Adults Swimming

 SWIMMING,THE KEY TO HAPPINESS

                                                                                                  By Tarny Davies,  June 2014

Want to feel more content, less grumpy and finally get a good night's sleep? A report from femaleforst.co.uk/swimming found that taking a regular dip at your local pool can make you feel happier as well as healthier, with participants reporting an increase of 85% in positivity during a major new four week study.

The results have also shown that the low impact sport is a tonic for everyday life, increasing levels of sleep quality ( 40% ) and energy levels  ( 51% ) and fitness levels ( 15% ) during the

course of the study.

Just a few laps a week can have an almost immediate effect, with those donning their swimsuits seeing an increase of 20% in their overall levels of well-being after just one week.These levels were maintained for the duration of the study, peaking again at 29% in the final week, found by the British Gas SwimBritain.

ADULT SWIM:

1. The only real fountain of youth is the water.

2. Dealing with a suffocating liquid, as in good breath control while swimming, is real swimming. If you are going  across the pool and out of breath, you probably are just holding your breath. In order to exercise well in the water you need to learn how to breath correctly.

3. The last exercise anyone can do is swim. The water is gentle on the joints and keeps lung capacity healthy.We are living longer and land sports become increasingly difficult on the body.It increases our immune systems as we get older, when immune systems decline without exercise.

La Petite Baleen does adult lessons. The warm water and caring teachers can get you up and swimming no matter how frightened you are , or,  if you had a bad experience in water. 

Be a happy splasher and learn how enjoyable and healthy swimming lessons can make you. Talk to Swimformation!

Book Review by Irene

Two amazing books crossed my path regarding topics near and dear to my heart: meaningful quality of life...and everything I can learn and KNOW about children.

Dr Stephanie Brown ,  whom I was lucky to meet recently, just published a book called, " SPEED ...Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster--and Overcoming Our Fear of Slowing Down. The next day on Good Morning America, Emma Jenner was interviewed for her new book, " Keep Calm and Parent on ". 

I immediately connected the dots between the two books because they both had some   common themes including :  we are not living in the moment, thus we are missing living at all, and, we have left common sense far behind.

Dr Brown noticed that Silicon Valley had delivered a gift of electronics that promised to allow us to save time. Indeed it can. But what happened to us and spread quickly to the rest of the world was, I can do more...and more..and, the price became addiction to more, the future, and even  more, leaving families disconnected, divided and abandoned. The fear of not enough, staying ahead of 'whatever' , drove people to miss life right now. Our definition of success was materialistic

and we did not realize that not only were we becoming addicted to this impossible race, we could not  understand a deeper happiness. More and more addictions pop up to bandaid our emptiness.

Pausing, slowing down, changing disconnection with small steps ( often called the 'Kaisen Effect') is a healthy, effective way to finding our real selves and real lives again.

Dr Peter Grazzeley, a neuroscientist from UCSF, talks about the " Myth of Multi-tasking "  and underscores how our brains can only do one thing at a time, with high performance. In an older blog I talk about his DVD. 

In the Jenner book, this international nanny from England, shares  common sense ways of helping parents and children come to respect the best ways to give children fair and appropriate boundaries, limited choices and approaches to common problems so that children grow up understanding real coping skills come from within.  These kinds of children are grounded, do not develop high anxiety that does occur when parents abdicate their decision-making roles.

Something I learned from Dr Grazzely is: the pre-frontal cortex, the discernment and decision making area of the brain does not fully develop until 25-26 yrs of age. If a parent allows  a child to have  her/his way out of something, that gives a small child too much power. They do not have the tools to make important decisions regarding their safety or health. Anxiety prevails, and in fact, continues to be a growing mental health concern today.

Skillful parenting takes time and effort but as the child matures, family time is high quality. Because of our fast and faster paced lives, we look for short-cuts to " get things done", but at a steep price. Jenner proves that work up- front provides meaningful family life and , ultimately happier and healthier children. ( see my blog on sugar! ).

In the last couple of months I have  seen a trend of conscious slowing down. Let's hope we see this trend grow stronger.In the meantime, press the PAUSE button , breathe deeply and engage with your loved ones.

