Play, A Lost Art

Welcome to the New Year. Honestly have had a bit of writer’s block over the past few months, ok more than a few, months. I finally found the topic to get me writing again. PLAY or, rather, the lack of it in our children’s and our own lives!

Our kids are living in very structured worlds where they go to swim lessons, soccer practice, piano lessons, and after-school math tutors. Whew! I remember heading out the door after school when the only rule in our Brooklyn neighborhood was to be back by dinnertime. I know times are different today but I do think that we, as parents, are over-reacting and over-structuring our kids.  As a kid, when we played basketball, there were no coaches, no time clock, and no audience of parents to assess our performance. We played shirts and skins. When one game was over, if no one was waiting on the sideline to join the next game, we'd reshuffle the teams,  re-balance the game and start anew.

Swimming Lessons Do Not Increase Drowning Risk in Young Children - National Institutes of Health

FINALLY, we are beginning to have some research that supports what many of us in the Learn to Swim world have believed for years. Swim Lessons do impact a child's behavior and are a factor in the fight against children drowning. The National Institutes of Health have released a study that states:

"Providing very young children with swimming lessons appears to have a protective effect against drowning and does not increase childrens' risk of drowning"

Kids Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa

I spent some time last week with a pretty impressive 7th grader named Max. I got to know Max when he and his sister first started at our swim school several years ago. Max is in a new middle school this year but as a sixth grader he was president of the student body for his grade school. Remember, I said president of the entire school not just his class. Max and some of his friends and parents have been training and working out here in Phoenix for the last eight months in preparation for a climb of Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa this coming June.

Mt. Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, Africa rises to a height of 19,330 feet! For those of us who have hiked in Arizona or even climbed some of the "Fourteeners" (mountains of 14,000 feet in height) in Colorado, 19,000++ feet is pretty high. You have to work over a period of days to get acclimated to the limited air at that elevation.

Why am I sharing Max's story here? There is a constant barrage of communication in the media about how we are raising a generation of kids who are glued to their TV, Game boy or Computer Screen. Here in Phoenix we are blessed with many local hiking trails and amazing parks. "Get off of the couch" as our sports camp director recommends. So my encouragement to parents is to find ways to get involved with your kids in activities outside of the house. Foster free play and don't worry if and when they fall or scape their knee. And if someone pushes someone else over, there is no need to rush in to protect them. Kids have a way of working it out among themselves.

OK, back to Max and his friends. I have to tell you the Rest of the Story as Paul Harvey says. Max is part of a team organized by the folks at the Foundation for Blind Children, who have put together a team of blind students and partnered them with sighted volunteers to climb Mt Kilimanjaro together. Here is their web site http://www.seekiliourway.org/. I am also including a link to the letter from Pam and Jim Stelzer outlining their family's reasons for being part of the "see kili our way" climb. Click here to read their letter. If you have trouble with the link, copy and paste the following link into a new browser window:
http://www.hubbardswim.com/ConstantContact/SeeKiliOurWay_StelzerLetter.pdf

This is not a fund raising letter (although if you elect to help these kids that would be great). It is an invitation to get up, get off the couch --- parents and kids --- and chase some kind of dream. Most people would look at Max and his friends and be thankful that you have your eyesight. I think Max is gonna look back over his life and feel sorry for people who were limited because they were sighted. I am gonna bet that Max is gonna come back from Africa will all kinds of impressions of life in Africa that we would miss. From the smells and sounds of the cities, the smell of the bush, to the feel of the winds, to the rhythm of language, and to the joy of trying to do something that is a really tough challenge.

If you want to help with their mission, check out their web site. If you want to learn from these kids, just get up and take a walk.

BE vs BECOME

Do you want to just BE or are you ready to do the work to BECOME?

I was at a swim school conference a few weeks ago and one of the speakers, I believe it was John Chappelear, author of The Daily Six, who asked the above question. His point was that many people in our society today want to BE someone or something. They do necessarily want to do the work to BECOME that someone. If you google the phrase "10,000 hours of practice", you get an abundance of articles that highlight the theory that to become the best at something you need to practice that skill for 10,000 hours.

