Floating for Survival

In the photo above, Rudy is in about 4 feet of water -- floating -- yes, with all of his clothes on. This is one of his swimming lessons -- the photo was taken last summer and he will be 2 on May 3rd. In Florida, one of the leading causes of death in children (if not the main one) around the age of 2 is drowning. So, Rudy has been taking survival swimming lessons. He first learned how to float and 'swim' underwater with just his swimming 'trunks' on. But, clothing was added since obviously a child wouldn't usually fall into a pool unnoticed with most of his clothes off. I was quite intrigued and still am as I watch the teacher in action. Now he knows how to float to get his breath and then he flips over onto his stomach and swims until he wants another breath and flips back over -- looks quite a bit like how he is floating above except not with all his clothes on.

When I watched one of his first lessons when he was about 7 or 8 months, it was pretty scary as I saw the teacher put him under water. Yet, I knew he was learning to swim and "float for survival' .. so I'm glad she did. I've taken him three days this week to his lessons. While he is still not real thrilled about the lesson part of it, he hasn't been too overly upset and seems quite happy when his teacher, Michelle, commends him highly!

Michelle sent me the photo above as well as the two below which she took during Bailey and Regan's lessons last year.