Viral 'mermaid mantra' TikTok shows the importance of water safety for children

A video on TikTok of a Tampa swim instructor using, what he calls, his "mermaid mantra," to encourage a toddler to keep swimming has gone viral, reaching almost 41 million views on Friday.

The video shows Reed, a private swim teacher who owns Triton Aquatic Training, having a 2-year-old girl repeat the words: "I'm big. I'm brave. I'm beautiful."

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Reed posted it on TikTok on May 23, and it racked up about two million views overnight.

Reed came up with a 'mermaid mantra' for his young student to boost her confidence.

Reed went viral after posting the 'mermaid mantra' he came up with for his young student to boost her confidence.

"I want them to really believe the words that they're saying," Reed told FOX 13. "[Children] think that things are scary. I'm a big believer in manifestation, in the power your words have."

Reed is hopeful all this attention puts the spotlight where it should be: water safety, especially during the summer in Florida.

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"Not only is the little girl on the video super adorable, but it's spreading awareness of the importance of lessons as well," he shared. "It is beyond important. We live here in Tampa Bay. We live here in Florida. We are surrounded by water."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 4,000 unintentional deadly drownings a year in the U.S. The CDC reports drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and four years old. 

A private swim teacher who went viral for his "mermaid mantra" wants people to know the importance of water safety.

A private swim teacher who went viral for his "mermaid mantra" wants people to know the importance of water safety. 

That's a statistic that isn't lost on Alexandra Antinori, whose two children, Sonny and Ila, are two and four years old.

"Just the safety of knowing that they can be safe until we can get to them, just it's everything," Antinori said during a lesson with Reed, adding she recently saw first-hand how effective those lessons are when her 2-year-old son fell in the pool, hit his chin, but didn't panic and was able to swim to the wall on his own.

"I went to the edge of the pool and just said, 'hey, Sonny, come on over here. You turn over and come swim to me!' And, just like that, swam right over," recalled Antinori.

Water safety is important during the summer months in Florida.

Water safety is important during the summer months in Florida.

Just one day after the little girl in the viral video was crying during her mermaid mantra, Tyler posted another video showing her, all smiles, swimming right over to him.

"When you see the reward of the child being able...just at two years old, to enjoy the water, it's just so rewarding," said Reed.

While Reed teaches children as young as 18 months, other instructors offer lessons for infants. He said starting at an early age can help give kids the skills they need to get out of dangerous situations in the water.