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Safety Around The Water

8/9/2022

Drowning is preventable, but safe swimming is a life skill that has not always been accessible to everyone.
#WHOI and Gleason Family YMCA are teaming up to provide classroom instruction on life saving water safety skills to our community, working to address inequalities in water access. WHOI's goal is to make our vision of ocean exploration and discovery more available and accessible to all.
Join us on Wednesday, August 10 from 5:30pm-7:00pm at Redfield Auditorium on the WHOI Village Campus for a free professional instruction session. No pre-registration required.

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Cape Cod Parents Should Be Vigilant for the Signs of Secondary Drowning

6/26/2014

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With Summer here on Cape Cod it is important to practice #WaterSafety and be able to recognize the signs of Secondary Drowning! As parents, we never want to see anything happen to our wonderful children but with water sometimes we have limited control. We have covered some important topics before regarding Water Safety but it is important to focus on Secondary Drowning as this can occur anywhere from 1-24 hours after having being exposed, which means it can really sneak up on you if you do not know what to look for.

"Secondary Drowning (and near-drowning) is one of the post-immersion respiratory syndromes. It is defined as deterioration of pulmonary function that follows deficient gas exchange due to loss or inactivation of surfactant."

This basically means a person (children or an adult) inhales even a small gush of water (bath, pool, lake or ocean) it can irritate the lungs and cause swelling. Usually very little water is present in the lungs when secondary drowning occurs, but the small amount of liquid is enough to hinder the lungs ability to provide oxygen to the bloodstream.

The definition of secondary drowning is a matter of controversy and the term is probably inappropriate. Secondary drowning is a misnomer because victims who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome after drowning have not had a second submersion episode.

According to the WHO, "Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid." This definition does not imply fatality, or even the necessity for medical treatment after removal of the cause, nor that any fluid necessarily enters the lungs." The WHO recommends though that this term not be used as really what is occurring is drowning, the term secondary can be misleading. But for lack of a better way to help people understand "Secondary Drowning" is the term used by the general public.

Secondary Drowning can happen after being at the beach, pond, pool or even the bathtub so it is important to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms as it just might help you save a life later!

The Pool Safely campaign and USA Swimming released statistics in June 2014 on drowning deaths in spas and pools in the U.S. According to their data there have already been 95 drowning deaths through May 31 in children under 14. Seventy-four of these deaths involved children under five. They do not track how many of these deaths were from secondary drowning.

"Dr. Paul Pepe, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said although this is an uncommon scenario it does happen. He said three or four hours later children who fall into a pool can develop pulmonary edema even if rushed to the emergency room immediately. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not differentiate between drowning and secondary drowning, so statistics on how often the situation occurs are hard to find, although WebMD says it is probably on 1-2 percent of all drownings. However, according to Pepe, drowning is the number one cause of deaths among children under the age of five. He says it takes only “the blink of an eye” for a child to get water in their lungs that can cause drowning. He said that in secondary drowning, pool water can damage the lining of the lungs, essentially causing lung failure hours after the child is out of the pool." (Source)

See this recent news story for one mom who remembered the signs after seeing it on the news and then acted immediately to save her child's life!
http://www.wfsb.com/story/25851289/toddler-nearly-drowns-hours-after-leaving-pool

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Summer on Cape Cod Means Mind On Water and Pool Safety

6/25/2014

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By Tracy Martin-Turgeon
When the warm weather starts to roll in to summer, chances are you will go swimming at the beach, a community center or a backyard pool. Basic safety tips are essential to ensure safe swimming. Some tips to help make your summer enjoyable.

Making swimming and water play a priority.

Make sure that when you and your children are swimming they are in areas that are supervised by lifeguards.
Make sure that your child swims with a buddy at all times, never allow a child to swim alone.
Be aware of where you are swimming. Public pools, lakes, ocean. There can be under currents that are dangerous, cold waters, and other things that could possibly be dangerous to you or your child.
Children that cannot swim well, make sure they wear a U.S Coast guard approved life jacket and if you are out on a boat.

