Summer Safety Part 1

It's already mid May and this week at LPB was our annual Summer Safety Week.  Your kids, who are red ribbon or higher, got to learn, discuss and act out life saving techniques and safety rules.  Since parents are not the ones in the water getting our "safety talk", the next two posts will discuss some of the things we cover and would like parents to remember during the summer swim and travel months.  This is for ALL parents, even if your baby is only 2 moths old.  It is never to early to keep safety in mind.

What is Summer Safety Week?
La Petite Baleen has been running our "Summer Safety Week" program for 20 years in an effort to refresh our students and parents with safety tips before the summer months.  The program includes age appropriate rescue, survival and safety skills for all bodies of water.

What are my kids learning?

• Never swim alone (even a good swimmer never swims alone!).  Even preschoolers can understand and grasp this #1 rule.
• Never swim to a drowning person.
• Get help/Call 911
• Throw something that floats.
• Survival floating and treading.
• Different bodies of water.

Travel Tips:

• When renting a vacation home/condo, ask about whether the swimming pool has a gate or safety feature before booking.  Friends of ours once rented a house where the pool actually went through the living room!  And they had 4 kids under the age of 4 staying with them!  I wouldn't have been able to sleep that's for sure.
• Discuss what types of water your child will be swimming in (lake, rivers, etc.).
• Remember that children may not swim quite as well on vacation as they do in lessons (colder water, deeper/darker water, etc.).  Don't expect them to swim like they do for their swim teacher.  They might just want to play or are used to fins and a structured class environment.
• Always wear life jackets when rafting or boating.  Kids at LPB get a chance to practice what this feels like.  It's awkward to be a good swimmer and to have a life jacket making you super buoyant.  

At Home:

• Double check all bathrooms/toilets.  My youngest baby loves to "swim" in our toilets and it freaks me out and is disgusting.  Not safe!  keep the lids down and the doors closed.
• Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub (even for a minute!).
• Baby/wading pools, buckets, etc. in the yard should be drained immediately after use.
• Be certain that all pools, hot tubs and ponds have safety fences, covers or nets.  We always triple check that our hot tob is locked.  

Reminders:

• All parents and caretakers should have current CPR certification.
• Always apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to swimming outdoors and really every hour.  I personally like to use the Target brand (Up & Up) cream sunscreen and lather it on before we head to the lake or pool.  Once we arrive, I give the kids a spray of sunscreen before they get in.  Double coverage!  And we re-apply when they get out for snacks every hour with the lotion/cream sunscreen.

to be continued.....

1+1=2

Adding another baby to the family? Dealing with a toddler at the same time?

Most people have their second child when their first is between 2-3 years old. I often hear people say things like, "He's jealous of the new baby", or "the baby brought him a present when he was born so he would feel included". Or people go out of their way to greet the toddler first so his 'feelings' don't get hurt. I see adults project so many of our grown up concerns onto our toddlers and preschoolers.

We have brought 4 newborns into our home with an older sibling waiting for them. Never have we experienced any sibling rivalry or jealousy of the newborn. Here is my 'advice' on how to handle bringing a new baby home with an older sibling waiting for them:

1. Keep in mind the age appropriate behaviors that your older child will exhibit. A two year old will act like a two year old simply because they are two. Not because of a baby. They throw fits, get frustrated, and work on their communication. These are likely not attributed to a new baby and Mommy's attention being elsewhere. They are acting their age.

2. NO GUILT! This is the most important advice I can give. Many parents parent with guilt even without a new baby in the mix. You are not making their life worse, you are blessing it with a sibling and forever love. Don't be sorry for someone's life. You owe no such exclusivity to your older child.

3. The birth of a new baby is about the baby. Not about the 1st child. They already had their time in the spotlight. Now it is baby #2's turn to be on center stage and get presents. It's OK for your toddler to learn that they aren't the only one who needs attention. The sooner they learn this the better. Life doesn't revolve around them. Other people need care, food and attention. Waiting your turn for a string cheese is a great skill for a toddler to learn.

