A video of a six-month-old baby in a swimming pool provoked very mixed reactions this weekend. The mother who posted the video which was then shared by musician, Dov and has been viewed nearly 800,000 times, has now spoken out in defence of her actions.
The video makes for some very tough viewing as the baby falls forward into the water when a brightly coloured sandal is proffered. The baby then rights herself and stays afloat on her back for nearly two minutes. The baby can be heard to whimper though the adult filming appears to be within reach of the child at all times.
Mum, Keri Morrison explained in an interview on the Today Show that her two-year-old son, Jake drowned tragically in 2013 on a family holiday. The Devastated mum was therefore committed to teaching her daughter, Josie to ‘self save’ using Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) lessons, they have posted videos of this process of teaching their daughter on the Live Like Jake Facebook Page, a foundation they set up to raise awareness around infant drowning and prevent future tragedies.
“I wish I could go back in time and put my son in these lessons,’’ Morrison said. “I’m pretty confident that he would be here.
“As a parent, I felt like I failed my son, and I was just determined that was not going to happen with my daughters.”
“Do I expect my daughter at that young of an age to be alone near the water? No, but the layers of protection can fail,” Morrison told the programme. “Supervision failed. It failed with my son, and it can happen, and I just want my daughters to be as safe as possible.”
Teaching your baby to swim is an enjoyable activity as well as a potentially life-saving one. Irish company Water Babies is a great resource for parents who want to start their children off early.
“Water familiarisation is an equally important aspect. Babies who swim on a regular basis develop a respect for water and can be taught potentially lifesaving skills. These skills kick in from remarkably early on, proven by the fact that Water Babies pupils as young as 2 years of age have saved themselves from drowning.”
Editor, Sive O’Brien talks to Carol McNally, swimming teacher and co-owner of Water Babies here all about water safety.
