No child should drown!

Swimming season is here!

What a start to this summer of swimming! My Instagram feed has been filled with photos of people swimming from all corners of Sweden. Such joy! 

But when we take off our clothes—we adults flopping into a lounge chair and the kids diving into the water—we need to remind ourselves to stay safe. It’s so important to keep an eye on our kids when they’re around water. Kids should be in the water in every way they can; it’s the best thing for them as they grow up. But we have to watch them ALL the time so that no child drowns. 

Because, unfortunately, no matter how hard it is to imagine—amidst summer flowers, gentle breezes, a good cup of coffee, and little children’s bare bottoms—the fact remains that a drowning incident can happen so quickly. And it often happens in complete silence. 

Did you hear? Children are still drowning in Swedeneverysummer. That’s so wrong. I don’t want that to happen. We’re a country with a high rate of swimming proficiency compared to many other countries. We have a high level of awareness and knowledge about safety, and yet children are still drowning. 

That's why I'd like us all, now that the season is just beginning, to help each other make sure that NO CHILD DROWNs this year. 

Share this post, talk to your friends, remind each other, and don't be afraid to ask for help, speak up, remind others, and so on—even if it's not your child.

/Camilla Thurell, emergency room nurse and founder of Life in Mind

Important things to remember when near water:

• Make sure there is ALWAYS someone “watching” the children. Instead of everyone just “keeping an eye on them,” it’s better for one person to focus entirely on the children. That way, you can take turns. Feel free to use a baton.
• Small children who cannot swim should always wear flotation devices that are appropriate for their abilities in the water.
• We should always stay within arm's reach of the youngest children so we can grab them quickly if their faces go under the water.
• Children must always wear a life jacket when we are near docks and in deeper water, without exception.
• Put your phone away when you're near water. Or use @trygg_hansa's fantastic initiative and app: "Swim Mode," which turns off everything on the screen that might distract you so you can focus on your child.
• Remember how easy it is to lose focus on a child in the water—even if it’s just a small child sitting at the water’s edge—and if you’re busy putting sunscreen on an older sibling on the blanket or taking off wet swimwear, it can happen right behind your back.
• Don’t forget—this early in the season, you might not be used to the fact that your neighbor’s pool could be dangerous, the stream or river near your property might be full of water after all the spring rain, and even your small inflatable pool with just a little water in it can be a life-threatening hazard if a small child falls in—so be sure to empty it every evening.
• Everyone needs to understand how serious it isif achild goes missing near water; every minute counts, and everyone must work together to find the child quickly.

Get Ready Before Summer

And take a CPR course before the summer season kicks off. It’s an investment of just a few hours that I promise you won’t regret. 

Share this post, talk to your friends, remind each other, and don't be afraid to help each other out, speak up, remind others, and so on—even if it's not your child.

So, go take a swim now! 

/Camilla Thurell, emergency room nurse and founder of Life in Mind

Here, Camilla shares her top swimming tips on TV4's "Nyhetsmorgon"

Pool Safety and Design in One

Remind yourselves and each other by hanging up a vital and super-stylish poster about Swimming Safety in your summer cottage or outside the sauna—this gem, too, is of course created in collaboration withKunskapstavlan.