4. Be normal. Same routines, same bedtimes, same people. Who usually puts kid #1 to bed? If it's mom then mom should continue putting them to bed. Kids thrive on routine and structure. Knowing that mom is the same and is still there when he wakes up and still feeding him breakfast while baby hangs in the swing is important. Newborns don't need a ton of attention. They need to be fed every 2-3 hours, changed and then they can be put down or worn in a sling while you attend to your toddler doing every day things.

5. Sleep! if you haven't already gotten your first child on an early bed time with good sleeping through the night habits. Do it now! Parents need sleep to be successful during the day. Toddlers need sleep for brain development and recoup. Newborns also need to learn good sleep habits. I am a big proponent of sleep training the Babywise way. Little kids should be in bed by 7 pm. An added bonus is the alone time this afforded to you and your spouse. It's like a free date night in your house every night for 3 hours:)

6. Parent together. If you and your spouse are not on the same page with parenting this is an area to improve in. Moms, does your husband feel like you run the whole show and he just jumps under your command? Is your husband undermining your discipline and playing the good guy? Does your husband need more alone time with you, more attention? Toddlers can see the cracks in your parenting and exploit them. They are so smart, we constantly have to be ahead of them yet show them consistency, grace and love.

I have to say that when we bring a new baby into our home it is a sweet time of togetherness and joy. I hope this advice helps but it is just that, my advice from my experiences and observations. I hope the transition is smooth and wonderful to a family of 4 or more.

A Good Start

We are getting a lot of new swimmers here at LPB this New Year. Lots of new babies and pre-schoolers who have never had lessons before. I just opened a new shift that I teach here in Half Moon Bay on Thursday mornings. With that are what we call "Novice" students who might be uncomfortable in the water or even having water touch them. While we keep our water at 90 degrees, our pool is like a giant bath tub, kids still sometimes need some help 'navigating' themselves into a comfortable time at swim lessons. I do however love picking up a fearful student and bringing them down into the warm water see that first hurdle of their body relaxing with the warmth. Like they thought their mom was throwing them into the Pacific Ocean, their lips blue and quivering. Not in my pool! Nice and toasty so those nervous muscles can relax and we can begin building trust.

Step 1 for the teacher is to build trust with the student. Are you sensing when the child gets nervous? Do they need a little more touching and holding while they learn to balance in that inner tube or even on the stairs? Once I have that relationship with them through body talk as well as my reassuring voice, then I can begin swim skills. Little baby steps for some.

And here's where you the parents come in. What you do at home even before swim lessons can make a huge difference. I have had 4 year olds come to swimming and never even taken a shower before. Only baths. Well, time to expand the comfort zone and save some water at the same time.

Here is what I tell my new parents with new students:

Get their face wet. Shower instead of bathe them. Let them have special toys to play with while the water runs down their body and face. Take them in the shower with you. We want them to get used to the feeling of water on their ears, nose, eyes and hair. Desensitize them in a way. This can help your swim teacher move forward on into swimming sooner. Teaching a toddler or pre-schooler to hold their breath and put their face in the water is one of the trickiest parts of lessons. Water in the ears doesn't hurt and plain water in the eyes doesn't hurt either. I tell my kids when they feel water in their ears that it tickles.

Ever get water in your nose? Yah, it kills and burns. That is why it's important to start learning how to hold their breath (we do have nose clips for nose sniffers). At LPB we don't blow bubbles. Most parents come to lessons doing that with the kids. We want our kids to learn to hold their breath under water, not blow it out. So we ask and show them a 'balloon face'. Puffing out the cheeks with the mouth closed. There we go, a Rainbow Ribbon skill! Once a child does a balloon face out of the water then we work on putting it in the water. But even before that, we do some play showering. We have many little watering cans around our pool and we play with gently pouring water over their balloon face. Then we tell them to blow like a whale. They love it. Whale blows. Parents, you can easily do this at home in the bath and shower.

