With the weather getting warmer, now is a good time to go over water safety with your family.
"The No. 1 cause of injury-related deaths in children ages 1-4 is drowning. In fact, drowning takes the lives of three children in the U.S. every single day," says Gillian Graves, owner of Goldfish Swim School in New Rochelle.
She says swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting your child swimming at around 1 years old.
"We do start to teach the conditioning skills, get them comfortable in the water, and start to build some muscle memory," says Graves.
Goldfish Swim School says there are other things you can do to keep your kids safe other than swimming lessons. If you are planning to have your child wear a life jacket, you need to make sure it is U.S. Coast Guard approved and fits properly. Floatation devices that do not fit properly will not work to save a life.