What a traumatizing way to learn to swim!!

[LoveMyBaby786]

Ive never heard this before and im actually disgusted!

 

[leahtaba]

Ugh watching that made me feel really uneasy.

 

[TriChick]

It's called ISR Self-Resuce, for anyone curious to research it beyond the video.

 

[tentoes92]

I don't know if this is the same class or not but my nephews took a class last some that involved their mother having to dunk them underwater. They also learned to swim, roll on their backs and float when they got tired and then how to roll back over to swim again. It was honestly amazing how well he taught them to swim (4 and 2.5 yo at the time). Especially the older one who was always afraid to to under, now they have no fears at all. I haven't decided yet if I was going to put my little guy in the lessons yet because we have a pool and would feel better knowing if he could swim but I don't want him to be scared of the water either.
Edit: just watched the video. Yeah pretty sure it's not the same class! And if it is he is definitely not doing it! That looked so mean I don't understand why she was like tossing her baby? Like can't you just nicely dunk them and then cuddle them afterwards to mak them feel better??

 

[overcomer79]

I didn't learn to swim at a young age. I was 22 years old, signed up for a swimming class and nearly passed out from fear walking past the deep end! In fact I was nearly in tears. The instructor overheard a few of us talking about dropping the class and actually scolded us. She told me that she knew where I studied and if I wasn't in class on Thursday that she would hunt me down . What a wonderful lady! I learned to swim thanks to her and was actually upset for a bit with my parents because they didn't deem it a necessity for us to learn!

That being said, I will NOT be dunking my daughter! I do however want to get my 3 year old in some lessons now that he is older. I had a friend who took her six week old and they had them to blow in their face and dunk them. I could never do that to my child. I agree with a PP...seems more humane to watch them!

 

[ktod]

Maybe they do have an instinct, maybe it works, I don't know, but the way I look at it is...
Would I want that done to me? No
So I won't be inflicting it on anyone else.

 

[AllyTiel]

That made me sick I had to turn it off.

 

[Poppy Panda]

We also did waterbabies and have to say "'child's name'? Ready? Go!" in a certain tone. Dani takes a breath and shuts her eyes ready to go under and she comes up smiling and clapping. If a baby is crying the instructor wouldnt let us dunk them let alone encourage it..

Just a point but the last time she throws the baby under she is a good few feet from the baby and in water where your movement is so slow.. How quickly things could go wrong and she would never make it to the baby in time to save her.. Wouldnt have posted it to YouTube then would she?!

 

[maisie78]

I'm not going to watch the video, it sounds too awful. But from what you describe it sounds like a sure-fire way of ensuring your child is traumatized and will likely spend their life afraid of water! Baffles me that in this modern day people still think this outdated and barbaric way if teaching is a good thing

 

[babyrough]

That made me feel sick. The poor baby was crying its little eyes out and she literally just threw it back in the water. Horrible woman.

 

[TriChick]

The "throwing" technique is used to simulate a child falling into the water accidentally, and teaches them how to roll on to their backs to float until help arrives. The theory behind it is that desensitizing the child to the initial "shock" and encouraging energy conservation via floating can be more beneficial to survival as opposed to the panic and struggle that often exhausts the person and contributes to drowning. While the technique may be controversial, I believe that the video itself does not give enough context regarding what the actual course entails.

TBH, as a former lifeguard, avid swimmer, and coworker of a man who's 2-year-old drowned a few years back I've considered enrolling in this course.

 

[Siuan]

Hmm, I haven't looked into it further, but yes, the video is disturbing to say the least. I think there are better ways to teach a baby water safety/survival without the need for this sort of method.

My waterbabies class (2nd term) and the submerging signals etc have been mastered) is now teaching for us to sit babies on the side of the pool and at the signal topple them forward into the water, then swim them around so they learn to turn and swim to the side and hold on. It does the same thing as Trichick has described above in a way that on face value certainly is a whole lot less traumatic than the technique appears to be in the video.

But like I said, I'm going only by the video and not further investigation.

