Instagram – The Gunner Martin Foundation

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Instagramthegunnermartinfoundation_yi15al2023-01-29T02:47:57+00:00

the_gunner_martin_foundation

Non - profit organization
🔆 Talking about grief.
🔆 Spreading joy like Gunner.
🔆 Specializing in water safety from Central Florida.

✨3 steps to get from no skills to full on fun in

✨3 steps to get from no skills to full on fun in the water ✨

1. Start with safety - children as young as 6 months old can learn to float in the water and self rescue.

2. Next learn to swim - the swim float swim can be introduced when a child is 1 years old

3. Finally make it fun - snorkeling, diving for toys, and “surfing” (in a pool), going down water slides, are all the fun!

It is important to introduce the fun to the water AFTER your child has already learned their float and self rescue in the water.

For more information on how to keep your kids safer in the water follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

P.s. this is Bella, one of our scholarship recipients

#watersafety #drowningprevention #childlossawareness #parentinghacks #parentslove #toddlerlife

‼️70% of child drownings happen during non-swi

‼️70% of child drownings happen during non-swim time. ‼️

🚩The data shows us that kids are actually in more danger to drown when they are in their own house napping, playing with another sibling, or watching tv than they are if they were actually intending to be in the pool with their parents.

▫️Please parents, multiple barriers will help delay access to the water if your child were ever able to get out of the house unattended. Think pool fence and door alarm, etc.

▫️Survival swim lessons are the only way your child can save themselves if they were ever to fall into the pool alone.

For more information on how to keep your kids and grandkids safer around the water, please follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafety #drowningprevention #childloss #survivalswimming #firsttimemom #toddlers #parenting

If I could go back in time and change one thing..

If I could go back in time and change one thing..
✨I would have saved you, Gunner. ✨

— AND HERE IS HOW —

1. I would have enrolled you in survival swim lessons at 6 months old with follow up refreshers until you were consistently swimming like a fish.
2. I would have had a pool fence installed, exit door alarms on all doors leading outside, and a pool alarm turned on - all before you started crawling.
3. I would have asked my pediatrician to explain the risks of drowning and would have researched more about water safety.
4. I would have put water safety on my radar, and would have learned that majority of drownings happen during non-swim time.

✨Please share this information with your loved ones. ✨
These things would have saved our son Gunner if this information would have reached us in time. We wish someone would have shared any piece of this information with us and our whole world would look so different right now.

For more information on how to keep your children safer around the water, follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafety #drowningprevention #childsafety #firsttimemom #parenting101 #parentingtips

Water safety Hollywood Studios Edition: ✨ quick

Water safety Hollywood Studios Edition:
✨ quick facts for parents ✨

‼️Drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4
‼️Drownings are quick and silent
‼️A child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water

P.s. it rained before I could finish so more facts will be coming soon. 💧

If you know a parent, please share and follow along for more ways to keep your kids after around the water @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafety #hollywoodstudiosdisney #drowningprevention #parentingtips #parents #firsttimemommy

Meet Liam, one of the Gunner Martin Foundation Swi

Meet Liam, one of the Gunner Martin Foundation Swim Scholarship Recipients.

Liam was only 7 months old when he started his survival swim lessons and he gained his full skill set to be able to roll back to float. His parents work with him to help maintain his skills. His dad is a firefighter and Liam now knows how to self rescue before the age of 1!

Here's to one more child safer around the water!

To learn how to keep your kids safer in the water follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation.

#drowningprevention #watersafety #notonemore #parenting101 #firsttimeparents

Challenging what the future holds: ✨ for child

Challenging what the future holds:
✨ for child safety - my kids and yours ✨

✅ We want to see more water safety education geared towards parents

✅ We want to see more good quality swim lessons available for kids of lower income families

✅ We want to see legislation that supports child safety during the transfer of ownership of a home

✅ We want vacation rentals @airbnb to have more accountability for the safety measures they have in place at the rental homes in the State of Florida

✅ We want the standard for pediatricians to be incorporating the water safety message year round and starting at 6 months

To find out how to keep your kids safer, follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafetyawareness #drowningprevention #childsafety #firsttimemom #griefjourney #childloss

🍁Hello Florida Fall 🍁 Although you’re not

🍁Hello Florida Fall 🍁

Although you’re not officially here yet, the pumpkin spice and Halloween/Christmas decorations would have me believe otherwise. In Florida, where you can still be outside every day with shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. 🏝️🩴

Our gardens are year long and our sports are always outdoors (unless it’s raining).

It’s pool and beach season every season of the year. Here is your reminder to please practice water safety year round - even in the Fall and Winter months.

For more information on how to keep your little one safe follow along at @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#happyfallyall #watersafetyawareness #childsafety #montessori #parentingtips #beachlife

I miss you I miss you. #parents #griefjourney #w

I miss you I miss you.