Occasionally I see a frustration in parents of young athletes that their child is not excelling or improving at the same rate as other children in the group. I wonder what their child does away from the practice fields or basketball courts or swimming pool. I am certainly not advocating for a one dimensional focus on athletics or academics. I grew up playing basketball, baseball and swimming. Multi-sport training is great for developing the well rounded athlete. But what I am suggesting is that athletic performance or even academic performance will be enhanced by more practice. And as parents, we need to occasionally tell our children that they are losing games or not getting picked for teams because they, the child, are competing against kids or teams that have worked harder than they have to get to where they wanted to go.

I have spent thousands of hours on soccer fields watching our daughters play that great sport. Two of them excelled to such a degree that they received scholarships to play at a Division One university. Our youngest daughter has battled through shoulder surgery and a recently cracked tibial plateau from playing soccer limiting her ability to practice or play. What is her choice of television when she has some free time? An international soccer channel on our local cable outlet! At dinner, I get updates on English soccer teams, such as Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. We sat down one Sunday a few weeks ago and instead of the NFL, we watched the NCAA Womens' Collegiate Soccer Championship between Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina. She wants to learn and get better. She reaches beyond practice to see how great players play. Now, I am waiting for the day, I am at a soccer game, after the competition is over, the referees and coaches are gone, the parents are drifting to their cars off and the girls from both teams get together and say

..... Let's play again, NOW!

No coaches, no referees, no parents, just them, their soccer ball, playing a game they love for fun.

Finally a quote that hangs on the wall in our office:

The fight is won or lost,
far away from witnesses.
It is won behind the lines in the gym and out there on the road,
Long before I dance under those lights.
Muhammad Ali

CPR Update

We promote water safety all of the time at our swim schools. Our primary focus has been sharing the message of the Safer 3 with our friends at the swim school and their families. One of components of the Safer 3 has been a Safer Response to learn CPR. Now amazing news from the Phoenix Fire Department.

Our local newspaper, The Arizona Republic is reporting that based upon a fire department study people are experiencing an almost 300% increase in lives saved by using the technique of continuous chest compressions.

The message is to "push hard, push fast and increase the chance of survival by circulating oxygenated blood to the victim's heart and brain." the article quotes Dr. Ben Bobrow, medical director of the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Emergency Medicine Services and Trauma System citing a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that reviewed 1,243 cases recorded by two of our valley's fire departments.

The Hands-only CPR encourages the average person to pump on the cardiac victim's chest 200 times every two minutes. Check out the American Heart Association web site that explains technique and also has a video demonstration.

According to the American Heart Association: Adults who suddenly collapse and are not responsive are likely to have sudden cardiac arrest and their chance of survival is nearly zero unless someone takes action immediately. You should call 911 and start giving hard and fast chest compressions in the center of the chest, with minimal interruptions. If sudden cardiac arrest is the cause of the collapse, Hands-Only CPR is an easy, effective way for any bystander to more than double the victim's chance for survival. If an adult has collapsed for reasons other than sudden cardiac arrest, Hands-Only CPR could still help by causing the person to respond (begin to move, breathe normally or speak). If that occurs, Hands-Only CPR can be stopped. Otherwise, chest compressions should continue until EMS providers arrive.

So if you are like some of my family members who freak out in trying to remember the old sequencing of chest compressions to breaths, this new recommendation is so simple. Just do the chest compressions and wait for the emergency responders.

Plateaus Are Cool

Enjoy the plateau

It is an important step in a long process

A Plateau is defined as: a period or state of little or no growth or decline, a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph.

As children progress though our swim lesson or sports camp programs or as I have watched our children play sports, there are times of no improvement in their skills. They simply are not getting any better in spite of the fact that they are putting in the effort. Many times parents express frustration with the program or coach, wondering why their child is suddenly not the leading scorer or is not involved or enthused on the playing field or in the pool.

