I was doing the usual mom chit-chat at Scouts while my son worked towards his water safety badge and fielded the inevitable question from the Scout leader, ‘what do you do?’. My answer, “I’m a global activist working to end child drowning. One child drowns every minute.” And then came the typical response, “Wow, I didn’t know it was such an issue, but it is certainly needed, the lifeguards...
Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 12:53 pmIt is with sadness that I am ending my time as the water safety expert on Pediatric Safety. I am working on a project to bring global awareness to the issue of water safety and have decided that I need to focus 100% of my time to that effort. Over the last four years I’ve shared information designed specifically to keep your child safer. Today I’d...
Last updated on May 8th, 2015 at 09:21 amSummer is fast approaching. End of school concerts and events. The trees and flowers are blooming. Remember how you looked forward to that long summer break? No school! Twelve long weeks of sunshine and fun! And then I became a mother. Suddenly 12 long weeks of summer became more of a challenge. The first couple of weeks are always great, everyone...
Last updated on April 1st, 2015 at 10:29 amRemember contests to see who could stare the longest without blinking or who could hold their breath the longest? Such contests are the stuff of most of our childhoods. Seemingly harmless displays of prowess. Life is never as simple as those carefree childhood contests. When a child is learning to swim, they need to be able to hold their breath for a...
Last updated on February 18th, 2015 at 03:53 pmAfter learning I work in water safety, a man told me about how he saved a man from drowning in Hawaii. Several families were exploring tide pools on the lava rocks and a wave swept one man into the water, about 4 feet below the rocks. The waves were wild, pounding the victim against the sharp lava as he was tossed in the churning water. Anyone who...
Last updated on August 29th, 2015 at 10:01 pmWhen you think of a life jacket, that sturdy vest that keeps you afloat, you probably think of large boats. While it is true that you should ALWAYS wear a life jacket when you are on a boat, a life jacket has far more uses for keeping you and your children safer around water. Today we are going to talk about when to wear a lifejacket, what constitutes...