#parents #griefjourney #watersafety #griefquotes #childlosssupport #childloss

Florida Drowning Data: August 2023 This is a remi

Florida Drowning Data: August 2023

This is a reminder to all families - when attending birthday parties or other events with a lot of people, specifically with young kids - to make sure to ALWAYS assign a WATER WATCHER - an adult designated to watch the water.

Please be thinking about the 8 families who lost there babes in the state of Florida in the month of August.

🤍 1 drowning occurred at a birthday party (12.5%)
🤍 6 drownings happened in backyard pools during non-swim time as the child got out of the home undetected (75%)
🤍 7 of the children were 4 and under (87.5%)
🤍 A L L drownings are preventable (100%)

Ways to prevent drownings:
1. Adult supervision! But for those moments we cannot watch our children (think bathroom, getting groceries, taking out trash, walking into another room) we recommend layers of protection
2. Barriers! At bare minimum install a $10 door exit alarm
3. Enroll your children in survival swim lessons
4. Take a parent CPR class (most hospitals/ local fire stations offer these class at little to no cost!)

#watersafety #drowningprevention #parentingtips #realmom #survivalswimming #parents

‼️The number one reminder for parents with tod

‼️The number one reminder for parents with toddlers ‼️

In the time it takes you to _______________ (fill in the blank), your child can find the pool.

(Blank options)
✔️Grab groceries from the car
✔️Unload the dishwasher
✔️Move clothes from washer to dryer
✔️Change a younger siblings diaper
✔️Clean up a spilled drink
✔️Prepare lunch

This is why we recommend multiple barriers that will give you more time to reach your child if they were able to make their way outside your home.

For more information on water safety follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafety #drowningprevention #parentingtips101 #montessori #childledplay #parentsbelike

✨Describing our 4 kids with one word each ✨ O

✨Describing our 4 kids with one word each ✨

Our rainbow - 🌈 - Aurora was our first babe born after the loss of Gunner. She gave us so much needed hope and healing

Our prayer - 🙏🏽 - Lyon was the boy we prayed to have after we lost Gunner. Our family will never be complete without Gunner but we prayed and prayed to have another boy and he is that answered prayer.

Our Treasure - 💎 - Jada was/is worth more than diamonds and gold (so are all of our kids) and we held onto her as our little treasure after the loss of her older brother. She helped us survive what felt like a huge dark hole - and we treasure her for that gift she was able to give us in the hardest times of our lives.

Our angel - 👼🏼 - 2 years will never be enough and we miss him and love him every single day. When I’m 100 years old I’ll still miss him and speak about him, but every day that passes is a day closer to seeing him. What he means to us and our entire family can never be truly transcribed into words, but he is apart of us every day and is so loved and missed.

✨Tell us in the comments - what is one word you would use to describe your kid(s) ✨

For more information on water safety or to follow our grief story follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#childloss #watersafetyawareness #griefjourney #parentslove #parentingquotes #myfavoritethings

✨Rewriting our story, rewriting our stars✨ Ch

✨Rewriting our story, rewriting our stars✨

Changing our path one moment at a time and ensuring our kids are safer and your kids are safer around the water too!

Here is my youngest child snorkeling at 2 years old!

At what age did you learn to swim and the snorkel?

For more information on water safety follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#survivalswimming #watersafety #waterbabies #montessoritoddler #parents #childloss

Thankful everyday for the opportunities I have spr

Thankful everyday for the opportunities I have spreading awareness on water safety but even more thankful for a supportive husband who encourages me to be the best I can and continues to support me to be able to make the necessary changes that are needed.

He is encouraging. He is supportive. He is caring. And he helps me succeed. 💚

Headed to speak at the Florida Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) conference today with DCF where I get to share our story while they share all of the drowning data and statistics.

For more information on water safety and to know what more you can do to help keep your loved ones safe, follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#pediatrician #watersafety #drowningprevention #marriedlife #griefjourney #childlossawareness

Meet Kennedy, one of the Gunner Martin Foundation

Meet Kennedy, one of the Gunner Martin Foundation Swim scholarship recipients who learned the critical survival skills to be able to self rescue in the water.

For more information on water safety follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#watersafetyawareness #survivalswimming #drowningprevention #scholarship #firsttimemommy #parents

✨ B E S T B O O K ✨ For hope and healing - p

✨ B E S T B O O K ✨
For hope and healing - part 1

“Bronner - a journey to understand”

As soon as we lost Gunner, I was searching for hope, for purpose, for understanding, for peace, for stillness, and for so much more.

Chris and I went to the Bible bookstore and I was just drawn to this book. I had no clue what it was about except for the title and grabbed it on the way out after seeing it near a shelf at checkout.

This book was the first book I read and completely shaped the way I felt and my perspective after the loss of Gunner. It got me out of my funk moment by moment, day by day and had me feeling purpose and hope.

If you have gone through the loss of a child or if you know of someone who has, I highly recommend this book for them. Also, if you have a family member or friend who has lost a child and you don’t know how to help them but want to better understand what they are going through and see the perspective of a grieving mother who lost her child to drowning, this book is a great way to understand those things and more.

