Pool Days!
I'm thinking about pool days this morning. I love to swim. I was even on a swim team very briefly. I was never very fast, but I'm competent. It is my favorite form of exercise and it just feels fantastic. I also love seeing my older son in his little trunks. I love holding him in the water and teaching him to kick and paddle and blow bubbles. I can't wait to get the baby in the water for the first time this summer. We are all pasty white, so we'll slather on the sunscreen and head for the YMCA.
It's ironic that my favorite summer activity is swimming because I was afraid of the water until I was five years old, when I finally learned how to swim. That fear was healthy. You should be afraid of the water if you don't know how to swim. It can kill you quickly and quietly while someone looks the other way for a minute. Once you learn how to swim, you no longer have to be afraid, but you still need to be very aware and have a healthy respect for the water. One misjudged dive into water that's too shallow could be your last. A group of kids playing together and dunking someone who isn't a good swimmer can quickly turn into disaster.
Okay, now that we're all panicked about going to the pool, let's dial it down a notch. The solution is simple. Keep your eyes and hands on your children while they are in the water WITH YOU, until they learn how to swim. Do not rely on vests and other floaty things. If your child cannot swim, tread water and float on his back all by himself, you shouldn't let them in the pool without you. I see so many parents relaxing on their lounge chairs with their phones, expecting the lifeguard to babysit their children. They aren't babysitters. They are there to prevent tragedy. Don't make their jobs harder.
If you don't know how to teach your child to swim, find someone who does. The cost of swimming lessons is money well spent. Even though I'm a good swimmer, my three-year-old is going to take swimming lessons this summer. He's very excited and loves the water. Over the last three summers, I've gotten him comfortable in the water, but he also has some fear because he knows he will 'sink to the bottom' if he's not with me, or another trusted adult. The lessons will be a new learning opportunity for him, provide some structure to our summer days and will enable me to have time to exercise by myself. Win, win, WIN!
Have fun this summer and BE SAFE. You can do both!
It's ironic that my favorite summer activity is swimming because I was afraid of the water until I was five years old, when I finally learned how to swim. That fear was healthy. You should be afraid of the water if you don't know how to swim. It can kill you quickly and quietly while someone looks the other way for a minute. Once you learn how to swim, you no longer have to be afraid, but you still need to be very aware and have a healthy respect for the water. One misjudged dive into water that's too shallow could be your last. A group of kids playing together and dunking someone who isn't a good swimmer can quickly turn into disaster.
Okay, now that we're all panicked about going to the pool, let's dial it down a notch. The solution is simple. Keep your eyes and hands on your children while they are in the water WITH YOU, until they learn how to swim. Do not rely on vests and other floaty things. If your child cannot swim, tread water and float on his back all by himself, you shouldn't let them in the pool without you. I see so many parents relaxing on their lounge chairs with their phones, expecting the lifeguard to babysit their children. They aren't babysitters. They are there to prevent tragedy. Don't make their jobs harder.
If you don't know how to teach your child to swim, find someone who does. The cost of swimming lessons is money well spent. Even though I'm a good swimmer, my three-year-old is going to take swimming lessons this summer. He's very excited and loves the water. Over the last three summers, I've gotten him comfortable in the water, but he also has some fear because he knows he will 'sink to the bottom' if he's not with me, or another trusted adult. The lessons will be a new learning opportunity for him, provide some structure to our summer days and will enable me to have time to exercise by myself. Win, win, WIN!
Have fun this summer and BE SAFE. You can do both!
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