My Experience with ISR (infant self rescue)
It’s finally Springtime and with the warm weather approaching our attention turns to warm weather activities. I am definitely thinking about getting the backyard ready for family and friends by the pool and some trips to the beach.
So, the first thing I’ve done to prep for the warm weather is to sign my son Joey up for swim class and here is why. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4 as well as one of the top 5 causes of unintentional death from birth to 5 years old. Twenty-three percent of child drownings happen during a family gathering near a pool. Yes. It’s a sobering and scary fact. Joey was not someone who wanted to learn how to swim and it terrified me. I couldn’t get him near our backyard pool after age 1. He refused. I bought the floats, the puddle jumpers, and a life vest. I thought I was helping. He was not having it. This went on for two years. I knew he didn’t know how to swim and that combined with his curiosity and independence was dangerous. His refusal to wear a puddle jumper turned into an enormous blessing in disguise. I began to research pool safety and what I needed to do in order to keep him safe, aside from selling the house, and the more I read the more I understood that I had done NOTHING to keep my son safe in and around water of any kind. The scary truth is floatation devices, like puddle jumpers, are not the safety measure we have been told they are. Products like inflatable arm bands and puddle jumpers give children a false sense of security in the water. They allow children to believe that they can swim and they can float in the water without instruction. These devices place children in the upright position in the water; bobbing up and down like a cork which, in reality, is the position of drowning. Learning to swim is a skill that you have to learn. Yes, some young children just jump right in and can swim right away. My husband is one of them. His parents have asserted that he jumped into a pool at two years old and swam underwater like a fish and never stopped. He is a natural swimmer and loves the water of all kinds. So imagine everyone’s surprise when Joey refuses to even dip his toe in.
We teach our children to be safe in so many ways as soon as they are born - don’t touch the oven, don’t eat that play dough, wash your hands, look both ways before crossing the street. Water safety is like any other skill, it must be taught and learned. If our little ones don’t know how to save themselves and they slip away, even for a moment, the result could be devastating. Drowning is silent, it happens under the water in a matter of seconds.
Through my research and a tip from a friend, I looked into ISR instruction (infant self rescue) and my mind was made up. This is what I will do to help my child. He will learn to save himself even if he hates the water and doesn’t ever enjoy swimming. I signed him up for ISR classes with Jessica McKeown through infantswim.com. ISR is intense. It’s difficult to watch your child struggle and cry for you but you remind yourself of the outcome and sure enough, every week gets easier. After 7 weeks Joey graduated and passed his final swim test fully clothed. He was able to flip to his back to float and breathe, and swim to the edge of the pool to rescue himself. Swim, float, swim. Miss Jess, in her gentle and supportive yet firm way, taught Joey that he can swim and float to save himself in the water, that he can learn hard things and has the ability and confidence to continue to strengthen his swimming skills.
Last summer we had fun in the pool. Joey practiced his skills and showed off his float for everyone who came to visit. We still watched him like a hawk but we also felt a great sense of relief. This year Joey finished another week-long session with his ISR instructor to work on stroke lessons. He was proud and I felt relieved that this child, who was terrified of even getting his feet wet, was now learning an elementary backstroke.
ISR is a commitment of time and money and emotions, but I truly believe it is the greatest gift I could have given my child. He has learned the skills to save his life in the water and I would choose ISR swim lessons again and again. Look into ISR for yourself and see if it’s the right choice for your family. Read and research water safety and puddle jumpers. Be vigilant when it is swim time as well as when you are taking a break from the water. Most importantly, let’s help each other to keep our kiddos safe this year.
Links:
https://instagram.com/theswimacademyofnj?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