Irene

Babies brain: Decision making, eye contact

Here is extensive knowledge from many Infant Research sources. In addition, there are even more studies, including Dr Peter Grazzeley's, who heads a brain lab at UCSF and has cutting edge information on how the brain works. His most recent DVD ( you can purchase it from KQED ), " The Myth of Multi-tasking " reveals what is happening with electronics being such a strong presence in our lives as both adults and children.

Babies brains are far more cognizant than we previously thought. " Science is now giving us a much different picture of what goes on inside infant hearts and minds. Long before they form their first words they are mastering complex emotions ---jealousy, empathy,frustration....Babies as young as 4 months have advanced powers of deduction....a strikingly nuanced visual palette, which enables them to notice small differences, especially in faces, that adults and older children lose the ability to see."

Ed note: This is why it is very important to have strong eye contact with younger children, whether you are in a baby and me class, or watching from the deck. Over praising is not good but just seeing them, connecting with our eyes, give children a sense of self, an important emotional growth factor.

" When infants near their first birthdays, they become increasingly sophisticated social learners.They begin to infer what others are thinking by following their gaze."

Ed note: More eye contact creates better emotional development. The small games we play in our infant/toddler levels at La Petite Baleen, are conducive to increasing emotional skills.

I have talked about dog paddle being a strong agent for brain growth. Alternate movement of arms and legs create more synapses across the midline of the brain. Later, the brain prunes neurons that don't have connections. The accuracy of sensory visuals allows babies to have trusting relationships, starting at 4 months.

Nathan Fox from the University of Maryland," parenting style has a big impact on what kind of adult  a child will turn out to be. Parents of over-protective children, or those who didn't encourage them to overcome shyness and childhood anxiety, often remain shy and anxious as adults. Behaviorally inhibited kids are aslo at higher risk for other problems."

Ed note: Dr Grazzelley's research shows MRI's  of children from 5 to 20 yrs of age. The pre-frontal cortex is the decision-making and discernment area of the brain. It doesn't fully develop until age 25-26. It t underscores that parents must not ask children to make important decisions such as swim lessons. It creates anxiety and entitlement and coping skills are weak. Give children a foundation for making limited choices until children show they can do more.

" Children crave --and thrive--on interaction, one-on-one time and lots of eye contact....A child's social, emotional and academic life begins with..the first time baby locks eyes with you"

No Shirt, No Shoes...No Problem!

At LPB, safety is our number one priority, including UV protection. While our indoor pools are UV ray free, it's important for parents to remember the basic guidelines of sun protection when swimming outside:

- Apply sunscreen 10-15 minutes BEFORE swimming:

I can't tell you how often I see parents show up at outdoor pools and proceed to spray their kids with sunscreen and send them straight in the pool. Not only is this a waste of money and bad for the pool chemistry, but it is also putting your child at risk of sunburn and UV damage.

How do you keep your kids from getting right in the pool? You apply the sunscreen at home, in the hotel room, or in the car before driving to the pool. The most effective way to do this is when your child is completely naked, but since that's not always possible, having them wear their swimsuit is next best. 

-Reapply every 60 minutes:

I find that my kids get hungry, cold or tired within an hour of swimming anyway, so it's a good idea to call them out at least once an hour. Some pools have this built into their program with "adult swim" breaks. We think adult swim is a GREAT idea...it gives little swimmers the chance to use the toilet (please!), get a snack and re-apply sunscreen. 

I usually have my kids get out, dry off and give them a snack. While they're eating, I use spray to reapply on their bodies and sunscreen sticks for their faces. . After they finish snack, we hit the potty and by then at least 10-15 minutes has gone by. 

-Swim shirts rule! But please, not in our pool:

While swim shirts and rash guards offer the best protection agains harmful UV rays, they can have a negative affect a child's swimming abilities. Please be sure that these shirts are snug fitting, not loose. The looser they are, the more drag and resistance they create in the water, which can pull children down and cause them to sink. In fact, in safety training, one of the first things you're supposed to do if you fall off a water craft or pier fully dressed is to take off your shirt and shoes. 