It’s been over 7 years since I read this book, and I still have the feeling of peace and hope thinking about the contents of this book.

✨✨ I have included this book in my bio link - “Favorites from Amazon” ✨✨

For more information on water safety or to see us tackle grief and help advocate on water safety follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#griefbook #watersafetyawareness #drowningprevention #parentingtips #griefjourney #findhope

Water Safety at Disney! Magic Kingdom Edition:

✨ Water Safety on Vacation ✨

1. When planning your next family vacation - make sure where you are staying on vacation is safe and fun! Look ahead to ensure the rental home has a pool barrier in place. If you have kids who are non swimmers, opting for a vacation rental or air bnb without a pool or body of water is always your best and safest option!

2. When staying at a vacation rental, make sure to pack door alarms and safety door knob handle covers to prevent your child from gaining access to the pool or other body of water (link in bio)

3. It’s good to know ahead of time most pools and resorts DO NOT have lifeguards present. Therefore during swim time, you must always watch your children in the water and for non swimmers, hold them or be within arms reach for added safety.

4. As soon as you arrive to the vacation rental, have the water safety conversation. Set the ground rules for the pool and the standard for safety right off the bat. Having all adults and older kids on the same page helps to ensure everyone is on the same page and knows and understands the rules.

5. While at the pool, put phones down, assign a water watcher and keep the floaties off (they give a false sense of security). Get in the pool with your littles and have fun!

For more information on water safety follow along at @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#disneyvacations #firsttimemommy #watersafety #realmom #parentingtips #magickingdompark

The Number 1 safety tip for any family with young

The Number 1 safety tip for any family with young kids. Especially if you have a pool or body of water in the backyard - but this also applies to if you have a neighbor with a pool or body of water….

‼️‼️ TIP ‼️‼️

Check your pool fence for holes or any damage immediately after a hurricane has passed.

Pool fences, wood fences, and other barriers can become damaged during a hurricane from debris. It is vital to make sure immediately following a hurricane to inspect all pool barriers, but also to inspect your property fences as damage to those could allow your child to gain unwanted access to a neighbors in fenced pool/lake or body of water. And if there is damage to that fence, make sure to do your best to fix it on your own right away until someone is able to fix it professionally.

If you do not have kids but have a pool or other body of water on your property - it is your job as the homeowner to secure that fence to ensure any children are not able to gain access to the water on your property.

Last year during hurricane Ian - a child drowned due to a damaged pool fence after the hurricane.

Please share this information with family and friends, it could help save their child’s life. 💙💙

For more information on water safety and to watch us advocate for change, please follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#montessori #hurricane #watersafety #drowningprevention #parentingtips #parents

When the backyard pool becomes the number one kill

When the backyard pool becomes the number one killer of children ages 1-4, it is time to make sure we are doing everything possible to keep our little ones safe.

4 Keys to Water Safety:
1. Adult Supervision - constant adult supervision always in and around the water
2. Multiple Barriers - Choose at least 2 of the following: Pool Fence, Pool Net, Pool Alarm, Door Alarm, Self-closing Self-latching doors
3. Survival Swim Lessons - getting kids enrolled as early as 6 months old
4. Learn CPR - The only chance you as a parent will have to save your child if something were to happen.

If you know a parent who has a pool, please share this with them 🔆it could be something they need to know🔆.

#montessori #watersafety #drowningprevention #parents #parentingtips #firsttimemom

Perspective: making every moment count after child

Perspective: making every moment count after child loss and treasuring the time we get to spend with our kids.

Getting a moment back with Gunner would be priceless, so I want to keep that mindset with my kids. They grow and change so fast and I want to cherish every moment with them.

What is one thing you do that you cherish most with your little ones?

For more information on water safety and to follow along with our story follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

P.S. Chris worked at an Italian restaurant in high school - look at those skills coming back out

#familyfirst #childloss #parents #montessori #toddlerlife #2yearsold

If I could go back and change some things… one t

If I could go back and change some things… one thing I would have done differently is given my son the gift of self rescue swim lessons starting at 6 months old and with refreshers and practicing consistently.

This is Liam, one of our scholarship recipients and he started at 7 months old!

Having these skills to float and swim are the best ways your child can save themselves if they were ever able to gain access to the water on their own - after failed barriers.

This is a mothers plea for parents to enroll your children in swim lessons that will keep your baby alive if they were to ever find the water alone - survival swim lessons where a child can learn to float as early as 6 months old.

Please parents, instead of thinking this will never happen to me (because I guarantee you no mother who has ever lost their child to drowning thinks it will) have the perspective of: I want to make sure this never happens to me (or to my family or to my loved ones), what are the necessary things I need to put into place to make sure it never does. And the most important things on your list should be survival swim lessons, multiple barriers around the pool and other bodies of water, as well as whenever you are around a body of water or at the pool, always having constant adult supervision.

For more information on the best way to keep your littelest loved ones safer around the water follow @the_gunner_martin_foundation

#swimlessons #watersafety #montessoribaby #parentingtips #firsttimemommy #7monthsold

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