 

[Leids]

I see the point of the class, I understand the explanation. However - that child barely got a chance to catch her breath. She was gasping for air when her mother thew her under again. Surely the lack of oxygen alone is not good for the baby and should be done to a lesser extent. At the end of the video she was trembling and seemed distressed, I really don't see a point in doing it over and over again like that.

 

[fingers_cross]

omg i really dont like that at all. i felt like going and slapping that woman and taking the baby away from her! horrible!

 

[Keyval]

Oh my god I wanted to just pick that baby up and give her a hug . The poor little thing she's terrified. That looks like it would traumatise your child . I would want a swimming lesson to be enjoyable for my LO and if she can't swim she can't swim no big deal . I have plenty of friends who can't swim and it doesn't bother them . No way would I put my LO through that .

 

[Randianne]

The "throwing" technique is used to simulate a child falling into the water accidentally, and teaches them how to roll on to their backs to float until help arrives. The theory behind it is that desensitizing the child to the initial "shock" and encouraging energy conservation via floating can be more beneficial to survival as opposed to the panic and struggle that often exhausts the person and contributes to drowning. While the technique may be controversial, I believe that the video itself does not give enough context regarding what the actual course entails.

TBH, as a former lifeguard, avid swimmer, and coworker of a man who's 2-year-old drowned a few years back I've considered enrolling in this course.

This. I don't agree with everything in the video, but my LO will be taking a course next month that teaches her about what to do if she accidently falls into water. The throwing technique is appropriate if done correctly.

As a former paramedic and then emergency room nurse, I have seen way too many dead kids because of accidental drowning. It's not always a matter of 'just watch them'. I've seen very attentive parents taking all the right precautions lose their baby because they turned around for just one second. Many of our friends and family have pools, and we spend lots of time at them and in the lake during the summer. Learning what to do in an a case of an accident is vital.

It does need to be done correctly, but that course has saved a lot of lives.

 

[TriChick]

Oh my god I wanted to just pick that baby up and give her a hug . The poor little thing she's terrified. That looks like it would traumatise your child . I would want a swimming lesson to be enjoyable for my LO and if she can't swim she can't swim no big deal . I have plenty of friends who can't swim and it doesn't bother them . No way would I put my LO through that .

The problem is, a lack of swimming skills DOES become a big deal if a child accidentally falls into a body of water and does not know how to keep themselves from drowning.

 

[Keyval]

Oh my god I wanted to just pick that baby up and give her a hug . The poor little thing she's terrified. That looks like it would traumatise your child . I would want a swimming lesson to be enjoyable for my LO and if she can't swim she can't swim no big deal . I have plenty of friends who can't swim and it doesn't bother them . No way would I put my LO through that .

The problem is, a lack of swimming skills DOES become a big deal if a child accidentally falls into a body of water and does not know how to keep themselves from drowning.

I'm sure there are more enjoyable ways to do it though . That child is definately not having fun . Maybe it's just this video I dunno it just seems very harsh.

 

[deafgal]

I wouldn't do it that way. I would start out gently blowing my LO's face and pour a small cup over her face after She shut her eyes and mouth. and clap and cheer afterward. She loves it and it taught her not to be afraid. A beginning of swim lesson.

people in florida have pools and many babies havebeen drown. Even though people should be watching,this was suppose to minimize the risk. my baby brother almost drown from fallen out of his floating device. but mom caught him quickly.

 

[TriChick]

Oh my god I wanted to just pick that baby up and give her a hug . The poor little thing she's terrified. That looks like it would traumatise your child . I would want a swimming lesson to be enjoyable for my LO and if she can't swim she can't swim no big deal . I have plenty of friends who can't swim and it doesn't bother them . No way would I put my LO through that .

The problem is, a lack of swimming skills DOES become a big deal if a child accidentally falls into a body of water and does not know how to keep themselves from drowning.

I'm sure there are more enjoyable ways to do it though . That child is definately not having fun . Maybe it's just this video I dunno it just seems very harsh.

I agree that the technique looks quite...unpleasant at first, and that there are many ways to teach children and babies water safety. Just wanted to clarify what was occurring in the video, as I got the impression that many people were viewing it without proper context and thinking that it was just a mother wanting to torture her child in the water.