Esther and William adore water

They were always going to

It is in their genes

They come from a family who love

Swimming, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, rowing

Being in, on and by the water

Esther and William have a bath every day

Sometimes spending up to an hour

Playing in the water

Every bath time they have water poured over them

To wash them and their hair

They also practice under water breathing and bubble blowing

With Daddy in the bath

These skills were transferred to the swimming pool

At our local baths as well as in the sizeable paddling pool

That we have this year in our garden

Esther and William are confident water lovers

Not afraid to try swimming under water

Or diving into a pool head first

They are also confident on craft

Loving experiences they have had

On rowing boats, kayaks, wave canoes, sailing boats

Steam boats, speed boats and ferries

They also adore water play

Skimming stones on the shores of a lake

Or splashing about on the banks of a river

Esther and William adore water

This is something we actively encourage

To have fun on the water

But also to respect water

And to always be safe

Even inside the home, toddlers and children are attracted to water and love to play in it. Unfortunately, they don’t understand the dangers of drowning so you have to be their safety mechanism. Children can drown in as little as one inch of water in a matter of seconds and it can happen in the time it takes a parent to answer the phone while a bath is running. So always either ignore the phone or take your toddler with you!

Because of the interests of our family

We holiday by the water

Rivers, lakes, streams and sea

It is a place that we feel close to Matilda Mae

It is a place we feel at peace

It is a place that joins us together

It is somewhere we love to be

In, on and by the water

But water brings danger

Not to be feared

But considered and respected

And safety must be planned for

Did you know that on average 40-50 children drown each year in the UK?

This is in lakes, rivers, ponds and the sea

Water can be dangerous even when it looks safe

The dangers of water include:
it is very cold
there may be hidden currents
it can be difficult to get out (steep slimy banks)
it can be deep
there may be hidden rubbish, e.g. shopping trolleys, broken glass
there are no lifeguards
it is difficult to estimate depth
it may be polluted and may make you ill

Children need constant supervision around water

Be it bath, paddling pool, swimming pool or sea

They need to be watched, closely, by a responsible adult

Who is capable of saving them, at least trying to, if something goes wrong

There are different things to think about

Depending on where you are and what kind of water you are near

Here is some great advice from the UK Fire Service

Water safety at the swimming pool
A pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the unintentional death of children ages 4 and under. Sixty to ninety percent of the drowning’s occur in residential pools. To prevent drowning’s in swimming pools, abide by the following:

Never leave your child alone in or around a swimming pool or a spa.
Teach children how to swim. Enrol children in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors when your child is ready, usually after age 3. But keep in mind that lessons don’t make your child ‘drown-proof.’
Teach children water safety habits. Children should not run, push others under water, jump on others, dive or jump in shallow water or swim during lightning storms or other bad weather.
Keep a telephone, emergency phone numbers and rescue equipment at the poolside.
Empty inflatable pools and store out of children’s reach when not in use.

We have a large paddling pool in our garden

Esther and William are only allowed to use it when an adult is with them

We talk to them a lot about safety

Especially about being underwater and the importance of never holding another person under the water

Esther and William also wear floatsuits or jackets from Konfidence for the majority of their time in the water

These swimming acccessories are great for helping children stay safe in the water

And for giving parents some extra peace of mind

Children should still be supervised at all times when wearing any float aid

Water safety for Ponds, Lakes and Rivers
The majority of drowning’s among older children occur in open bodies of water. These drowning’s happen when an older child overestimates his or her swimming ability or when he or she is swimming in an unsupervised area. To prevent drownings in natural or open bodies of water, read the following tips.

Always watch your child while at the beach, lake or other natural bodies of water.
Never let older children swim in unsupervised areas like quarries, canals or ponds. Many times children underestimate the depth of water.
Make sure your child wears a personal flotation device when in or near natural bodies of water. Air filled ‘swimming aids,’ such as ‘water wings,’ are not considered safety devices and are not substitutes.

During our recent holiday to The Lake District

William had a list of boats he wanted to try

And apart from a proper speed boat

We managed them all

And he, we, had a wonderful time

He and Esther were so brave

And keen to try new things

David and his Dad are keen watersports men

So they have all the gear

And David’s Dad has a range of life jackets

From toddler up

We always make sure that we are appropriately dressed

For activity on the water

We have found the Konfidence jackets perfect for play

On shores, banks and beaches

Not only do they offer some buoyancy

They are also brightly coloured meaning that your children are always highly visible

And for us that is key

We want our children to have fun with water

To explore everything that being near water has to offer

But we will not take our eyes off them for a second

So making them easy to see is a must

Konfidence have given us the extra confidence

That we and they need

To make the most of our aqua adventures

And to know that we are playing together

Safely

For lots more water safety tips and information please check out the Safe Kids website