I think plateaus are really times when our bodies or minds are asking for a little rest. It is a time to continue to work to perfect the skill or gain new strength and confidence without the pressure to perform at the highest level of competitiveness or competence. Why do I bring this up now? I find the fall/winter season to be one where a lot of plateauing (if that is a word) goes on in childrens' athletic and academic performance. Think about it. They have come out of the semi-lazy days of an all too short summer and are now engaged in schoolwork and routine. Up in the morning, early off to school or day-care, then to swim school lessons or music or dance or tumble bees or whatever and then homework, dark nights and even dark mornings. The kids are also on a bit of over-load with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all roaring down the road one after the other.

Our oldest son was an awesome gymnast. We remember one time when one of his grade school teammates was going through a growth spurt. This poor guy was crashing all over the place on high bar, parrallel bars and pommels as he got used to working with the dynamics of longer legs and arms. We spoke with the coach and expressed a curiosty about his, the coach's, perception of the athlete's issues. Coach Mike gave a great answer. He said Jason needed to keep working through this tough period and as time went on he would develop the muscles he needed to help maintain his balance. Coach Mike worked with him mentally so that he would relax, endure and even enjoy this time when he was not expected to perform at his highest level. Jason continued to work hard and went on to compete at the collegiate level.

What would have happened if Jason's parents or even his coach were to have driven him harder to excel at this difficult time. He certainly may have felt discouraged enough to quit a sport he loved while his body was adapting. Research indicates that many children quit sports not because they do not excel at them but rather because the expectations of others (parents, coaches and even teammates) have taken the fun out of the sport. So my adivce today is: if your child is on a plateau, be patient. If the program or team or coach is a good one, trust the teacher or coach. Encourage your child but do not belabor or over-review a bad performance or game or practice. Do not ask why they kept missing that corner kick in soccer practice or the free throws in basketball or the right key in piano practice. The coach's job is to teach skills, encourage and challenge, that is why you are paying them. So let them do their job. Your job is to encourage your child to find their place in this world, wherever that may be.

Here is a little poem from an Australian swim instructor to help you:

The Plateau

Yesterday I swam so good,
I've always done just what I should,
But now I ask you let me be,
To play MY way, to set me free.
I'm full right up to the very brim,
of pull, kick, pull and swim, swim, swim.
Of lessons and drills I've had enough,
right now it all just seems too tough.
So please just let me be myself and
leave the new skills on the shelf.
I want to play my way for a while, and
when I'm ready you'll see me smile.
Please Mum don't make me be on show,
For now I'm on a learning plateau.
I don't know how long it might last, but
I'll swim again when it has passed.

Brana Williams, City of Gosnells Leisure

Relax You Will "Get There" Faster

How often do we pause in the middle of our busy days, check our watch and calculate the time til all our chores are done? Hurry up, Move it, I'm Late, Let's Go, I've Got A Lot To Do! What would happen if we perfectly planned our day, nothing happened to throw us off and we relaxed and enjoyed the moment as we pursued our activities? Studies show us that it would be an amazingly excellent day!

If your muscles are tense and working hard do you go faster? Here at the swim school we occasionally have to speak with parents who are concerned that their child has spent a significant portion of their class floating or practicing submersions. We believe in teaching comfort under water, floating and breath control before we add in propulsion. There is no point in swimming across the pool if a student gets there exhausted because they were holding their breath and just struggling to survive. They are working too hard. Tense muscles do not make them go faster!

These issues apply to life as well. When you are having a discussion that escalates to an argument do you notice that voices rise in volume, gestures get exaggerated and faces get red. People are so wound up, they stop breathing and cannot focus on the issue at hand. Wanna drive someone crazy in an argument (maybe your kids) work hard to keep your breathing calm, your voice soft and minimize your gestures and just focus on listening. Respond calmly and you will take control.

