Splish Splash
We all love the water but we don’t love the fear we sometimes have when our children are near water.
Drowning is the second most common cause of injury-related death for kids in Canada and of course peaks in the summer. A little good news though? We’ve hunted down some innovative new solutions to help you navigate the rough waters of water safety with your family this summer.
When we received two reader submissions in the same day raving about the virtues of the Bijoux Baby Vest from Salus Marine, Canada’s top personal flotation device manufacturer, we knew it was worth testing out. Designed for babies from 9 to 25 pounds, the one-piece front design ensures that baby will turn face up from a face forward position and the collar cradles the head while the baby is floating on his back.
The award-winning Bijoux definitely fills a void in the market (effective PFD’s were not previously available for babies less than 20 pounds) and should be part of every boat-going family’s safe and savvy summer. So for those of you who still put baby in the cooler when boating, we can help you raise the safety bar on that one. (Have older kids? Salus also makes great PFD’s for older children called Nimbus that are more comfortable to wear and rather easy on the eye.)
Available online at Applause Kids and at marine supply stores and child safety stores. Call Salus at 1 877 418 9998 to find a store near you.
Part of a series of books created by Jean E. Penziwol to teach children in a meaningful and memorable way about how to be safe in various situations, A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me chronicles the adventures of a little girl and her good friend Dragon, who set off for the beach and along the way learn some important lessons in water safety.
Kids love reading this book and the lessons are delivered in such a gentle way you can read it over and over without frightening them. With reminders to always wear PFDs when boating or near the water and ensuring that a grown-up is within sight delivered in rhyme, they are sure to be remembered, and that’s the safe thing.
Available online from KidsCanPress or at your favourite bookstore.
So be water-safe and we can bet that things will go swimmingly this summer.