{ Stewie the Duck - Drowning Prevention }

This review touched my heart like no other.

Being a mother of two who are just learning to swim, it is one of my biggest fears.....drowning.

With drowning as the second leading cause of death among children ages one to 14, it is crucial that parents understand the importance of water safety…especially with warmer weather right around the corner.

Even if you don't read anything else in this post, I want you to please take the time to read the following information, it is imperative that we are informed and aware.

• Children – of all children aged 1 to 4 who died in 2005, almost 30% died from drowning. Drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children aged 1 to 14 years.

Where do children drown?

Residential swimming pools account for most drownings of children aged 1 to 4 years.

Children who drown in residential pools had been:

• last seen inside their home

• gone for less than 5 minutes; and

• in the care of either or both parents at the time.
  

Children aged 1 to 4 are most likely to drown in home swimming pools.

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Yes it's shocking and it rocks me to the core, but it's fact and it's something that happens all the time.

Now before I tell you about the book I received, let me give you some background on it:

On January 1, 1989, a 21-month old toddler, Stew Leonard III (Stewie), lost his life in a tragic accident when he ventured unnoticed into a pool to grab a birthday balloon. Within minutes, Stewie’s family realized he was missing and searched the house, only to find a yellow T-shirt floating in the pool. His father dove in to save him and perform CPR…but it was too late. Stewie had drowned. Since that heart-breaking day, the Leonard family pledged that they would do everything in their power to prevent this tragedy from striking other families. Stew Leonard, Jr. and his wife Kim set up the “Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation” to promote water safety awareness.

Beginning in 1990, the foundation has raised more than a million dollars to help provide swimming lessons and safety equipment for kids through local YMCAs and SwimAmerica. Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities also has published two illustrated and interactive children’s books on water safety: Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim and Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck, a Spanish version of which is also available – El Patito Stewie Aprende a Nadar. Information about the foundation may be found at www.stewietheduck.com

Also, here are some startling stats that emphasize importance of water safety awareness:

• · Drowning is the most common cause of death in children under five years old.
• · More than half of the drowning accidents among children under four years of age occur in friends’ or neighbors’ pools.
• · Most young children who have drowned in a pool were out of sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time. [The problem is often not a lack in supervision, but a lapse in supervision.]
• · And each year, almost 300 children ages five and under drown in swimming pools, while another 3,700 children in this age group are treated for near-drowning in hospital emergency rooms.

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Shocked yet? Do I have your attention?

It's extremely hard for a mother to read things like this and know that it could happen to one of your own children. It breaks my heart and it brings me to tears just imagining the pain these parents go through and though I don't know what the future brings, I can do my best to ensure that a tragedy like this does not befall my family.

With Summer being here we have been enjoying the pool....a LOT. I'm always there watching them, making sure that they are being safe and not messing around. Problem is that it takes but a minute for something to go wrong, so I watch them like a hawk....constantly.

It was during one of our days in the pool that I heard a knock at the door and received a package from www.stewietheduck.com. Perfect timing!

The kids were thrilled and wanted to read the book right away, so that is what I did, while they sat in the water, I read the book.

I have to give Kudos to the Leonard family for turning their loss into a way of saving lives.

My kids loved the book and the CD included, especially the song that is prominent throughout the book, to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

If you have little ones, I highly recommend buying this book or the other one Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck of which a spanish version is also available.