What does all of this have to do with swimming or athletics in general? The New York Times just recently quoted one of our favorite coaches, Rick DeMont, assistant head coach of the University of Arizona Men's 2008 NCAA Swimming Championship Team in a great article on the role of relaxation in life and sports. He is quoted as saying "It is a paradox of athletics. Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed". In an analysis of Michael Phelps phenomenal performance in Beijing, Rick notes that when Michael Phelps raced, his stroke count on each lap (i.e. the number of times his arms rotated through the water) remained the same. Faster turnover does not lead to faster swimming or running.

So the message of the day is to relax and enjoy the ride. You WILL "get there" faster and probably enjoy it a whole lot more.

Play Should be Fun - Are you Parenting or Coaching?

image courtesy of amazon.com

One of my favorite books is Once A Runner by John L. Parker. It is the fictional story of a collegiate runner, Quentin Cassidy, a senior at a mythical Southeastern University. It follows the evolution of his running as he moves from the slightly under achieving collegiate miler to someone who becomes engrossed in his pursuit of running a sub four (4) minute mile. It is just a great story, in my opinion. One that should be read by every high school athlete. The book is out of print and as a symbol of it's popularity you can find a paperback version on E-Bay for somewhere between eighty ($80) and two hundred ($200) dollars - yup, 200 bucks!

There is a passage in the book where Quentin and his girlfriend return to the house he shares with most of the members of the university track team. They are assembled in the backyard and one of the athletes is jumping over a Volkswagen and landing on a mattress while his friends cheer and scream. Now this is relatively easy for the high jumper so he is goofing around and just plain having fun with it. Quentin's girlfriend does not get the humor of the scene. Quentin remarks to her that often times elite athletes forget that they originally got engrossed in their sport because it was FUN. Surprise! They did not start running or high jumping or playing soccer or swimming because they saw it as way to earn a college scholarship or to make the Olympic team and earn billion of dollars. They did it because it was fun.

As a father of four collegiate athletes and one aspiring high school athlete, I have had the opportunity to be on the sidelines for thousands of hours of practice for swimming, gymnastics and soccer. Often times I am dismayed by the pressure I see parents placing on their children as they dissect each practice or game. A lot of research indicates that many children stop playing sports as they enter their teenage years because they are burned out in high school or before high school by the pressure of training and competition and PARENTAL expectations. So as you parent from the sidelines, I want to encourage you to leave the coaching and teaching to the kids' coaches and teachers, after making sure that their coach or their teacher has the athlete's welfare and long term future in mind - not short-term glory for the team. You should encourage and support your children, not coach them, and emphasize the fun aspects of what they are doing.

Now for the good news. Amazon lists Once A Runner as being reissued in April 2009. So you can try and get it on Ebay or have patience and wait until April. I have a copy but I am not telling you where it is kept!

All Hail Abby Wambach

Who, you might ask, is Abby Wambach? Why does she deserve our praise? For those of you who may not be fans of women's soccer, let me tell you a little about Abby Wambach. She was a leader and one of the best players on the U.S. team as they prepared for the Olympics in Beijing. In the team's last game before leaving for China, Abby was going for the ball and wound up colliding with a player from the opposing team. She fell and broke her left tibia and fibula, rendering her unable to play for about a year. So why do I care about an injured soccer player?

I actually saw the play live on television, and I think what came out of it is a lesson for athletes of all ages. After her spill, the team and trainers rushed over to her, but as she laid on the ground in pain, she did something remarkable: she gestured to them to calm down and take it easy as they approached her. Here is her description of the event:

“Some people have said that I looked calm on the field, but it really was only an acceptance of reality,” Wambach said. “I believe in my future and the future of the team. I know I’m an important player, but the injury has also made me realize how insignificant one player is in the team environment. It takes a team to win a championship.”

“I didn’t want to react on the field because I know what it takes to win a gold medal and I know one person isn’t going to be the answer,” she said. “I wanted to set an example for my teammates so they could see on my face that I know, whether I’m on the field or not, that they can win. I think that helped them accept the fact that I’m gone.”