If your child normally swims without a swim shirt and you want her to wear a swim shirt outdoors, be sure to do some warm up swims so she can get a feel for what it's like swimming with the extra drag.

Another word of caution with swim shirts is that they can contribute to hypothermia. Wearing a wet shirt can increase the risk of hypothermia (http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/skihypo.htm). When your child gets out of the pool and his teeth are chattering, lips are turning blue or is slurring his speech, take off his swim shirt right away!

When swimming at LPB, we discourage swim shirts altogether. First of all, there are no harmful UV rays in our indoor facilities. Secondly, they can restrict students ability to swim by causing drag and increase resistance making it difficult for them to swim. Please...leave the swim shirts in your swim bag when swimming at LPB. They are not making your child warmer in our 90 degree water, and there's no need for UV protection indoors. 

On the topic of drag caused by swim shirt:

Swim shorts have the same effect on boys swimming as rash guards. Long and baggy swim shorts or "board shorts" make it much more difficult for students to swim. We recommend "speedo" or "jammer" style swimsuits for boys. Need another reason? Speedos and jammers don't cause chaffing like shorts do!

Girls suits should also fit snuggly. Straps should be tight enough to pull up to the earlobes, but no more. ONE PIECE SWIM SUITS are most appropriate for swim lessons as they fit little bodies better than two piece swimsuits. Crossback or racer back style is preferred. This way our swimmers can concentrate more on swimming and less on their swimsuit falling off!

-- 

Anya Hall

Curriculum and Marketing Manager

La Petite Baleen Swim Schools

Drowning Prevention. Don't think it can't happen to you.

Hi Parents!

It's that time of year again...Summer Safety Week at La Petite Baleen. This is a very important time for all of us to brush up on our safety reminders for the upcoming summer season. For a full list of summer safety reminders read our entry from last year:

http://whalewisdom.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-safety-part-1.html

http://whalewisdom.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-safety-part-2.html--http://whalewisdom.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-safety-part-2.html 

For our stance on arm floaties/water wings click here:

http://whalewisdom.blogspot.com/2013/04/just-say-noto-arm-floaties.html

For our opinion on "Drown Proofing" your child or "ISR" please click here:

http://whalewisdom.blogspot.com/2013/06/no-such-thing-as-drown-proof.html

When planning your vacations this summer, please consider that drowning is the NUMBER ONE cause of accidental death in children ages 5 & under. LAYERS OF PROTECTION are required to help prevent drowning. We follow the Safer 3 Foundation principles:

http://www.swimforlife.org/programs-services/safer3.html

If you're considering renting a house with an un-gated or un-netted pool please reconsider. Relying on "closed doors" and "alarms" are not realistic methods of drowning prevention. Being around a home pool without safety barriers is like putting your child in a car without a seatbelt or car seat, only their risk of death by drowning is higher than it is in a car accident.

Safe splashing,

La Petite Baleen

Picking and Choosing

Picking and Choosing

Today’s family is given a plethora of choices when it comes to extra curricular activities. When I was young, you were considered a lucky kid if you got to do one, let alone two after school activities. These days both parents and kids seem to be inundated with options ranging from “Yoga-Art-Language-Immersion” class to AYSO soccer. Parents lose sleep at night agonizing over which activities will give their child a better chance at getting a college scholarship or an “edge” in the future job market.

I recently had a poolside conversation with a parent of a 4 and 6 year old who was having tremendous ‘mommy guilt’ over the fact that her children haven’t learned a second language yet: “How will that look on college and job applications!?!” This mom already has her children in ballet, swimming, piano, gymnastics and soccer.

I repeat: Her children are ages 4 and 6.

I proceeded to talk her through her decision making and prioritize her children’s activities. Here’s what we considered:

-  How important is the activity to the overall health and well being of your child?

-  For example, swimming is a life saving sport. If your child doesn’t learn to swim, they could literally die. Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in children ages 5 and under in the US.

-  Swimming is also a sport that human’s can do at any age/stage of their life. I swam as a newborn, in high school and college, through my pregnancies and plan to swim until i die! Both typical and special needs children can all swim...it’s an inclusive activity that lasts a lifetime

-  College scholarships are available for swimming, water polo and synchronized swimming, and it is an Olympic sport

-  While language can open up many doors for education and career paths, only in rare cases can it save your child’s life :)

-  How big of a commitment is the activity?

