Water Safety, Water Acclimation and Infant/Child CPR Class
April 5, 2010

Caring for a child is perhaps the biggest responsibility a person can have. Babies start out so helpless and as they grow older, children are bound to have accidents and get hurt no matter how closely we watch them. It only takes a moment for a child to put something in their mouth and choke. That is why it is so important that parents and caregivers learn CPR and first aid for their children.

My husband has been wanting to take an infant CPR class since before Alex was born. Both of us have taken CPR classes in the past. I took classes back in high school, so it was quite a while ago. My husband has taken a class more recently, but it did not cover infant CPR.

I signed us both up for the Bathtub Babies class at Kids Club Fun and Fitness. The class covers Infant and Child CPR as well as introducing techniques to teach a baby how to swim. The class was $49 per couple (a person can come alone, but it is the same price, so may as well bring along a friend). The class also included a reusable swim diaper. We were instructed not to bring Alex, so he spent the evening with his grandparents.

When we walked into Kids Club Fun and Fitness, the first thing I noticed was their play yard. Jungleland Ballocity is enormous, the largest indoor Jungleland in the Northwest. Looking at it, I wanted to go play in it myself. I could have too if we did not have a class. Jungleland costs $6.95 for children 3-12 years old on weekdays and $8.95 on the weekend. Toddlers under 3 get in for ½ price. One adult gets in free with every paid child and additional adults are ½ price. I suspect it will be at least a few years before Alex is old enough to play safely in such a large jungle gym. Kid’s Club Fun and Fitness also has a Toddler Play Park for kids from crawling age to 4 years of age that would probably be more fitting for Alex.

Looking at the smiling kids running around and enjoying themselves in the Jungleland reminded me of the Open Play sessions at Inflatable Kingdom. It is always nice to have a place where children enjoy active play and have fun in a supervised environment.

Along with the Jungleland and Play Park, Kid’s Club offers swimming lessons, yoga, infant massage, gymnastics, ballet, dance, cheer, birthday party packages, and more. The facility does not allow outside food, but food is available to purchase if you get hungry. The choices are typical concession fare (hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, chips, ect) however, so if you are looking for a healthy meal, your options are limited to perhaps apple slices, juice, and water.

My husband and I were the only ones in our class, so we got a lot of personal attention. The class started with CPR which we practiced on dummies with help from the CPR instructor and a DVD. When we felt confident about what we had learned, we were given a presentation by the swim instructor about babies and swimming that included a video and a slide show.

The most important thing to take home from the class may be that prevention is key. The instructor who taught us CPR has not had to use CPR on anyone yet because the facility is very careful with their students. It only takes a moment for an accident to happen, so parents and teachers are very observant and watch the children carefully when they are in the pool. Classes are kept to a low ratio of students to teacher and the swim teacher is trained and certified.

We are looking forward to getting Alex into a swimming program, but for now we are going to start with bathtub play and progress from there. I feel much more confident playing in the water with my baby now that I have a better idea of his abilities and how to care for him in case of an emergency. When we are ready, we will take him to an open swim session in a heated pool and see how much we all enjoy it before we sign up for lessons.

Knowing CPR can mean the difference between life or death, so it is a very important skill for parents and caregivers to learn. Kids Club Fun and Fitness holds the Bathtub Babies class once a month. Milagros offers monthly Infant CPR classes for $25 on the second Tuesday of each month. Classes are offered at multiple locations through the American Red Cross. For those who are unable to attend a class or just want a refresher course, the Multnomah County Library also has a DVD on CPR.

HL

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