Actively Supervise.

There is no substitution for supervision. You need to be actively supervising all children around bodies of water. Infants and toddlers should be within your reach.
Educate your children around water and swimming.
Teach them to tread water.
Different bodies of water react different. Such as a lake, a pool, or ocean all will be different in the water and your children should know the difference.
Do not rely on swimming aids to baby sit your child in bodies of water. These are to help them to learn how to swim.
CPR saves millions of lives; if you do not know CPR techniques you can inquire at the Red Cross, hospitals, and local fire departments offer CPR trainings. The Children’s Workshop can help you learn CPR also.

Stay safe in your back yard in swimming pools.

·         Teach your children basic swimming tips in your pool.

·         Making children aware of pool drains, pipes, ladders that may cause them to become stuck or pulled under water.

·         Always have a portable phone close by incase you need to call 911.

·         If a child is missing, check the pool first.

·         Make sure your pool has a lock and gate when not in use.

·         Install pool alarms this could possible save a life.

·         Maintain your pool so it is operating properly.

·         If possible, enroll your child/children in swimming classes.

Enjoy your summer, use safety tips and caution at all times. Drowning statistics have grown over the years. Make this your top priority as a parent to ensure your child is safe at all times near water.   Make sure you have a first aid kit handy, a pair of scissors to cut hair or clothing if they get stuck or entrapped, a portable phone, and a flotation device and you will be on your way to an enjoyable summer.

Tracy Martin-Turgeon has been in the field of early childhood education for 22 years. She started with The Children's Workshop in September 1999 as an assistant director and she is currently Vice President of Operations, overseeing seven facilities throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts including Bourne and South Dennis. The Children’s Workshop provides quality child care and early education for Infants, Toddlers, PreSchool, PreK, Before & After School and Summer Camp. For more information visit http://www.childrensworkshop.com/

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Family Dynamics Summer Safety Tips, Part 3

6/24/2013

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Family Dynamics
Summer Safety Tips, Part 3

by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

It may seem strange to find the topic of “family dynamics” under Summer Safety Tips, but stay with me on this one.

Holidays are surely a time of stress for many due to increased expectations to spend time with family. Summer, though, in my personal and professional experience is equally stressful, if not more so. The Thanksgiving/Christmas period, at most, usually lasts about 4-6 weeks. Summer, on the other hand, is about 8-12 weeks of expectations of cookouts, Fourth of July parties, beach parties, bonfires, birthdays….and the expectation tends to be, “since it is summer, of course you can come!”

It is my wish that you could enjoy every minute of summer fun, but let me call your attention to “Why Summer Can Be Bad For Kids.” ….not to be a killjoy….

Stress
– When parents are stressed, children are stressed. Some children act out (behavioral issues) and some children act in (emotional issues) when their adults are stressed. Talk about plans ahead of time. Your husband might not want to go to your mother’s house for the 3rd week in a row for a cookout. You might want to stay at your mother-in-law’s cookout for 2 hours, not 6.

Negative Influences
– If cousin Sally typically has too much to drink and starts wobbling around the guests, better to talk with your husband ahead of time to decide if and how to handle this around your children if it should occur.

Older Youth
– If you are so fortunate as to have mature older cousins as role models for your children that is awesome!
Sadly, all too often, it is an older cousin to leads a younger child astray with negative behavior lessons.
Statistics are becoming overwhelmingly alarming that the numbers of older cousins/youth relatives are luring younger children into both, negative behavior and sexual situations. It is too common that the older cousin relationship is by default a trusted situation; they are family and you are on the property (often they are congregating apart from the adults). However, in this situation, the older youth often knows HOW LIKELY it is that an adult will enter their space. Adults, since they are blindly trusting family, don’t tend to check on the kids. Many of us have very lovely and loving children who would never be that “dangerous cousin,” but don’t take unnecessary chances. It was once a “trusted cousin” who lit the woods on fire and sent the younger children running back for a bucket of water.

