Parents Guide to a relaxed Swim Lesson

1. Try to arrive a bit early talking positive with your child, that way you will not have to rush to put them in the water. Especially if the swim experience is new.

Your child will feel calm and ready and lessons will be more successful.

2. If possible dress your child at home so they are comfortable in swim wear.

3. Arriving early will also allow you and your child to get use to the surroundings of a child filled aquatic center. You may need to get use to it. LOL

4. Having your child go to the toilet and or restroom, before entering the swimming pool will be great. It will avoid any accidents or interuptions throughout the swim lesson.

5. Swim Accessories like goggles are better off introduced early. As your child advances to higher levels in swimming, they will be unerwater a lot and being able to see is a plus for them.

6. Swimming caps are strongly recommended to keep hair out of your childs eyes and mouth. They also allow you to slip on goggles easyer and in pool cleanliness, in some cases, are compulsory to wear.

7. If your child has eaten make sure their lesson is at least 30 mins after. They will be moving around quite a bit.

8. For your childs safety it is a must that your child/children DO NOT enter their swim lesson early. It also eliminates any distractions in lessons.

9. Maybe an extra small towel to wipe the ever so often runny nose, would be a big help.

10. For safety and respect for other parents and children, make sure your child walks to their lesson and around the center.

Different Centers may produce additional guidelines that will be their own set of considerations. They will be designed to further enhance the swimming lesson experience with due health, safety and educational points.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was against swim lessons for babies.

They feared that swimming lessons before the age of 4 would give the child & parent a false sense of security in the water.

Say what? Sorry, but does that sound a little off to you? Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t children soak up the most learning from birth to the age of 5.

So what could possibly be “WRONG” with a baby learning how to save it’s own life.

Parents are asking why are all these drownings happening to children under the age of 2yrs, yet the Academy was saying no swim lessons until the age of 4yrs old. Personally that’s a little backwards to me.

The AAP, in new policy says that swim lessons for children as young as 2yrs of age can be effective now.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recored In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006).

Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005).

Just imagine what those figures really could be around the world. Some Doctors have been known to tell parents not to give them lessons until they say so.

As I was researching these small facts I always came back to saying, that it is always up to the parent to make sure that their child has this permanent life skill.

Dr’s, pediatricians, commentators etc. can say all they want, but swimming is a lifetime safety skill that can never be taken away.

I know it is hard for a parent to see their child go under water, but I have to say please get lessons. Your child does not need to be in the statistic number.

Of course jumping, splashing, diving and sitting in the pool is fun & nice, but unfortunately you can get sick from spending time in the pool.

All pools are made up of chemicals & water otherwise we wouldn’t have very nice pools.

Without putting you through a CPO class I would like to remind swimmers to be careful.

Try to swim after pool cleaning times

Be sure to rinse your body after swimming in the pool

Wear proper swim wear

Keep on that sun block

And of course STAY HYDRATED.

BE SAFE SWIMMERS.

When you turn on the sports channel and there is a swimming meet going, do you ever see any black swimmers?

Now mind you I am a swimmer that happens to be black so I am really writing this article and laughing.

It’s not that black people cant swim they just don’t have the community back up.

Most sports based in an ethnic community are based on masculinity and are backed by the majority of the community.

Not all but most predominantly black or minority communities do not have lifetime coaching, the freedom to commit their lives to the sport, financial support or the access to a training facilities to be able to swim at a competitive level.

Being that I love swimming and water it doesn’t matter who is swimming to me, but for a child that is not a good thing.

I would love to see more time put into the communities that do not have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Like I said water is everywhere and every child should be bought up with a great live saving skill.

Remember, people used to ponder the same question about Golf——– then we all got to meet Tiger Woods. ; ) LOL

It never looks good when you or your child has done a good days swimming and you look at your eyes and they are blood shot red.  The dreaded swimmers eye irritation.

Although it never really last too long for most people, it can also be an annoying irritation.

Most eye irritation is caused by high level chloramine levels in the pool.

Avoiding chemicals in the pool is impossible being that the pool does need chemicals to stay a pool.

Swimmers eye is not permanent it is just a short irritation. It can cause blurred vision, itchy eye, red eye and tearing from the eye.

To prevent eye irritation, swim in only in properly maintained, sanitized, and balanced pools.

Wear goggles while swimming.

Use eye drops containing antihistamines after leaving the pool.

Outdoors, wear good polarized goggles to filter out destructive rays of the sun while swimming, or sunglasses and a hat if participating it other water activities where your face is not submerged.

If irritation continues after one day please see your doctor.

Hey parents the 2010 summer has arrived in some parts of the world before we knew it.  Of course many parents and children are going to be swimming and having a great time.  Yes swimming is a lot of fun and in some ways it takes the worries away, but a quick reminder parents and grandparents be extra safe. The main safety tool around your pool if you have children at you house is a Gate. Pool safety gates have saved many child and infant lives. Make sure that when you do go swimming this summer and let your worries go, that you have covered all pool safety rules.

Have fun this summer.

So I’ve been doing a lot of reading, watching and listening to summer news. Meaning I’ve been paying attention mainly to whats going on in the water, ocean and pools. It is very interesting and tragic to say that drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. I have to tell ya, I did not know that one. Some people would say, Curtis what does it matter to you weather my kid swims or not. Well for one I love to teach swimming lessons weather it be a child or an adult. Two I have almost drowned and luckily I was equiped with the knowledge and skills to get out of it. It is not a situation you or your child should ever be in. There are ways to prevent it. Children love the water, if your going to let them swim or be in the bathtub for that matter give them skills. Like I said I was blessed to have had parents that equiped me with skills to prevent something tragic from happening.

Now of course ocean is a difference from a pool, but if your child is at least set up with basic swimming skills and safety rules it will only increase the chances of your child getting out of those unfortunate situations.

It’s hot in the summer everywhere around the world, and everyone loves to be at the beach or at the pool soaking up the sun. All the kids love to have a lot of fun in the sun. So this is just a quick reminder on sunscreen and protective items from the blazzing sun.

1. Gotta have your SPF in hand.

2. A hat to cover your face.

3. Sunglasses to block your eyes.

4. An umbrella of some sort to stay out of the sun every now and then.

5. And of course LOTS of WATER and LIQUIDS.

Being in the sun for a day can be very hazerdous on your health and skin, especially on a child. Just always remember that children react different to the heat and sun, you may not know that anything is wrong untill it is too late. If you keep it safe inside and outside of the water you will be fine. Just keep the little things in mind when your having that summer swimming fun.