Marri Shark Pt. II
TRUST THE PROCESS
Each time I documented one of my son’s lessons via social media, I immediately received feedback from friends, family, and strangers on how amazed they were at his progress. During Marri's ISR course, we learned that both young children and young babies can be submerged underwater for at least 21 seconds before being at risk of drowning. Our instructor, Allison never allowed him to stay under longer than four seconds which only helped to increase my trust and faith in her abilities. One of his first lessons and the primary principles of ISR is breath control (not inhaling or aspirating water) and mastering a float. Allison reinforces to her students that whenever they are submerged in water, their float is their primary safety mechanism and will keep them safe until rescued by their parent or guardian. This float ensures their mouth and nose stay above water, they are receiving an adequate air supply and continuing to breathe until recovered. Watching Marri learn these lessons not only forced my baby out of his comfort zone but it forced me outside of mine as well. There were many times when I saw him learning to float and mastering his breath control but, if he showed the slightest sign of frustration, I was at the edge of pool ready to snatch him out and cuddle away his agony! Full disclosure, I probably needed the cuddling because I would have been doing him a disservice. Yes, swimming was new territory for him but he eventually mastered his techniques and learned to love the water. I am a firm believer that without friction there is no growth and as parents, we have to get past our own need to “protect” our children from discomfort and encourage them to push past their pain to grow and develop. I am committed to ensuring that Marri will continue his lessons throughout football season with other well qualified ISR instructors until we return to South Florida to train with Allison.
Other Water Safety Measures
ISR believes in a multi-layered approach to drowning prevention and listed below are additional safety measures to ensure your child is safe near the water:
1. Effective Supervision: The most critical line of defense is adult supervision. No level of aquatic skill can replace active control. If your child is ever missing, look in the water first. The pool and backyard is a social and fun place to relax. Entertaining guests by the pool can be dangerous if it is distracting you from actively watching your kiddo. It takes all of 21 seconds for a child to encounter danger in the water if they are submerged.
2. Pool Fence: Install a permanent 4-sided fence with self-locking gates. Ensure that the pool fence is at least 3-5 feet from the pool edge.
3. Alarms: Make sure all doors and windows leading to the pool are locked and alarmed.
4. Survival Swimming Lessons: A moment's inattention does not have to cost a child his life. ISR's Self-Rescue® training is an added layer of protection, teaching your child water survival skills in a completely safe environment.
5. CPR: If an emergency happens, it is essential parents and families are prepared. Learn to perform CPR on children and adults and remember to update those skills regularly. . However, traditional lines of defense break down, and the over 4,000 drowning deaths per year bear a grim testament to the fact that conventional approaches are missing a key component: the child. ISR’s core conviction is that the child is the most essential part of a drowning prevention strategy and our over 300,000 ISR graduates and 800 documented survival stories are proof that children can save themselves. If you are located in South Florida and would like to provide your child with ISR instruction, please contact Allison Hunt and for more information about ISR resources and instructors across the country CLICK HERE
Bebe Au Lait
Beautiful Photo By Lavish Moments Photography
With us having daily swim lessons, Marri and I needed cool yet functional pool gear and swim accessories. Bebe Au Lait has the cutest and softest towels and musulini blankets to dry my little shark when he enters and exits the water. Check out my sharkman in his tropical pineapples in jade green and burnt orange on the classic white muslin. Made of premium muslin cotton, this generously sized, luxuriously soft, muslin blanket keeps your little one warm without overheating and is gentle on your child's skin. The fun yet sophisticated designs and ample coverage make this the perfect baby blanket or toddler blanket and even adults will make good use of it during snuggle time.
Ironically and as fate would have it, my sharkman's two top teeth broke through over the summer. The bandana bib was perfect to catch my little teether's drool or simply style up an outfit!
If he needed a quick snack after swim class then I could wrap a bib around his neck and bon appetit'- a life saver. The quality was awesome and I can attest to this as we washed his shark towel every two days for his daily swim class. It didn't alter the material and it remained as exquisite as his sweet soft baby skin.
Beautiful Photo By Lavish Moments Photography
Check out Marri in his Dinosaurs stomp and swoop in a jurassic inspired print of two- tone sky and navy blue on this Baby Hooded Towel.
After bath time or a dip in the pool, your little one will be snuggly, dry, and stop.the.press cute in this hooded bath towel. This hooded towel is made of the softest, plushest cotton terry cloth, it is super absorbent and extremely durable. I loved this towel and so did sharkman. Bebe au Lait for the WIN!
Edited By Joy Davis
