Manda's Minnows

🛟 HOLIDAY WEEKEND SWIM SAFETY TIPS 🛟

Water safety starts with active supervision — even for confident swimmers.

Crowded holiday weekends can bring extra distractions, so here are a few important reminders for families heading to the pool, beach, lake, or boat this weekend! ☀️💦

👀 BEFORE KIDS GET IN THE WATER
• Assign a dedicated “Water Watcher” adult — no phones, grilling, or chatting. Rotate every 15–20 minutes.
• Dress children in bright-colored swimsuits (neon orange, pink, yellow, or lime) that are easier to spot underwater.

Teach simple swim rules:
✔ Ask permission before entering water
✔ No running near pools
✔ Always swim with a grown-up

🏊 AT THE POOL
• Keep toddlers and non-swimmers within arm’s reach (“touch supervision”).
• Empty kiddie pools immediately after use.
• Know where rescue equipment and exits are located.
• Learn CPR if possible — quick action saves lives.
• Floaties and inflatables are NOT safety devices.

🌊 AT BEACHES & LAKES
• Swim near lifeguards whenever possible.
• Watch for rip current warnings and beach flag systems.
• Lakes can have sudden drop-offs, slippery rocks, and poor visibility.
• Ocean conditions can change quickly, even on sunny days.
• Teach children to float and wave for help if tired.

🚤 BOATING & WATER SPORTS
• Everyone — especially children — should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times.
• Avoid alcohol while supervising swimmers or operating boats.
• Keep a charged phone in a waterproof pouch for emergencies.

⚠️ SIGNS OF DROWNING PARENTS OFTEN MISS
Real drowning is usually quiet — not dramatic.

Watch for:
• Head low in the water
• Mouth at water level
• Glassy or closed eyes
• Vertical body position with little kicking
• Silence or inability to call out

🚨 QUICK EMERGENCY REMINDERS
• If a child is missing near water, check the water FIRST and call 911 immediately.
• If caught in a rip current: swim parallel to shore, not against it.
• Seek medical care if a child later develops persistent coughing, breathing trouble, vomiting, or unusual fatigue after inhaling water.

Even strong swimmers need active supervision. Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy your holiday weekend! 💙

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✅ CORRECTION!! ✅

Memorial Day holiday schedule! 🇺🇸

We will be OPEN Thursday and Friday before Memorial Day. However, we will be CLOSED on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.

We apologize for any confusion and appreciate your understanding.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful holiday weekend!

☀️ SCHOOL’S OUT MAY 29TH! ☀️

Have you signed up for swim lessons yet? 🏊‍♀️💦

Manda’s Minnows still has a few spots available — but classes are filling FAST!

Summer means more time at pools, beaches, lakes, and around water. Swim lessons are more than just fun… they teach critical water safety skills that can help save lives.

✔️ Learn floating & water survival skills
✔️ Build confidence in and around water
✔️ Practice safe pool behavior
✔️ Prepare for a safe summer season
✔️ Build swim efficiency skills with stroke development
✔️ Beginner, intermediate, advanced and adaptive swim available for all ages 1-adult

Swimming is a life skill everybody should have. Give your family the confidence and safety skills they need before summer is in full swing! 🌊☀️

Register soon before spots are gone!

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Did you know that Manda’s Minnows offers swim lessons for adults too?

Some of the biggest victories in swimming don’t start with perfect strokes or deep ends. They start with fear.

Fear of putting your face in the water.

Fear of the deep end.

Fear that if you don’t go fast enough, you’ll sink.

Fear that the water won’t hold you up.

Watching an adult go from anxious and unsure… to calm, confident, and genuinely enjoying the water is something special. Seeing them swim with ease, jump in without hesitation, and make memories diving and playing with their kids — that’s the moment it all becomes worth it.

That’s why we do what we do 💙

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☀️ National Drowning Prevention Month Special ☀️

As we head into summer, Manda’s Minnows is partnering with Pasco CPR & First Aid Training to offer our swim families an exclusive discounted rate for an upcoming Adult & Pediatric CPR/AED & First Aid certification class on May 30.

This is a great opportunity for parents, caregivers, babysitters, grandparents, and families to feel more confident and prepared around the water this summer. ❤️

This special partnership rate is available for the May 30 class only.

Please message Manda’s Minnows directly or mention this post to receive discount details and the registration code.

Spots are limited so be sure to reach out soon!

A reminder from Swim Angelfish,. Knowing how to be safe, in and around the water shouldn’t be an option to consider; it should be a requirement!!

While we spend a lot of time teaching children how to be safe around water, we also have to teach them what safety and rescue LOOK like…

For many children with sensory challenges, autism, anxiety, or other developmental differences, rescue equipment can feel unfamiliar, overwhelming, or even frightening in an emergency.

That’s why one important part of our Adaptive Water Safety Toolkit focuses on rescue equipment familiarity.

✔️ Touching and holding a rescue tube
✔️ Practicing with it in and out of the water
✔️ Seeing it thrown toward them
✔️ Learning that rescue equipment = safety, not fear

Because in a real emergency, the first time a child experiences rescue equipment should NOT be during a rescue.

Water safety isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Preparation matters. Familiarity matters.

And layered protection matters.

Our Adaptive Water Safety Toolkit is always available FREE on our website: https://swimangelfish.com/water-safety-for-all-abilities/

Fun fact: we also included rescue equipment familiarity activities inside our new All Abilities Adaptive Water Safety Activity Book to help families continue practicing these concepts in a fun, hands-on way. You can grab your copy here: https://swimangelfish.com/water-safety-activity-book/

We’re also proud to partner with organizations like Stop Drowning Now to continue spreading life-saving water safety education to more families and communities everywhere.

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Have you ever used a “Water Watcher” system at pool parties or family gatherings? 👀

One of the biggest water safety mistakes I see is everyone thinking someone else is watching the kids.

At pool parties, BBQs, vacations, and family gatherings, it’s really easy for supervision to become unclear without anyone realizing it.

A simple thing that helps?

Designate a “Water Watcher.”

One adult is specifically responsible for actively watching the water for a set amount of time before switching off with another adult.

No scrolling.
No distractions.
No assuming someone else is paying attention.

Because drowning is often silent and happens much faster than most people expect.

Even strong swimmers still need supervision 💙

Another thing we always recommend for families with pools or frequent water activities is making sure at least one supervising adult is CPR trained and knows how to respond in an emergency. Those first few minutes truly matter.

We offer CPR/AED & First Aid training locally through Pasco CPR & First Aid Training for parents, caregivers, babysitters, teachers, and anyone wanting to feel more prepared around water this summer.

And for anyone hosting larger pool parties or events in the Tampa Bay area, Manda's Minnows also offers certified lifeguards for private parties and community pool events, which is such a great added layer of safety and peace of mind when adults may be busy socializing or distracted 💙

Did you know May is National Water Safety month❓

✅ Follow us for tips on how to be safe, in and around the water!

National Water Safety Month!

Most drownings don’t happen during swim time. ❤️‍🩹

They happen during the in-between.
The “I thought someone was watching” moments.

The quick distractions. The unlocked doors. The silent slips outside.
No suits. No plan. No warning.

This is why layers matter:
✔️ Constant, active supervision
✔️ Locked doors + pool barriers
✔️ Alarms that alert, not assume
✔️ Water competency for every child

Drowning doesn’t wait for permission.
And it doesn’t need a scheduled swim.
Stay ready—even when it’s not “swim time.”