Bath Safety Month: Preventing drowning

WELCOME BACK. JANUARY IS BATH SAFETY MONTH, AND SINCE BATHING IS SUCH A ROUTINE PART OF OUR DAY, IT’S EASY TO FORGET THAT IT CAN REALLY POSE A HUGE RISK WHEN IT COMES TO YOUNG CHILDREN. DROWNING CAN HAPPEN SO FAST IN LESS THAN TWO INCHES OF WATER. A MOM, IT’S, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK. YOU TURN YOUR BACK FOR ONE SECOND RIGHT HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER SAFETY FOR LITTLE ONES. LIBBY MOON AND CRYSTAL CASADA OF THE YMCA OF SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. YOU KNOW, LIBBY, WE’LL START WITH YOU IN 2025. THERE WERE EIGHT DROWNINGS IN FLORIDA WITH THE BATHTUB, WHICH IS SO SCARY. THESE KIND OF THINGS ARE PREVENTABLE. THEY ARE DEFINITELY PREVENTABLE. AND THE BIGGEST THING IS SUPERVISION AND NOT TAKING YOUR EYE OFF OF YOUR CHILD WHEN THEY’RE AT THE BATH. IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DOOR TO GRAB SOMETHING OR TO GET A TOWEL, YOU TAKE THAT CHILD WITH YOU. YEAH. WHAT DO YOU HOW DO WE NOT LOSE FOCUS? BECAUSE AS PARENTS, I KNOW BATH TIME. THERE’S A LOT GOING ON. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY’S PROBABLY CLEANING UP THE KITCHEN FROM DINNER AND YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT HOMEWORK, OR YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT OUTFITS FOR SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY. SO WHAT ARE SOME LITTLE TIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON’T LOSE FOCUS? YES, DEFINITELY. I MEAN, I JUST THINK OF BATHS BEING SIMILAR TO A POOL. YEAH. AND SO I MEAN, PLAY WITH YOUR CHILD WHETHER IT BLOW BUBBLES BEING TUGGED, BEING ENGAGED, NOT BEING ON YOUR PHONE, POURING WATER GENTLY OVER THEIR HEAD TO GET USED TO THE WATER GOING OVER THEIR FACE AND JUST, JUST TRUE INTERACTION BECAUSE THE WATER IS SUCH A FUN PLACE TO BE. YEAH, IT REALLY COULD. YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED YOU SHOULD TREAT IT LIKE A POOL. CRYSTAL, TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY AND WHY YOU THINK IT’S SO IMPORTANT. CLEARLY AT HOME YOU DON’T HAVE A LIFEGUARD, RIGHT? SO AS A PARENT, AS AN ADULT, YOU’RE THAT SUPERVISION. YOU’RE THAT FIRST LAYER OF PROTECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR PHONE ON YOU WHILE YOU’RE THERE WATCHING YOUR CHILD. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN ARM’S REACH NO MATTER BATHTUB OR POOL. YOU KNOW YOU’RE THE ONE PROTECTING YOUR CHILD WHILE THEY’RE IN THE BATHTUB. WHAT DO YOU SAY THERE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE PARENT OUT THERE WATCHING SAYING, OKAY, YOU KNOW, I’VE HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE I HAD TO GO TO THE OTHER ROOM FOR TWO SECONDS. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO THEM? WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM IF THEY. BECAUSE WE’VE ALL WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. WELL, TAKE THE BABY OUT WITH YOU. THOSE TWO SECONDS MATTER. THE TWO SECONDS. YOU LOOK AT YOUR PHONE TO ANSWER A TEXT MESSAGE, TO GRAB A TOWEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SET UP A ROUTINE WHERE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR STUFF THAT YOU NEED AND LEAVE YOUR PHONE IN ANOTHER ROOM SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT TIME FOR BATH TIME IS JUST YOU AND THEM, AND YOU’RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY’RE BEING SAFE IN THE WATER. TALK ABOUT THE BATH SEATS THAT YOU HAVE FOR LIKE LITTLE BABIES. HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT THOSE? I DO KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BATH SEATS HAVE BEEN RECALLED. OKAY. KNOWING THAT TWO THE CHILD CAN GO FORWARD AND BE IN THE WATER OR FALL BACK. I WOULD HIGHLY I’M MORE SO AM ON THE SIDE OF NO FOR THE BATH SEATS. AGAIN IT’S THE SUPERVISION. PARENTS MIGHT THINK THAT THE BATH. OH THEY’RE FINE, THEY’RE GOOD. I DON’T NEED TO BE IN THERE FOR TWO SECONDS. BUT AGAIN, IT’S THAT SUPERVISION. YEAH, MOST OF THE TIME THERE’S SOME TYPE OF WARNING LABEL ON THINGS TOO. SO IF THEY’RE READING IT, JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT SAYS TO STAY WITH THEM OR BE IN ARM’S REACH. OKAY. SO CRYSTAL, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION BEFORE EVER GETTING IN THE BATH. I WOULD HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS IS TRANSFERRING TO THE POOL. SAFETY WHERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS WOULD NEVER, EVER GET IN THE POOL WITHOUT ASKING, RIGHT? AND SO IT SHOULD START IN THE BATH WHERE YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE ASKING FOR AN ADULT BEFORE YOU GO INTO OR NEAR THE BATH. AND I AGREE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT’S PART OF LIKE THE ROUTINE YOU IT’S TIME FOR BATH TIME OR YOU WANT TO GET IN, LET ME KNOW. I’LL BE THERE WITH YOU. I’LL WATCH YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE BEING SAFE. SAME AT THE POOL. YOU KNOW, LIKE IF YOU’RE GOING TO THE POOL, YOU’RE NOT JUST LEAVING YOUR CHILD. YOU’RE SUPERVISING THEM. AND YOU’RE, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING WITH YOUR CHILDREN. I SAW A REALLY COOL THING THAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED WITH MY KIDS, WHICH I GUESS I COULD, BUT IT’S A HIGH FIVE BEFORE YOU GET IN THE POOL, AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THIS. THEY HAVE TO HIGH FIVE AN ADULT, SO AN ADULT KNOWS BEFORE THEY GET INTO THE POOL. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY, REALLY COOL THING THAT KIDS CAN DO. EASY. AND IT’S A WAY TO REMIND, YOU KNOW, AN ADULT. HEY, OKAY, SOMEBODY’S GETTING IN THE POOL. I NEED TO WATCH THEM. I’M BIG ON CUES, SO THAT’S SOMETHING I DO WITH MY KIDS. YEAH, I LIKE TO CLAP. SO ONCE HE CLAPPED, I CLAP. THEN HE JUMPED IN. THAT’S HOW WE KNEW THAT. WE WERE BOTH AWARE AND WE WERE READY TO, YOU KNOW, SAME PAGE. REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT WATER SAFETY ENOUGH. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA. THERE’S WATER EVERYWHERE. SO REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. I KNOW YOU GUYS DO A LOT WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING WITH SWIM LESSONS AND SO FORTH. WE PUT A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE ON OUR WPBF.COM. IF YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT THE YMCA DOES AND HOW THEY CAN HELP YOU, IF YOU