The Scoop on Poop

It may have happened to you before...class cancelled due to an "accidental fecal release" or "AFR" in the pool. Those of us with a good sense of humor get a chuckle and picture the candy bar scene from Caddyshack. Those of us who rushed across town to get to our coveted weekly swim lessons may not find it so funny...and neither do we.

Not so fun:

At LPB we take AFR's very seriously. We know what a disappointment it can be when class is cancelled, as well as what painstaking efforts LPB takes to restore our pools to it's pristine clean status.

We have a strict swim diaper policy:

• All children under age 3, or older if not fully potty trained are required to wear snug fitting reusable swim diapers.

Why so strict? Because while our pools have the most effective, state of the art Defender filtration and UV systems, as well as turnover rates double that which is required by the health department...we want our water to be the cleanest and safest it can be for our swimmers.

"If all the pools in the county were as clean as LPB's, I'd be out of a job."

--San Mateo County Health Inspector

How can you help keep our water clean and safe? Glad you asked!

• Avoid high fiber foods before swim class
• Do not bring a constipated child to the pool. Warm water often relaxes the bowels whether potty trained or not
• Do not bring a child with stomach issues, including diarrhea to swim class until bowel movements have returned to solid
• Follow our swim diaper policy 
• Potty First! Always use the toilet before swim class 

Again, your child's health and safety are our top priority. Help us keep our pools clean by taking steps to prevent AFRs.

 

Praise: Kids love it, Teachers too!

***Blush*** 'Tis the season of giving and while teacher gifts are never expected, they are always appreciated. Giving comes in all shapes and sizes...one of our favorites is the gift of praise. We love feedback and can never get enough. A great big thank you to all our swim families who let us swim with your little whales all year. Because of you we love what we do! We look forward to swimming with you in the new year!

Patterns: A Learning Moment with Grey

At LPB, our curriculum mantra is "Pace, Pattern, Compassion and Fun!". We know that these four elements of teaching are key to engaging children in the art of learning. Our curriculum is child development based and was created by our owners, who are both retired school teachers. Because of this foundation, we are PASSIONATE about how children learn. We had to share this report from Los Ninos Nursery School in Half Moon Bay. It describes in perfect detail how Grey (grandson of LPB owners Irene and John) creates his own learning environment using patterns:

A fine, sunny October afternoon in the yard offered a great opportunity for outdoor artwork. I set the sidewalk chalk out on the paved pathway and directed my attention toward the children playing in the yard. I overheard Grey demand, “I need to draw here!” I turned to see what was going on and found Grey hastily drawing out a pattern of squares! Two squares; one square; two squares; one square. The pattern began at the bottom of the stairs and proceeded along the paved path towards the gate. As he continued to draw his pattern on the path, other children became interested in what he was doing. Recognizing the pattern, Jenna used the squares to play a rudimentary form of hopscotch, planting two feet, then one foot, and so on. Sophia Ta, Eli and Alex jumped in and began hopping along the squares. Grey just kept moving down the path, adding squares like he was on fire! 

I was excited to see this pattern that Grey was making because it highlighted Grey’s use of mathematical processing in his play. Patterning is interesting to young children; it is the underlying structure of algebraic thinking. Because patterns are predictable, the brain is primed from infancy for pattern recognition. Grey’s use of the squares supports the development of number and spatial sense. Patterns help children learn to make predictions, to understand what comes next, to make logical connections, and to use reasoning skills.

 As he came to the end of the line in his pattern drawing, Grey stood back proudly and watched as his friends jumped along his predictable path. When it was his turn to jump, he joyously announced, “Here I go!” I noticed, again, how very motivated children are when they are self directed in their learning, and given the opportunity to explore their thought processes through uninterrupted free play time. “You made a pattern!” I exclaimed, validating Grey’s learning. “Tell me more about that,” I said. “It’s just what comes next,” answered Grey. Voila! 

Drawing the consistent pattern of squares along the path, Grey demonstrated the following learning: • Ability to focus and use intention in planning his work:

• Understanding of pattern and sequence 
• Intrinsic reward of following his own ideas 
• Mathematical reasoning

Celebrate Subs!

The student/teacher bond is one of the most powerful relationships in existence. At LPB, we strive to provide consistent teachers for our students. Like most other learning environments, the swimming pool requires a great deal of trust which is often formed over time.

That having been said, even the most experienced swim teacher who has had a student for multiple years may invariably run into a plateau of sorts. It might not even be noticeable. It could be that one thing holding them back from their next ribbon....like diving or climbing out of the pool.

Enter the substitute.

Students can learn more from a variety of teaching personalities

Our staff can help make a substitute something to celebrate!

