Our mission is to: "To prevent drowning and enrich the lives of children by teaching them to swim."
Drowning is the leading cause of death for infants
and young children in 18 states and, nationally, ranks
2nd only to automobile accidents, claiming lives of approximately
4,000 children each year and leaving another
12,000 with some form of permanent brain damage

 The picture above was taken 2007, when she was being tested in her winter clothes.

~Remember, even if you don't have a pool or live near water, think about your babysitter, neighbor or grandparents that have a backyard pool, lake, pond, canal or other water hazards. Consider these skills completely necessary for your child's safety.~

Grandparents:This would be a great birthday/Christmas present for your grandchild, an investment of your grandchild's safety!

In addition to aquatic self-rescue skills,  Ms. Gretchen also offers the basic strokes program! 

Waterlilly Swim School, Orange Park, Fl 32003 Teaching children from all over clay county including Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Lake Asbury.

Please go to our national website for more information:

www.infantswim.com


Most recent email from a swim mom:

MOST RECENT EMAIL FROM A SWIM MOM:

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 4:47 PM,  Nikki wrote:

My heart breaks for the family who lost their twins in the drowning accident. I still find it hard to believe that not more people know about the infant swimming resources program (link provided above). I feel so lucky to have found out about the program. It has saved so many lives. My now two year old learned to swim and float and pull herself out of the water. She had her first lesson at the age of 6 months - when she was just a baby and she was taught to float in the water. At one year old we did a refresher but then I had baby # 2 and we didn't complete the program. Now she just recently turned two years old and she is in her second week of lessons and she swims, floats, and is able to pull herself out of the water. I knew it was important for me to get her back in the program because she has no fear, she would just go and jump in the water. I found out about the ISR program from a friend who put her children through the program. I signed up on the website and received a DVD video of a baby falling in the water and flipping over and floating and surviving in the pool. This is Florida and in our neighborhood we have a retention pond in our back yard, a swimming pool just about in every other yard, and Black Creek is only one street away. I have three children total: ages 5, 2, and 1. My first child learned survival swimming at age 3 after her birthday party where some of our friends children were swimming unassisted at ages 2 & 3 years old and I couldn't believe how well they were swimming. Luckily our friends told us about ISR and I immediately went to the website to register. Prior to that I was very disappointed in the YMCA "Mommy and Me" swimming lessons which really only taught my first child how to be comfortable in the water. I didn't need help with her being comfortable in the water, I wanted her to be safe in and around water. Just the other day at our Eagle Harbor pool I heard some parents of a one year old asking the teenage Red Cross lifeguard for information on swimming lessons and the information was that they really don’t teach babies to swim unless it is a "Mommy and Me" type class. Appalled, I made my way over to the parents to tell them about the ISR program. Everyone at the pool could not believe my two year old was jumping in and swimming to the wall and pulling herself out. I tell every single parent that I can about the ISR program. On that particular day I told 3 families about the program. My instructor knows of at least 14 childrens lives that she has helped to save from drowning. Drowning is the number one cause of death for children. I wish the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Red Cross would do their research and endorse the infant swimming resource program. It has very stringent standards to be an instructor. My instructor is a nurse. I would be delighted for you to share this information with your readers and for you to show them pictures of babies that have learned survival skills in the water. I hope to get the word out to save lives. You can take pictures of my babies if you like. Sara just turned two and Baby Eddie just turned one. Both are going to see Gretchen for 10 mintues a day Monday thru Friday. That is all it takes - can you believe it only 10 minutes a day. This is Baby Eddie's first week and already he is floating and pulling himself out at the steps and at the wall. The program is not some barbaric torture program, babies are not just thrown in the pool. First the instructor works on breath control, holding on at the wall and pulling up at the wall/stairs, then swimming to the wall/stairs and holding on, then swimming and flipping over and floating. This program is so wonderful I just wish I could let more people know that their children can be taught to save their own lives. If you are interested in tagging along to watch my babies survive in the water, I go to Ms. Gretchen's house each day our lessons are at 2:40 and 2:50 each day. Gretchen would have to give you permission to take pictures but I would be fine with it. Please, please, please get the word out to more parents. Gretchen - do you know if ISR has ever looked into a "scholarship" type program for underprivileged kids or families that cannot afford it?

Sincerely,
Nikki 

Lillyanne: Age 4!