Staying Too Long
– Know your child. Know your husband. Know yourself. It’s better to leave wishing it could have stayed longer and longing for the next get-together, than to stay too long. What could be worse than having had a
good time with family and a big fight on the way home because the little ones are melting down.

Unfinished Business
– Many adults have “issues” with a parent or sibling. For the sake of “family” and “fun” many people set these “issues” to the side. Be aware of buttons that could be pushed and how you plan to handle this. The event could be “uneventful”, i.e. no major blowouts, however you leave feeling terrible.

Supervision
– When there is lots of family around, it is easier to assume that someone is watching the children at any given time. Not necessarily. Keep an eye on your little ones.

Commotion
– When there is a lot of commotion, there are likely to be dangers that no one is thinking of; hot grills, knives, open doors or gates, pets, alcoholic beverages….Stay on your toes.

Stress is bad for kids and accidents and oversights are much more likely to occur when there is stress
in the environment.
Be safe, minimize stress.

Please see www.tracylamperti.com for more information about working with children and families or specifically about sexual abuse.

If you would like 1:1 assistance, please contact Tracy Lamperti for a consultation.

Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS
Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant
My Blog
My Website
lamperticc@gmail.com
774-722-5919

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For and Against The Stranger Summer Safety Tips, Part 2

6/17/2013

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For and Against The Stranger
Summer Safety Tips, Part 2

by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

What to do if a stranger approaches you.
While it is ok for a child to approach a stranger for help (see below), it is not ok for an adult to approach a child for help.

A child should be taught;

1. They should stay farther away from a stranger than the stranger’s reach,
2. It is ok to back away from a stranger and it is ok to say “NO” to a stranger,
3. Never go to a person that they don’t know who is calling them over. A stranger with wrong intentions may ask a child if they want to see the puppy in their car, or some candy, or “I know your dad, can you give him
something for me.”
4. Never to give out information about themselves to someone they don’t know, such as, “What is your name?” “Do you live in this town?” “Isn’t your mom’s name …..?” People with wrong intentions are testing
all the time.

They know they can’t get what they want from some, but not all children, so they have to do a lot of testing in ways that seem like “normal” interactions to find the one that will take the bait.

They might try the same question with 20 children before they get the one who will come over to see the puppy. Then they try a level two test.

Experts conducted tests using a “lost puppy” technique to lure Small children who have been taught to never go with a stranger. To the amazement of the parents (who were looking on and knew their child was part of a
test), the technique was very successful. Once they throw the bait, they hook the child and then set the hook. They lure the child farther away with each strategy.

What to do if you get lost.
Almost every adult has a story about getting lost as a child, either themselves or someone they know, whether it was a crowded area, an area with racks higher than themselves, or somewhere else.

When children have been given instructions and a chance to practice, if this unfortunate event happens they will be less afraid and better able to take the best next step.

Step 1 - The first thing a child should do when they realize that the adult they are with is not in sight, is to take a few breaths while they calmly scan as far as they can see in all directions while standing in one spot.

Step 2 - Children should be taught to know what to look for in a helping person. The safest people to ask for help from are; (1) someone behind a desk or using a cash register; (2) someone wearing a uniform or name tag; (3) an adult with children; (4) a person who looks “old” in a child’s opinion. Finding a helping person should be done from the spot where you are. Children should not go wandering looking for their parent or a helping person.

Step 3 – Children should say, “My mom (or whoever they were with) is lost, will you please find her for me.” Or, “I need help finding my mom.” Children should be taught NOT to leave the area with anyone. The parent will retrace their steps looking for the child, and the child cannot be sure the helping person is safe.

Step 4 – Children should be able to recite their parent’s phone number and address as well as their parent’s first and last name.

Have a wonderful and safe summer, whether you are staying here on beautiful Cape Cod or traveling!

