Swimming Lessons Program
A free aquatic program offers Red Cross certifications to all levels of swimmers. Our readiness approach to swim instruction provides parents and campers with the ease of mind to know their children are happy and on their way to being confident swimmers. Our WSI instructors are seasoned veterans in water/safety instruction. By instilling proper awareness and swim techniques, our aquatic program is designed to instruct, as well as enhance confidence, in the water. Many young children need to experience that initial trust of the instructor and their ability to master basic aquatic skills before they accomplish independent mobility in the water. When others, especially peers, see a swimmer as successful, encouragement and self-esteem soar at Marlboro Country Day Camp. Our specialty is getting young swimmers over their intimidation and onward to enjoying the water.
Title: When Should You Teach Your Child to Swim?
Author: Stephanie Foster
Article:
Summer is coming and that means your family might be spending some time near the water, whether it’s a swimming pool, a river, the ocean, a lake, whatever’s convenient to you.
Are your children good swimmers yet?
How Young is Too Young for Swimming Lessons?
I’m all for teaching kids of any age to swim. I don’t believe there’s such a thing as too young. And it would appear that National Institutes of Health agrees with me. Despite fears that swimming lessons for very young children (ages 1-4) increases the odds of drowning, a study has shown that this isn’t the case. See http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/030209-Drowning-Risk.cfm
It’s important to keep in mind that swimming lessons don’t guarantee your child won’t ever drown. In fact, the NIH report found that many of the older kids who drowned were in fact fairly skilled swimmers. Swimming lessons still appeared to help limit drownings, but they were not a guarantee.
Always Be Vigilant Near Water
It doesn’t matter how well your kids swim, you should always be careful when your family is around a body of water that someone could drown in. Younger kids should have one adult whose sole responsibility is to know where that child is and what he or she is doing at all times.
No leaving the area without assigning another responsible adult to keep watch.
You’ll still need someone watching older kids, as accidents can happen. Kids who are confident in the water are likely to enjoy some horseplay or test their limits.
My oldest tests her limits all the time when we go swimming. Sometimes she needs a little help.
Use Proper Water Safety Gear
This is one area where I’ve had to disagree with my inlaws a few times. They always want my kids to wear floaties on their arms.
These are a really bad idea.
Floaties give kids who can’t swim the idea that they’ll be just fine in the water. They don’t realize how much they’re relying on them.
Worse, floaties can come off with little warning. Kid arms are often skinny things, and the floaties just don’t stay on that well when the kids get to playing a little rough.
I’ve been told that they also teach bad swimming habits. I’ve talked to swim instructors who really hate floaties.
If you need to put your child in something to help him or her stay afloat in the water, use proper floatation gear such as a life vest. These still present the problem of letting a child who can’t swim feel more comfortable in the water, but a properly fitting life vest isn’t going to just pop off. They’re much safer.
Know How to Swim Yourself
If you can’t swim, there’s only so much you can do if one of your kids needs help in the water. And if you can swim, make sure to take the time to build up your endurance. Even a small child is very hard to carry through the water when you have to swim. After all, both of you need your heads out of the water regularly, possibly constantly if the child is not comfortable holding his or her breath underwater.
Take some time throughout the swimming season and build up your swimming skills. It’s great exercise and has a shot at being a benefit to your family. Hopefully by just making it so that your kids can have a little more fun in the water, but it’s nice to have a shot at being able to help someone struggling.
CPR lessons are a good idea too. CPR is one of those skills you hope you never need, but if it comes up necessary you’ll be extremely grateful you took the time to learn it.
About the author:
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.greensahm.com/ about raising an eco friendly family. She offers eco friendly tips to keep the kids busy at her site.
Title: Swims Will Make your kids More Superior
Author: Jony Mask
Article:
It is advisable that children are able to swim. Swimming is very beneficial for kid’s health and they will also be equipped with the ability to survive in the wild. But not only that, it is believed that swimming could make children’s brain smarter.
