Florida) and Lara Kuhlman (Texas). These instructors are certified by ISR and have undergone rigorous training. They are committed to providing lessons that save lives and I am thankful for all that they do! If you wanted to find your own instructor where you live, simply go to the ISR homepage and enter your zip code: https://www.infantswim.com

I know my children will more than likely survive if they fall into a body of water. They are all swimmers and love the water thanks to these lessons. Below is a video clip of my kids swimming yesterday. The twins are 2.5 years old (they turned 2 in December) and Brielle is 4.5 years old. In the video- Beyond the steps it is over their heads and they have no problem swimming on their own thanks to ISR.

Video of my three kids swimming:

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