Water Safety

There's a lot of NEW things here in Alabama that I'm not used to, but I'm loving them.  

Yesterday, Craiger got to attend the 2nd grade water safety class at the YMCA as a field trip.  I got to go too which was fun for me.  For 2 hours, they take all the 2nd graders & teach them water safety at 4 stations.

#1: They actually teach them swimming techniques.  They start by THROWING them in the water.  I was terrified since Craiger is in swim lessons & hasn't quite mastered swimming yet.  He pretty much sunk, but did flap around a little bit.  The lady had to help him get to the side, but he did alright.

#2: They teach them how to save someone else.  They had lifeguards pretending to drown & they taught them how to throw them a rope, buoy, pool noodle, etc. & taught them to pull them to safety.

#3: They taught them how to dive & push themselves UP in the water.  This was hard for Craiger, but by the end, he was actually pushing against the bottom of the pool to get back up.  I was really proud of him.

#4: Capsizing!  This one was REALLY interesting to watch.  They put 2 kids in a boat at a time & capsized it.  For me, this would be terrifying, but Craiger was all about it.  The taught them what to do if they ever fall out of a boat & he did AWESOME.  He grabbed his legs & floated up on his back just like they told him to.  I was SO proud of him.

I was really impressed with this class.  I think every school should do it for every grade.  Yes, kids can swim, but some kids can't & it's still a good reminder on what to do in any situation in water.  It's life skills & it's GREAT.  I'm SO grateful Craiger got to take part in it.

I love this kid.