Recent studies have shown that learning to swim can make children more intelligent. A study was conducted at Griffith University that surveyed more than 10,000 children, average age of five years old at a swim class.
A joint venture project between Griffith University, Kids Alive Swim Program and Swim Australia aims to determine whether a routine swim activity gave any contribution to children’s physical, social, cognitive and language in pre-school learners or not.
Anecdotal evidence found that children who can swim tend to be more confident in their physical development than those who cannot swim who are more advanced.
According to Prof. Jorgensen, preliminary data from this study is quite positive. Children who take a swim class seem more superior in their development, whether physical, social, cognitive and language.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids under 5 years of age. This could happen in a pool, shower or other water sources. So the study wanted to raise people’s awareness about the importance of learning to swim from an early age.
Professor Jorgensen also said that the research is the first detailed study that determines how many developmental advantages occur in kids who learn to swim.
“Our study will monitor the 10,000 students across Australia every year for four years,” explained Prof. Jorgensen.
This study will identify some key factors in swimming programs that enhance development, such as the number of lessons per week, the child’s age when he or she begin the lessons until their start to access the swimming pool.
About the author:
Joni Mask loves to write articles, not just about kids but also about Faux Silk Curtains and Taffeta Silk Curtains which you can find on his website.
Title: Summer Fun in the Water For Kids
Author: Coleen Smith
Article:
Summer time is almost here, and you know what that means – warm sunny days and no school. Kids look forward to summer all year, and with good reason. There are so many fun things to do outdoors. So where do you start?
A lot of summertime activities center around water, whether it’s the pool, the beach, or a water park. The first order of business is to make sure that your kids are water safe. I use that term loosely. It’s not possible for a very young child – say under the age of five – to be water safe. Parents must be within arm’s reach. Still, children should start learning to swim early. They’ll get comfortable in the water and learn swimming skills that will eventually make them strong, safe swimmers.
Get your child enrolled in swim lessons as early in the season as you can. They’ll start off the summer with the right habits and incorporate some of what they’ve learned into their water play. To keep in practice, you could have them swim one lap, or whatever is appropriate for their age, before playing every time you go to the pool.
A lot of community pools aren’t heated this early in the season. Fortunately there are a lot of private swim schools with heated pools. If your child is sensitive to chlorine, you can even find salt water pools to learn in. Still, most pools are kept clean with chlorine – a lot of it. A lot of kids wear goggles in the pool, just because the chlorine is so strong.
If your kids are old enough to remember how to swim from one year to the next, they’re not going to want to take swim lessons with the little kids. If you are less certain about their skills than they are, there are other options to reinforce their swimming skills. You can sign them up for a swim team, a water polo introductory class, or a junior lifeguard program. Scouts often incorporate a swimming test into achievement requirements.
The beach is another place that you’ll be spending a lot of time this summer. The ocean can keep kids busy and happy for hours. There’s something endlessly fascinating about the waves. Even the smallest kids love to play chicken with the waves. There are a few things that are different, safety-wise, about the ocean. First, the water doesn’t hold still. Kids need to get familiar with the fact that they might be up to their knees one minute and up to their chest the next. Teach them how to behave when they wipe out. If they know what’s coming, they won’t panic. When they’re old enough, they need to learn about rip currents.
The other big difference about the ocean is that it’s harder for you to see them, because the water’s not clear and they’re so far away if you’re on the beach. Always go to a beach with a lifeguard. Go into the water with them when they’re little. When they’re old enough to go into the surf on their own, set limits about how far out they can go, and have them stay with a buddy. Have them wear something that makes it easier for you to see them. Rashguards are a good idea anyway, and them come in very light materials. Have them come out of the water for a rest when they get tired. This is your opportunity to take your eyes off the water for a little while!
Most of all, let them play and wear themselves out. Kids and water are a perfect combination, and we’re lucky to have so many great places to play in the sun.
About the author:
Written by Coleen Smith Swim Lessons Orange County Orange County Summer Camps Surf Lessons Orange County