-  Is practice 3-5 times/week for 6 and unders? Too much!

-  Once a week programs (like swim lessons) minimize burnout and allow for other activities or “down time” at home (you know...like, playing kick the can outside after school...)

-  How much strain do all of these commitments put on the parent’s weekly routine?

-  How much of an investment is the activity?

-  Tuition doesn’t always tell the whole story. There are always hidden costs like uniforms, transportation, coaches gifts, snack, fundraisers, etc.

-  What perks do you get for your money? Are there any “extras” like family swim or discounts like “Splash n Dash” lessons?

-  What are some free activities in your community? Playgrounds, libraries, beaches, playing in your backyard...

-  Consider doing a basic cost analyses and projection of each chosen activity up until your child graduates high school. Then add in college tuition in case they don’t get that scholarship. Yeah...more than you thought.

-  Is my child made for the sport?

-  Is your child already off the charts in height? Then maybe don’t invest too much time and money in gymnastics. Rec team is great, but competitive team might not be realistic down the road.

-  Does your child struggle with music and language but excel at building legos and math? Learning a foreign language in our regular education system will be good enough for him...like it was for many of us parents. Continue to work on weaknesses, but focus your investments in natural talents and interests.

This brought our conversation to another point of contention: “But my 6 year old loves gymnastics...she doesn’t mind going 3 days a week”. It’s fine that she loves gymnastics, but plenty of elite athletes burnout from sports that they used to love. As parents, it’s our role to protect our children from burnout and set boundaries with activities right from the start.

When choosing what extracurricular activities are best for your child, be sure to look at the big picture, hidden costs and overall practicality. rest assured that you cannot do it all, so choose one or two and don’t forget to schedule in that much needed “down time”.

From a swim teacher standpoint, swimming is a must-do activity because of the life-long benefits of swimming. From a mom standpoint, swimming is a must-do activity because it’s a life saving skill (...and provides plenty of college scholarship opportunities).

Choose wisely parents, but most importantly...pace yourselves. Time and financial commitments to too many extracurricular activities can leave both parents and kids burned out, stressed out and overwhelmed.

Spring Has Sprung, Let's Get Wet!

It's spring time.  We are enjoying this beautiful weather.  It's time to start thinking about summer and swimming!  Time to sign up for lessons: www.swimlpb.com

If your kids are not in lessons, get them in NOW.  Summer is full of swimming and kids need to gear up.  Being out of the water for a time can cause them to regress.  They need to get their "sea legs" back in a sense.

When I teach, I can tell the kids who have had a break and they get back in the pool with me.  They might be nervous but their body also is stiff and jerky.  It takes a few weeks to go with the flow and become fluid again.

A nervous swimmer will also tend to breathe with their nose.  In swimming we want to breathe with our mouths.  At LPB we might use a nose "hugger" to help keep water out of their noses.  Sometimes while diving down to get rings or back swims might be a popular time for water to go up the nose.

How about that summer haircut.  I have many boys in my swim classes that have somewhat long hair.  When they get wet however, the hair gets longer and covers their goggles and they can't see.  I often have boys with long hair in my classes tie their hair up in a pony tail, unicorn style.  Girls also need to have their hair and bangs tied back.  It's helpful for parents to come prepared for swim class because we have 30 minutes to work hard and I don't want to waste time doing hair.

We sell goggles, fins and inner tubes at LPB.  These are great to have for summer swimming and vacations.  They also make great Easter basket stuffings!

The Contrarian

The Contrarian

Well, we’ve hit the mark.  The CONTRARY age.  Man it drives me nuts.  But it’s a sign of development and understanding self.  I say yes, he says no.  I say no, he says yes.  I say up, he says down.  I say stop, he says go.  Just for the sake of battling, testing every limit or suggestion. They're like a super hero in the battle of wills.  “I’m here and ready to challenge you!”  Their little brains are thinking.  

