Imaginif

Much of Australia has been crippled by the worst drought in white history. Recent heavy rains have resulted in extensive flooding and the death of stock, crops and farming lifestyle. What the drought didn’t get, the rain and floods did.

Safety warnings to keep children out of flooded rivers, drains and dams prevail. Water safety, even on one of the driest continents in the world is paramount. It would seem that for a smart and dry nation, we are pretty dumb and wet behind the ears at times. Nightly news images of people swimming in flooded, dangerous creeks sends shivers up my spine.

Children will swim if there is an expanse of water available to them….with or without adult supervision. Not only is it a playful and fun thing to do, splashing about in water is also a way to learn about what happens when humans and water mix.

Play is children’s work.  Through supervised protective play, children learn important safety lessons that will stay with them their entire life. What are you teaching your children about water safety and water play? Do you place importance on water safety or do you just have swimming lessons because that is what every other parent does? Oh how boring, somebody save me from suburbia please.

Keeping up with the Jones’ is not child safety. Keeping up with the Jones’ will not keep your children safe. Spending time with your children, exposing them to water play, modelling the importance of water safety and the “Kids Alive do the five” rules is what can help make the difference between drowning and staying alive.

Below is a delightful picture of four Australian Aboriginal children; desert children from the centre of Australia, at play in a makeshift pool. Unfamiliar with swimming styles, fashion or the safety rules of swimming that middle class white Australia holds dearly, the desert parents of these children have made their kids safe without even realising they were enacting protective behaviours for water safety. Congratulations to those Mums and Dads. They have captured a teachable moment around water safety, prepared a safe swim area and they are there watching and supervising. Won’t you also learn from our desert Aboriginal people? They have more survival knowledge and common sense than you and I put together.

Thank you to the wonderful children and parents who allowed this photograph to be used on this website. My payment is to send a copy of this article to Heather Smith (nurse photographer pictured with one seriously cute baby) and to then print four copies of the photo to send to each of the children. Give the kids a boost of esteem - leave them a message and tell them how adorable they are.

My message: You fellas stay safe now, eh. Remember, our nose can’t breath under that water and that water is big time stronger than us. You too gorgeous and I say thank you for letting me see you swimming and use your photograph.

Play is children’s work. Cooking a nutritious meal for the kids is Mum’s job - go Anna

Can you see the Goanna (ngingtaka) that the Aboriginal mother is chasing? Bush tucker tastes so much better than McDonalds. Goannas can swim too but you so do not want to be in a Goannas way when it’s trying to swim across the river!