This is the start of swimming. Getting that face wet. Getting them comfortable with water all over their face, ears and eyes. Practice the balloon faces and whale blows. This 'homework' will be so helpful to your teacher when you come in to lessons. Knowing that you are helping us during the week between classes, I bet your teacher will be able to tell if you have done your homework. I know I can. All of a sudden a student will come in and can do something they struggled with last week. I look up at mom and say, "Oh, someone has been practicing!" Mom nods and beams. Her "Little Whale" is off to a great start!

Please go to our website for more ribbon level "HOMEWORK"

Wiggle Butts

WHAT are Wiggle Butts?

La Petite Baleen uses kid jargon to make swimming fun. One of the first cute sayings that Irene and John Kolbisen came up with when they started La Petite Baleen 33 years ago was Wiggle Butts. Well to make it easier on you adults and since it already makes sense to most of our little kids, I will let you in on what exactly they are. Wiggle Butts are Dolphin Kicks. Yes, the same kicks that you see Michael Phelps doing off each flip turn in his races. And yes, your kids are swimming like Phelps:)

Coaches have learned that the underwater dolphin kick proves to be faster than any other propulsion for a human through the water. Of course here we are, mammals mimicking mammals. We are swimming like a dolphin. Wiggle Butts are taught at LPB during the purple ribbon. We are looking for a rhythm with these kicks that keeps going even when the child comes up for a quick breath. Ultimately we would like them to not use their hands at all. This will turn into our gold ribbon skill of under water, streamline wiggle butts (exactly what Phelps does).

Wiggle Butts are playful. Irene even named her first children's book Wiggle Butts and Upfaces; our 2 most important and fun skills here at LPB. When I teach Wiggle Butts, I am often teaching kids age 4 and up, sometimes younger. We love to pretend to be dolphins but especially mermaids.

"Do you want to be a mermaid or a merman today?" I ask. I know Lara announces she's Ariel, Paige just beams and says she's a mermaid (wiggle butts are her favorite), and I know Sofia will want to be a dolphin. It's the same every week. But I ask, and we fall into the world of make believe. I even throw some goggles on and off we go if even for a couple of laps. My kids in class get wide eyed when they see me being a mermaid.

"What? If you're Ariel, I'm Melody." I tell them. The girls giggle.

My 3 year old has been doing wiggle butts for about a year. She realized it takes less effort with the fishtail fins she wears. And boy is it cute. Parents, have fun swimming with your kids. Let them teach you Wiggle Butts. Don't feel bad if they can undulate better than you. "Unda" in latin means 'wave'. And that is exactly what your body should be doing. Making a wave through the water, undulating. I tell my older kids that latin trivia. I send them home with homework to tell their parents what latin for wave means and why it's important for doplin kicks and wiggle butts.

I am finishing off this post with a video link to Michael Phelps doing a flip turn with stream line dolphin kicks (Wiggle Butts).

And also a link to what our Wiggle Butts at LPB look like for Gold Ribbon.

Book recommendation

It's been a while since I have added another book to my book recommended list. A new one that I recently read has spoken to me in so many ways and moved me to improve my parenting that I wanted to share it with you all. Give Them Grace, Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse m. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson. This mother daughter pair share their wisdom on parenting with an emphasis on showing your children grace through the model of Christ. While this is a christian book, every parent will enjoy the themes presented here. Can't we all show our children more grace and the love that brings?

Personally this book spoke to me. My husband and I run a tight ship. We expect obedience the first time we ask, respect for authority and independence. I would say it's easy for us to be pretty black and white with expectations and consequences. Discipline in our home is not a problem, it comes easy to us. Grace is something we don't deserve, unmerited favor. This is what God's free gift is.