While every teacher at LPB teaches the same developmental curriculum, each teacher brings their own unique style of teaching to the pool. For example, LPB is famous for teaching "Up-Faces". While all of our teachers use similar layers and equipment, each teacher may provide a slight variation of verbal or emotional feedback or energy. What works for some students may not be as effective with others based on personality and learning styles. It could be a simple change of wording, or innovative use of equipment that "clicks" in the student's brain.

On more than one occasion, I've come back from a day off and found that my students learned something new from their substitute! It's not unusual that they suddenly break through a barrier with a substitute because perhaps the student/teacher relationship had gotten stuck in a rut, or perhaps another teachers perspective simply saw something I'd been missing.

So, when you learn that your child has a substitute at swim class...celebrate! I guarantee they will learn something new.

Grandparents and Swimming: Match made in Heaven

I've been meaning to write this post for months, and today (thanks to social media) I learned it's National Grandparents Day! There's no time like the present:

Today's grandparents are active and involved in their grandchildren's lives on so many levels. They're caretakers, playmates and special occasion celebrities. On behalf of all parents out there, we don't know what we'd do without our grands!

In the past few years, we've seen a record setting number of grandparents bring their grandchildren to swim class at LPB. What a perfect activity for grands to do together! Water is weightless, making it easier for grandparents (and great grandparents) to hold and embrace young children. Our pool water is warm and therapeutic, creating the perfect bonding environment. When adults and children swim together, there's an unusually high level of skin to skin and eye contact. Have you ever noticed we're all about the same height in the pool? What a great way to connect face to face!

 

Lastly, as children get older, grandparents can enjoy actual swimming with their grandkids. As seen here (right) older more active children can swim hand in hand with their great grandparents! It's tough keeping up with these older kids on land, but the water slows them down just enough for that quality time.

My own mom, owner of La Petite Baleen, still enjoys the occasional water slide and trip down the lazy river with her grands (all 8 of them!).

So, Happy Grandparents Day! Now get out there and swim!

Infant Swim: Why So Early?

Parents often ask us why we recommend starting swim lessons at 2 months. Those of you who know me know that I could go on for hours describing the many reasons why earlier is better when it comes to swim lessons, but here's the "short list":

Reflex: Infants are born with many reflexes. The startle reflex (or Moro reflex) is one that causes babies to inhale (perfect for breath control underwater!). By blowing in the baby's face, we are able to take advantage of this natural reflex when submerging infants. This reflex doesn't last forever, and typically disappears around 7 months. It's a shame to miss this excellent window that mother nature gives us.

Bonding: There are few "activities" parents can do with their non-mobile infant. Swim class provides a myriad of sensory stimuli including eye contact and skin to skin contact. LPB provides a safe, clean and warm environment for parents and babies to connect.

Sleep: In our many years of teaching infant swim, we consistently receive parent feedback (and gratitude) about how well their babies sleep after swim class. All that sensory stimulation makes a growing baby sleepy (and hungry!).

Tummy Time: In swim class we primarily hold infants in a prone position. Teachers will teach you how to properly support your baby's head, but we find that infants tend to hold their heads up very well in the water. We also practice tummy time on the magic carpet, further strengthening neck and back muscles.

Socialization: Songs and games on the magic carpet encourage infants to connect with their fellow classmates. Moms and Dads get to make new friends too, sharing stories about how much (or little) sleep they got the night before. We've had many LPB playgroups form over the years from our Baby and Me program.

That's the short list, but for those wanting to learn more about the benefits of infant swim, click here.

Still not sure? Give us a call and book your FREE trial lesson and decide for yourself!

Adult Swim: It's never too late to learn

Here at LPB we're big proponents of the Safer 3 message:

• Safer Kids (swim lessons)
• Safer Water (safety gates/nets, barriers)
• Safer Response (caregivers trained in CPR, lifeguards etc.)

Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in children under age 5 in the US (and California). One of the layers of protection is "Safer Response", meaning you the parent or your childcare provider. Ask yourself this:

"If my child fell in the water and was struggling, could I swim to him in deep water or would we both potentially be at risk?"

Kids spending the week at grandma's house with a pool? Great! is it fenced and gated? Even better! Can grandma swim? Hmmm.....there's a missing layer. One of the things we teach our students during our annual Summer Safety Week is "never swim to a drowning person". Every year drowning deaths occur due to unsafe rescues. The only thing worse than someone drowning is their rescuer drowning with them.

LPB offers adult learn to swim classes at all 4 locations. We even offer special "adults only" 45 minute lessons at our Half Moon Bay location. If you or your childcare provider are not able to swim in deep water, you may be taking a risk of not providing a "Safer Response" in the event of an emergency.

But wait...there's more!

Swim lessons are also a great form of exercise for adults of all ages, shapes and sizes. It's rhythmic breathing and weightlessness adds an element of meditation in the mix, while getting the muscles moving and cardiovascular system pumping.

Still not sure? Give it a try for FREE! We offer free trial lessons at LPB.