Here is an athlete on the eve of the Olympics who suffers a major injury. Many people in her place would blame the coaches for holding the match, blame the opponent she collided with, blame anyone and anything they could in this unfortunate situation. Instead, Abby's first concern was not for herself of for placing blame, but it was for her teammates. Abby Wambach is the kind of athlete we need to hold up to our children as an example of dedication and commitment. What wisdom and poise from this young woman. So as you watch the USA's Womens Olympic team compete, win, lose or draw, think of Abby Wambach's example of sportsmanship for your children, and maybe even yourselves.

Sacrifices and Rewards of Parenting an Athlete

Sometimes I meet parents who are exasperated by ALL of the effort that raising children requires. You can see it in their eyes or hear it in their voices - they have that “I-never-realized-what-a-more-than-full-time-commitment-this-child-rearing-is” look about them. They've got the “we have no time for ourselves” woes. While I'm not sure I can offer any solace, or tell them it's going to get any easier, I will say that with the right attitude, your child rearing days are definitely worth the time and energy spent.

With eight kids spread over 18 years, the lives of myself and my spouse are totally consumed at times by schoolwork, athletic practice schedules, class projects, school performances and the kids’ social schedules. Naturally, our kids could not all go to the same schools or love the same sport. We have had children participate in soccer, swimming, and gymnastics, all at a high level and all at the same time. It sometimes required us to be in three different places each night. Even today it continues, as our youngest daughter had a 7:30am soccer try-out last Saturday and then a parent meeting to prepare for the upcoming season. I can think of a lot of places my spouse would have rather been on a beautiful Saturday morning than standing on a soccer field.

I strongly believe that parents need to find time to pursue their own interests and social schedule. I am a firm believer in “Date Nights” - but more about that in a future blog. Today, I want to focus on the rewards of parenting an athlete. With the spectacle of the Olympics dominating our television screens, it gives us a chance to reflect on how much support each of these athletes receive from their parents and family members over the course of their lives. The television commentators are continually showing the faces of proud parents sitting on the sidelines. How did these athletes reach this pinnacle of success?

Certainly, the athlete starts with a great internal desire and love for the sport they are playing. But we have to realize that they were also nurtured and supported emotionally and financially by many others, most often family members. Now, let me be clear, am I saying this level of parental commitment is worth it only if your child can reach the Olympic level? Absolutely not!

The person in our family who came closest to the Olympics was my spouse, Kathy, when she competed in the swimming Olympic Trials, placing 13th. Our older kids and their spouses all excelled in athletics at the high school and collegiate level. Today they are great parents, spouses and leaders in their chosen fields of business, and I believe their participation in athletics is a factor in their successes. The discipline, leadership skills and self-confidence they learned on the athletic field are never far from the surface. The support they received from us, their parents, as they pursued their athletic dreams also shapes how they are raise their own children.

So as you drive your children to that weekly or daily athletic practice, music lesson, or Kumon, or swim lessons, think of it as fertilizer. You are nurturing your child's future by your commitment to their growth and development. People have asked us over the years. "How do you drive to so many practices at such terrible times of day all over the state?" After much soul-searching, Kathy and I have come up with this answer: If we really thought about it or tried to do what was logical or reasonable, our kids would have never played at club level sports. You just do it. You just get up and drive and schedule and get the kids there and get them fed and don't whine about it. Find a good book for the sidelines, feed the other child on a blanket by the field or take a walk with the baby strapped on your back while practice happens!

Kathy has a cousin who shares a thought of the day, everyday. Here is today’s story from Cousin Billy K, and the inspiration for today's blog:

At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, Bill Havens was a member of the United States canoe team. As the Olympics neared, Bill realized that his wife would give birth to their first child about the time that he would be competing in the Olympic Games. Bill had a dilemma - should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was born....or should he withdraw from the USA team and remain with his family?

Bill's wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was his life-long dream. Bill felt conflicted but, after much soul-searching, decided to withdraw from the Olympics and stay at home to support his wife when their baby was born. Being at his wife's side during the birth of their new baby was now his highest priority - even higher than going to the Olympics.