Yet, I needed to hear the message of this book. I need to learn to infuse grace in my interactions with my children. Isn't that what God shows me? Why would I accept God's grace but withhold it from my kids. Boy, that isn't showing them the love of Christ.

The most poignant story for me in this book was in chapter 4, 'Jesus Loves All His Little Prodigals'. The authors tell a story of 2 siblings, David and Susan. Susan is the older "good girl" and David is the younger one who cheats at games. The mom in the story is addressing Susan's frustration with her brother; "Yes, Susan, David should follow the rules of the game. But the rules are not the most important thing.....Mercy is more important than the law." She goes on to say, "We are all law-breaking-rule haters when it comes to doing something we want to do. David breaks the rules by cheating, you break the rules by screaming at him, and I break the rules by wanting peace and quiet....None of us keeps the rules or loves each other like we should....What matters is faith expressed in love." She goes in to explain more fully the gift of grace through Christ. This really hit home for me. I am more like Susan. I play by the rules, I don't cheat. I'm a "good person". But there really is no good enough. Susan was just as guilty for being mean. It was obvious that David was naughty but Susan's anger and frustration grew to a prideful head.

Give Them Grace has softened my heart in times when I want to yell or lose it with my kids. Case in point: my daughter dropped her retainer this week onto the street where it was promptly run over by a car and shattered into smithereens. Definitely a time to show her grace. My adult parent side wanted to yell and ridicule her for her carelessness. What an expensive mistake! But looking into her eyes, grace flowed out, "Channing, I am upset it happened but I am not upset at you. I am not mad at you, I love you....and Daddy won't be too mad:)". This book reminds me to slow down and think about what message my response will send. There are some conversation templates in the books that are helpful if this does not come naturally to you

Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, this message is for everybody. Infusing grace into your parenting is wonderful and hard. This book is deep. It challenges me daily to show more grace to my children, husband, and parents. I challenge all of you to read this book and gleam from it what you can. Enjoy!

"I thought parenting was going to portray my strengths, never realizing God had ordained it to reveal my weaknesses."

-Dave Harvey

Fins as a learning tool

Why we use fins.

Last post I talked about why La Petite Baleen uses goggles in their classes. This post is about why we use fins. It's very likely your child has used them here if they have swam with us. The fins we use are amazing for babies. We have 3 types of fins we use:

Our "Fishtail" fins, made by Finis are the most common ones you will see. We keep them in baskets all around the pool and put them on all children age 1 to 5. They are blue and triangular. It doesn't take much movement from these fins to provide motivating feedback. Even toddlers can really propel themselves with these fins. Because LPB teaches swimming from a developmental perspective, we focus on rhythmic breathing first, before any stroke introduction. That is why we have always said that our Up-Faces are the most important skill (with breath exchange). Head size is disproportionate for toddlers and small children when compared to adults. A toddler's head takes up approximately 25% of their body length vs. 12.5% for an adult. Given a small child's lesser gross motor skills, it is challenging to physically come up, exchange air, submerge back down while moving forward. At LPB you will frequently see pre-school age as well as toddlers doing these perfect Up-Faces. The fins help them to not only remain horizontal but also to lift their head to exchange air. I love these fins! We put them on our toddlers around age 1. Babies tend to 'kick' with sort of a bicycle kick that mimics crawling due to tight hip flexors. The feedback, is "when I kick, I go". Fishtail fins help maintain a horizontal body position and builds strength for our littlest swimmers...they're a wonderful teaching tool.

Zoomer fins, also made by Finis. I am a big fan of our miniature "zoomer" fins. They look like regular small racing fins but the whole top is cut off making them short and stiff. I use these fins on my students in Levels 2, 3 and 4. It's time to start manipulating those 'bicycle'/crawling kicks to a flatter 'flutter' kick that uses their hip flexors. I start my kids who are beginning stroke layers with these fins to get the proper foundation in their kick. Without a kick initiated and moved from the hip flexors, the strokes will not be strong, supported or even legal! These are especially useful when kicking on their back in the "superman" or kickboard over the head position. If they can achieve a great kick on their back with these fins without the use of their arms then they are ready to learn backstroke and freestyle.

