18 seconds

This is not a happy post.  In fact, it's probably morbid.  But this is a local tragedy that has my full attention.  It has made me rethink my approach to my kids (or any kids) and water play.  Pool, beach, bathtub, bucket of water...any of it.

I am guilty of running to grab a forgotten towel when my kids are in the tub.  Although my house is small and I can see the kids in the tub if I go to the linen closet, that doesn't matter.  That's not the point.

This  particular story isn't a bathtub incident but alot of the commentary around this emphasizes ALL potential threats to drowning. 

One of my Facebook friends also recently posted an article about what a real drowning event looks like.  It isn't the screaming, flailing event portrayed on TV.  It is silent.  If someone can still scream and move their arms, they are still able to be saved.  I didn't know this.  Now I do--and it's knowledge that is haunting but necessary to know.

So I am including both of the links here.  You might find yourself choked up with tears...you might find yourself anxious...it might be too hard to read.  But if it causes you to re-evaluate your perceptions of your children in water, then it's worth all that.  It's priceless.

Here are the links:

18 Seconds Article
*This link might take a while to come up but it's there, I promise

Drowning doesn't look like drowning article
*The most important sentence in this article might be the last sentence