We recently shared the 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 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 you 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 he or she is water safe.

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

• Being water safe is having the mental capacity to accurately and safely react to 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...then add rafts....and toys...etc.

Parents - Listen Up!

• Do not assume your child will save him or herself in any 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 on Lisa Cook and her water safety methods, visit KidSwim.