Just this week my sister was telling one of her swim moms about what we call an “ice cream fit”.  One of her swimmers, we’ll call her Jill, was swimming in toddler class with mommy.  She’s not quite 2.  She saw a pink ball across the pool that she wanted yet was unable to use vocabulary to get it.  So she squirmed, she shrieked, she bucked back and forth in her mom’s arms.  Finally, my sister recognized the ball was what she wanted and got it for her.  By this time Jill is frustrated at these adults.  She receives the ball but it’s not exactly doing for her what she thought, it’s not as exciting as she thought.  So since she was already half way into a fit, she proceeded to up it up a notch and take it to full on crying and screaming.  No, she doesn’t want the ball now.  No, she doesn’t want the tube, toy, fins, goggles, you name it!  Mom is flustered.  Where and what is happening to my sweet toddler?  Well mom, welcome to the land of “stuck”.  Stuck in wanting yet not wanting.  Stuck in the yes when I meant no.  Ugh.  Jill’s mom asks my sister if she should take her out of the pool so she doesn’t disrupt other swimmers.  My sister just replies, “This is an ice cream fit”.  

“Jill, do you want a toy?” 

“No!”

“Jill, do you want a floaty?”

“No!”

“Jill, do you want to get out?”

“No!”

“Jill, do you want to stay in?”

“No”

“Jill, do you want ice cream?”

“No!”

And so it goes.  She has cut off her nose despite her face. It doesn’t matter what you offer.  The answer is no.  She is “Stuck”.

What can I do with my toddler or preschooler who is so contrary?  Well, here are some tips:

1.Try not to ask “yes/no” questions.  I tell my swim parents this one all the time.  You’re setting yourself up, and them, for failure.

2. Choose battles carefully.  And when you do.  Make sure you win them!  I’m talking big ones.  Usually about safety or something worth it to you.  

3. Offer choices when you can.  But they need to know if they don’t make a decision then you will make it for them.  Even choices can lead to a control issue.  

4.  No, kids don’t need to be in control.  YOU, the parent are in control.  Not children.  Have fun with them, choices are given when appropriate.  But toddlers and preschoolers do not have the cognitive reasoning to make day to day decisions.  That includes:  What to eat (candy!), when to sleep (never!), what to wear (shorts in 20 degree weather).  Freedom comes as they get older and show maturity.

5.  Give grace.  Both to yourself and them.  Parents can get just as stuck as their kids.  Sometimes they really are having a bad day.  Sometimes it’s tax season and parents are having a bad day.  There’s room for forgiving, moving on and understanding they really do want the ice cream.  

Just today, my 3 year old and I have been stuck in contrarianism.  When he went to get his little snack in a cup, he realized there were no more cheese-its left.  He was stuck with wheat thins while everyone of his siblings had cheese-its.  Before I could get his siblings to share with him, he launches his snack of wheat thins on the ground, crying.  Seeing his snack all over the place, broken and full of dirt.  He proceeds to really lose it and now we are in full throttle hysteria.  

Later, as we are getting out of the car, he insists that “only Mommy” can unbuckle him (control).  Fine. I stand and wait for him to climb out of the car.  Takes 4 minutes,37 seconds.  (yes I timed it. This is more control.)  As he’s getting out he hands me his blanky since it can’t come inside with us.  I put it on his car seat.  “No, not that one, put it in the back!”  I can hear the high pitched need to control my every decision.  Luckily I am no softy.  Nope.  It’s going right where I put it.  So now he refuses to walk inside.  I leave him there.  Next to the car.  In the parking lot.  I walk away, about 20 feet, he screams, cries and comes running to me.  Phew.  I won this one.  But now we get to the stair case to walk inside.  Refuses to walk down by himself.  Here. We. Go. Again.  Every 20 feet a battle.  Every thought, we are “stuck”.  

 I can appreciate his efforts.  Yes it’s exhausting.  But my job as mom is to not lose patience but to calmly guide my children.  I love the tenacity (that will go far in life), I love teaching him he can’t always get what he wants, I love teaching him he’ll get more in life by cooperation and kindness, I love teaching him that I am going to love him no matter how big the fit, scream or tears.  I just love him!