State Park swimming = Not CoolFollow

My issue with the stance is this. If their goal is to protect the children, then instead of making a bandaid rule about no floatation devices, due to the fact they feel that parents stop watching their kids as close, they should make it a rule that every child under a certain age should be accompanied in the water by their parent/guardian. That right there, is their biggest concern, so they should attack it at the root. The rule they have creates a false sense of security on their part instead of attacking head on the real issue. While it might make some parents who dont pay attention have to sit up and pay attention, to have an absolutely no floatation device rules can also backfire against what they are trying to ( I think) achieve: the overall safety of the kids.

What they are trying to achieve is to protect themselves from prosecution.

Nothing to do with kids' safety. Only legal immunity.

I was going to say the same thing, except with the caveat that it's not children they expect to sue. The law is there for adults as well as kids.

As a former WSI I'd have to disagree. The vast majority of drownings are caused by overconfidence in your own swimming abilities, often due to a false sense of security in various flimsy vinyl floatation devices like water wings, rafts, etc. Because of this and shoddy construction these toys (because that's what they are rather than being actual safety items) frequently fail, leaving the swimmer in a situation they are not equipped to handle.

While liability may and probably does play a role in those policies, it is primarily a safety issue. Contrary to popular belief, enforced 10 minute breaks at swimming pools, rules concerning floaties, and no running aren't things thought up by bored lifeguards whose sole preoccupation is the prevention of fun, but have a solid foundation in common sense.

Totem

Totem, if we were considering all water areas that would be one thing, but I personally believe that situation to be a "let's cover our asses" one. Not only are they saying no water wings (orwhateveryoucallthem) but apparenty no life jacket types either.

My experience with covering our *** locally:

Almost every pond or lake around here that I have been to, suggests wearing lifejackets at all times, whether on a boat or near the beach while in water. While these are merely suggestions, people can choose to wear or not. And that stems back to covering someone's ***. As long as the sign is there they can be exempt from responsibility for injury.

Now, I do agree in your presentation it's a safety issue, that water wings may cause injury more than provide safety. This could almost be compared with seatbelts in automobiles and helmets on motorcycles.

See now I can see this as being feasible, if parents were overconfident enough to leave their children without close supervision. But what about parents like myself, who are right there within half an arms reach of their child? If it is safety that they are concerned about, wouldnt the parent being there cancel out the potential danger?

If the situation had been different, and I had allowed my kid to go off swimming on his own with the floaties, and I was told not to, that I could completely understand and very much respect. But instead, I was forced to choose between my own concerns as a mother with safety ( which included me being in the water next to my son along with a floatation device) or to take the device off and let him swim without them. At the same time that this was going on, there were a lot of little kids ny sons age and younger who were in the water *without any adult nearby*! I guess my thought is which is the more dangerous? Why bother arguing with a parent who is with their child and not deal with the parents who let their kids go off on their own with nothing?


And as well, it was not just the water wings that are banned. The way they worded it to me, *no* floatation devices of any kind are allowed. I assume this includes those bathing suits that have built in floatation devices and life jackets since they never once said "but XYZ are allowed so long as you are with your kid".


Either way it just seems to me as if they were making a bigger issue over something when there are much bigger concerns when swimming with children, such as being close to your child in the water.



On a side note, this was actually a blessing in disguise. I found a pool right down the street that is watched over by two lifeguards, who have no issues with floatation devices and even have some to lend out if a child needs them. The rules state children have to stay in the 2 ft shallow end (which is actually very big so the kids can really play around without getting crowded) unless accompanied by an adult and can not go past 4 ft. The water was very clean, the pool area itself well kept, and I think we found ourselves a new place to stay cool. Good thing too, because today the heat index is supposed to reach into the 100's.

"All right parents, now toss your children into the pool! If they don't come up to the surface right away they're probably just trying to get attention."

/nod.

I read up on statistics of drowings after this and the biggest age bracket for drowning is age 4 and under. Most are in residental pools and can happen in seconds. Many are watched by their parents but all it takes is a moment of not watching or being within arms reach. Another big area of drowning is in the bathtub, and toilets.

As for phobias of the sink or swim method, I have a couple friends who had this done to them and they hate swimming with a passion. I dont blame them. When I was a kid, I had swimming lessons every day in the summer time and I loved it. My husband never took lessons and he still only really knows how to doggie paddle. Hes not fond of swimming, I wanted to ensure my son, who loves water, was taught as early as possible to swim, both for safety and to nurture the love he has for it. It is one of the best excersises you can do. It is why I started him in lessons at the local Y this winter, and I try and get out a few times a week in the summer and swim with him. While he still has a way to go in learning, Ihave noticed drastic changes in how he handles himself in the water, and his love of swimming has increased tenfold. He watches the kids swimming under water and thats his goal. Swim lessons start up again in a couple weeks and he will be back full time to those.

Id rather my son learn to respect the water while at the same time have fun. It's something that has stuck with me since childhood and I am having so much fun myself, having a pool partner to finally swim and relax in the summertime

When he's ready and can hold his breath well, teach him to make air rings by swimming to the bottom of the pool and turn over facing the surface. Then have him plug his nose and say the word "Boom" or some other word which causes the lips to purse outward in a circle. The resulting expulsion of air makes a perfect circle which grows larger as it reaches the surface. Do this scuba diving at 100 feet and the ring will be more than 20 yards across by the time it hits the top.

Muy sano.

Totem

One piece of course. And Im lucky I can still fit into my regular bathing suit and nothing rides up in places it shouldnt ( including the backside HA!)

On a side note due to baby #2, just got back from my 5 month visit. Everything is going perfectly, Ive gained 3 pounds total since I found out I was pregnant which is great, and Im feeling good! Little one is now making himself known at night time. Besides the lack of house selling, things are looking good for the DSD fam! Ok off to swimming. Back in a few hours.

A friend of mine is a Sherrifs Deputy. He went to a call last year involving the drowning of a child in a pool. The local athletics club was holding swimming lessons for kids in the four to six year old age bracket. With two life guards and several parents in the pool one of the kids drowned. Apparently, from what he told me, some kids that young, instead of thrashing around like an adult when they start to drowned they curl into the fetal position and just sink. No one noticed the kid go under, they had to watch the footage from the security cameras at slow speed to see what happened. Literaly one second he was there and the next he was gone. Of course the kids father is sueing everyone under the sun for what happened, from from fellow parents there to the paramedics to the life guards to the athletics club and of course my friend because even though he got there after the paramedics he was supposed to somehow do something to save his child's life.