We recently shared a "Today" video of 6-month-old babies taking swim classes, and received a lot of feedback from worried moms.

One mom wrote in with a personal account and question we had to share ....

"Last summer, my 3-year-old son took swim lessons for several weeks and was totally swimming. At the end of the program, I wanted to see if he had learned enough to keep him safe if he fell in. So, to test him, I nudged him from behind and he fell into the water. Thinking back on this now, I feel terrible. But how can parents be sure their child is water safe?"

Water-safety expert Lisa Cook weighs in:

What It Means To Be "Water Safe"

• The definition of a person who is "water safe" is someone who can act as his or her own lifeguard.

• If your child is pushed into a pool after several weeks of classes, most likely he or she will be able to swim to the side. However, this does NOT mean that he or she is water safe.

• No matter the swimming experience, you cannot assume that a child is water safe before age 8.

• Being water safe means having the mental capacity to accurately and safely react in any situation. If a child is trapped under a raft or chokes on water, being water safe means he or she will know what to do.

• Your child swimming alone in a pool is a much different situation than your child swimming in a pool with 10 other children, rafts, toys, etc.

Parents, Listen Up!

• Do not assume that your child will be able to save himself or herself in every situation.


• It is not a parent's responsibility to test if your child will sink or swim.


• A parent's responsibility is to always watch your child around water.


• Don't assume anyone else is watching your child -- you're responsible!

For more information about Lisa Cook and her water-safety methods, visit KidSwim.