Jenna Bush Hager shared a big milestone for son Hal, who will turn 4 in August.
“He learned how to swim. Hal learned how to swim,” Jenna said July 17 on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, while a picture of him on a dock with her husband, Henry Hager, flashed on the screen. “He swam to that dock, but on Henry’s back."
While Jenna did not provide specifics of when Hal, 3, learned how to swim, she did note the photo was of them in an ocean.
“Were you scared?” Hoda asked.
“Yes,” Jenna replied.
“Letting your child do scary things, supervised, is the hardest thing as a grown-up,” Hoda said.
“I actually just closed my eyes and let him handle it because I don’t want to be like a backseat parent,” Jenna said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the nation's leading pediatricians group, recommends children begin water survival training at 1 year old as a means of protecting against drowning. The group also says most kids are ready for swim lessons by the age of 4. The group does not recommend swim classes for children less than 1, as there isn't enough evidence that they lower drowning risk in infants. However, water play classes with parents and infants can help little ones become more comfortable in water.
Per the AAP, drowning is the second-leading cause of death among kids 1 to 4, behind birth defects. Most drownings among kids 4 and under taking place in home swimming pools.
In addition to age-appropriate swim lessons, the AAP offers several precautions parents can take to ensure water safety, including:
- Fences around home pools. They should be at least 4 feet high, difficult to climb, too narrow to wiggle through, and completely surround the pool, separating it from the rest of the area.
- Pool alarms. Most drownings are quiet, so alarms can detect when someone falls into the water.
- Assign a water watcher. This person should be an adult. Even children who've had swim lessons need to be closely supervised in water.
- Life jackets. Have kids wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when near water.
The AAP also encourages parents (and anyone who owns a pool) to take CPR training, and if your child goes missing at thome near water or with a pool, check the water first.
While there's a lot to remember when it comes to kids and drowning prevention, there are certainly ways to get your kids comfortable in water without putting their safety at risk, experts say.
“If you’re always supervised with bubble wrap on, you’re never going to feel out of your comfort zone,” Jenna said.