“I Love to Swim” Teaches Water Safety

Summer has unofficially started, and families are gearing up for some hot times by the cool pool. Others are heading out to one of thousands of beautiful sandy beaches and lakes. Together with all the sun, fun and splashing good times, however, water can be dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second highest cause of death in children under 15 years old.

The National Safety Council estimates that around 5,000 children visit the hospital every year due to drowning-related incidents, with a significant portion of these children suffering fatalities or permanent physical or mental damage. Even the most vigilant parents and guardians cannot supplant the very real need for children to understand and correctly utilize basic water survival skills. As the American Association of Pediatrics noted in 2010, it is absolutely vital for children to learn how to swim, and parents need to acquire the appropriate training and education for them.

Rita Goldberg, a former national swimmer in Britain and inventor of the methods that became the hallmark of the British Swim School, was shocked by the lack of knowledge many showed when it came to training children to be around the water. She was also dismayed to discover the high numbers of children who drown every year. Even more shocking was the fact that many adults were highly-resistant to teaching their toddlers basic water survival techniques or simply lacked the knowledge and experience to equip their children properly.

Goldberg decided to provide families with the much-needed advice and expertise that she brings from her years as a swimmer and an instructor. This knowledge can be found in Goldberg’s fun, fascinating and informative book, I Love to Swim. The book incorporates Goldberg’s philosophy on properly approaching water survival skills: children must be taught when they are very young, they need to understand how to survive (which first means floating), and above all, the training should be gentle and entertaining.

“Parents need to understand that playing in a swimming pool is the same as playing on dry land to children,” Goldberg noted. “It’s all play to them.” With this important thought in mind, Goldberg’s book draws on the latest in children’s research, as well as her own vast experience in the water, to bring alive the charming story of a young boy as he learns how to swim. The boy goes through various stages of life: after all, he liked swimming while in his mother’s tummy, so why not when he’s out and about?

The sweet story includes rhymes, colorful illustrations, and insightful water safety tips. The little boy’s love of swimming shines through on every page, and he covers all of his first swimming experiences, from when he first floats around in the bathtub all the way through actual swimming lessons. The clever rhymes that grace each page like, “Always look before you leap. Never dive into the deep,” will help children learn the important knowledge they need to practice water safety.

Dive into Rita Goldberg’s educational fast-seller at www.ilovetoswimthebook.com