Teaching Your Child This 1 Skill Could Save Their Life in a Swimming Emergency

A child playing near a pool or other body of water is every parent's nightmare. Thoughts go astray to the worst case scenario, imaging what could happen if, just one time, the childproof gate around the pool were to be unlocked while your child is playing outside. In many states across the US, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children 4 years and younger. Teaching them this one skill — to float in the water face up — could save their life.

Infant Swimming Resource instructor Andrea Berman says: "I will teach [children] how to roll into a float and stay in that floating position. I teach them how to hold their breath and wait until someone comes and rescues them." If your child doesn't yet know how to swim, or maybe isn't the best swimmer, investing time in showing them how to float and keep their head above water could be the thing that saves their life in a swimming emergency.