Racing Fins are the standard fins you would see on a swim team. They are long and floppy. I will use these on children who can swim strokes and have the proper kick but might need more speed. I especially use them for butterfly. I am careful not to use them on kids who have a natural frog kick because even these big fins can give them improper feedback. Please, no fins with breastroke! Teachers need to keep an eye on the use of these fins to make sure good form is used. But boy is it fun to see the kids do their wiggle butts with these on! Girls really think they're Ariel and boys love to race.

We like to travel with the Fishtail Fins. Our kids are stronger and more comfortable with them on when they are little. They are easy to pack. People often comment and ask where we got our fins. It would be a great investment, if you swim often enough away from LPB, to purchase your own pair if your child uses them in swim class. What a great opportunity to have fun and see what they can do.

Monkey See Monkey Do

Why do we use goggles?

La Petite Baleen uses goggles in our swim lessons and we are often asked why. We even have our tiny babies wearing goggles.

There are a handful of reasons why we want our swimmers to wear goggles:

Balance. Probably the most important reason we encourage our swimmers, (even the littlest babies) to wear goggles is because it gives them visual feedback. Doctors would call this peripheral vestibular information. Boy, is this a big one for development! Not only does swimming use both sides of the brain mimicking the crawling motion but gives this neuro-visual stimulation through goggles. In layman's terms, they can see better therefore balance better with goggles on in the water.

Protection. While it is safe to swim in our pools without goggles, it certainly is more comfortable to wear goggles and keep the chlorine out of their eyes. Eyes are very sensitive. Most of us adults have experienced red burning eyes from too much swimming underwater without goggles. No one wants to see their baby red eyed and crying after swim class.

Fun! Looking underwater at toys and for direction (swimming into stairs) gives the child a sense of accomplishment and independence. This is what we are looking for in Level 1 and Toddler and Me. The child swims by themselves to an island or stairs, a good 5 -6 feet with paddle arms. Being able to focus and zone in on a landing spot underwater is supported by goggles.

I prefer my baby and toddler classes to wear goggles. I start putting them on them before they can even reach up and take them off. In the beginning, this might disturb their wonderful submersions, causing them to "blame" the goggles. They come up coughing and ripping the goggles off. I keep putting them on though. Most parents are supportive of my efforts and back me up. I'm OK being the "bad guy" when it comes to goggles...it's my job, I just keep putting them on! Around age 1, however, many babies reach what I call the goggle anarchy stage. They start taking them off. Goggles seem to slow them down because they are busy taking off with their kicking and paddling. With the parents support, we do push past this time and the light bulb seems to turn on one day when they spot a ring on the bottom of the pool! Then they just want to keep their face underwater non stop.

"But why does LPB have a 'no goggle swim' in Level 3?" You may ask. While goggles are amazing and we encourage all parents to use them, Level 3 encompasses many safety skills. We want children to know it's OK to swim without them, that they can still do all the skills they know in the pool without goggles on. Some kids (older than toddler age) panic without their goggles on. So, LPB purposely built confident swimming without goggles as a skill into our level system. If an LPB student falls or gets knocked into a pool, we want them to swim to a wall and climb out.

So parents, we want your children to benefit from goggles, not be frozen without them. The ones we use at our schools are specially designed for children's small faces. They fit babies well too. I would encourage you to buy a pair. Use them at home in the bathtub while you do some "swimming homework". Some parents have reported putting them on their kids, lathering up with shampoo and rinsing underwater with no worries about soap in the eyes. While we want kids to be comfortable with water in their face and eyes, this is a clever way to also get them used to and liking goggles.

This post is dedicated to my little 12 month old swimmer Zoe who fights me every week with the goggles. I love her spirit!