And don’t forget your whistles! :)

Please see www.tracylamperti.com for more information about working with children and families or specifically
about sexual abuse.

If you would like 1:1 assistance, please contact Tracy Lamperti for a consultation.

Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS
Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant
My Blog
My Website
lamperticc@gmail.com
774-722-5919

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The Whistle: Summer Safety Tips

6/4/2013

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by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

It is absolutely true; I lost my child once! We were at Windmill Weekend. It was a big anniversary year and busier than I have ever seen it! After the parade, on the Windmill Green, it was gridlock. There was no moving unless the crowd moved. The crowd finally moved. My newborn was in her Baby Jogger and I did not have my 5 ½ year old by the hand. I moved and my son did not. Within seconds, we were like countries apart, even though we were surely not more than 50 yards apart and may have only been 5 tall people apart.   But he was gone and it was so noisy that even putting out a call over the loud speaker wasn’t heard by many. Yes, after about 10
harrowing minutes, we were finally reunited.

Every parent knows that accidents happen, even to “good” parents. Whistles are fun and we can empower our children with whistles in two ways.

1.     Give your child a whistle that they can role play with. Here are the rules: they tell you (or ask you) that they would like to use the whistle to be referee at the backyard ballgame or backyard traffic cop scene; if the timing is right (neighbors would probably appreciate that you not release the whistle to your child at 5 AM) you give them the whistle and let them play. Explain that they will not be blowing the whistle as loud as they can (as it just isn’t fair to neighbors or friends at the park) but they can use the whistle for the stated purpose of play. They get practice using the whistle for a purpose.

2.     Give your child a whistle to wear, at the beach, at a local busy event (like Windmill Weekend, the beach or at Disney World) and tell them that the whistle is their emergency tool in the event that you get separated.
Explain that getting separated is a serious matter and the whistle can be used for serious matters like getting separated. The international distress signal is 3 brief blasts. Explain this to your child and have them practice at home. It is ok to make these blasts as loud as they can and it is good to have them hold their ears while they blow. Explain that if someone asks why they are blowing the whistle, that they say, I am separated from my mom (or grandma….) and I am supposed to stay right here so my mom can follow the whistle sounds. In all likelihood, you are very close and can come very quickly. You will be the mom running toward the whistle :) ! You can explain to your child that if something happens, for example, at the park, that makes them feel uncomfortable, and they can’t get your attention easily, they can blow the whistle. Reinforce that at these times that they have been given the whistle, it is a tool and not a toy. Mark my word, a potential predator is not going to mess with a child with a whistle. Especially a child who blows the whistle when they look up and don’t see their mom.

Please see www.tracylamperti.com for more information about working with children and families or specifically about sexual abuse.

If you would like 1:1 assistance, please contact Tracy Lamperti for a consultation.

Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS
Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant
My Blog
My Website
lamperticc@gmail.com
774-722-5919

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Safety Around The Water

Cape Cod Parents Should Be Vigilant for the Signs of Secondary Drowning

Summer on Cape Cod Means Mind On Water and Pool Safety

Family Dynamics Summer Safety Tips, Part 3

Stress is bad for kids and accidents and oversights are much more likely to occur when there is stress
in the environment.
Be safe, minimize stress.

For and Against The Stranger Summer Safety Tips, Part 2

Have a wonderful and safe summer, whether you are staying here on beautiful Cape Cod or traveling!

And don’t forget your whistles! :)

The Whistle: Summer Safety Tips

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Stress is bad for kids and accidents and oversights are much more likely to occur when there is stress in the environment. Be safe, minimize stress.

Have a wonderful and safe summer, whether you are staying here on beautiful Cape Cod or traveling!And don’t forget your whistles! :)

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Stress is bad for kids and accidents and oversights are much more likely to occur when there is stress
in the environment.
Be safe, minimize stress.

Have a wonderful and safe summer, whether you are staying here on beautiful Cape Cod or traveling!

And don’t forget your whistles! :)

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