The USA canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. Bill's wife was so late in giving birth to their first child that Bill could have competed in the Olympics and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People thought, "What a shame." But Bill had no regrets. For the rest of his life, he knew he had made the right decision by putting his family first.

Twenty-eight years later, Bill received a cablegram from his son Frank who was competing in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. The cablegram read: "Dad, I won. I'm bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born."

Frank had won the canoeing gold medal his father gave up so he could be there when Frank to be born. Both father and son were Olympic champions of the heart.

So as you parent in the days and weeks and years to come remember Bill Havens who planted seeds of dedication and effort in 1924 that bore Olympic Gold in 1952!

You're Never too Old

Kathy and I with all of the grandkids...two more on the way!

Dear Bob,

As an older father (50) of two young boys (9 & 7), I am constantly seeking advice and pointers. Any suggestions on staying 'young' for my kids?

Respectfully,
Steve


Dear Steve -

As a 56-year-old father of two 14-year-olds and a grandfather to seven kids under 7, my advice to you would be to stay healthy and fight to be engaged in what interests your kids as they grow. In my forties, I went to heavy metal concerts with my then 16-year-old. Last month i attended a Jimmy Eat World concert with them as well.

When my 14-year-old daughter had soccer practice last Monday, I walked and ran for 45 minutes to keep me fit, rather than simply sitting on the sidelines and watching. Last Sunday I I spent an enjoyable two hours with my teens at the "Grossology" exhibit at the Arizona Science Center, learning about where "snot and farts and poo" come from (the museum's preferred terminology, not my own). Bending over to smell different body odors made my kids laught at me.

I have found that having kids at my age has given me permission to slow down and enjoy them sometimes more than when my older kids were growing up. I manage my time better and can spend it with them. They certainly help to keep my wife and I young.

Good luck,
Bob

Give your kids options, not control

Occasionally, as I wander through our lobby I hear parents engaged in conversation with our staff regarding the various swim lesson or sports camp programs we offer. The parent dutifully runs through the litany of appropriate questions relating to our group sizes, the training of our staff members, the duration of the program and the pricing. And then a large percentage of them make, in my mind, a huge mistake: they turn to their three year old potential swimmer and say those dreaded words,"Honey, would you like to take swim lessons here?"

Aghhh! Who is the parent here?

Pragmatically, what the parent is doing is giving the child total control of the situation. The parent has already made a decision to come and enroll the child in swim lessons or sports camp, and rightly so – they are the parent. Their adult human brain can weigh the pros and cons of the situation better than the mind of a child who believes that eating green vegetables might kill them and that a bear-like monster lives under the bed. So the parent, showing care and concern for the well-being and development of their offspring, has elected to enroll their child in an activity that will have positive benefits. Good job mom and dad, nicely done.

However, many parents then sabotage themselves by giving their child the choice to go along with their parentally-driven, well-made, carefully considered plans. This scene makes me wonder if they let their kids make other decisions as well. "Hey Johnny, would you like to go the doctor's office today? He's going to stick various devices in your ears and nose, and then give you a couple of shots. Sound good?" I can only imagine Johnny's response.

Let's examine the two potential answers to that open-ended question of "Do you want to do _____?" Answer number one is great when the child responds "Yes." Goal of the parent is achieved, we all move on and everyone is happy.

Answer number two - "no." Now the parent has two options, neither very appealing. Option one - tell the child, "Well, I didn't really want your opinion; we're registering you for swim lessons anyway." That undermines the parent-child communication pretty significantly and has huge tantrum-starting potential. Option two - accept the child's answer and walk out the door or hang up the phone. Congratulations, you have just abdicated all parenting responsibilities and let your three year old control their (and your) own life.

My recommendation is for the parent to make the decision that the child is going to participate in an activity and then allow the child to make a decision about how they will participate. Examine the activity for it's appropriateness for their child as to environment, curriculum and price. Tell the child with enthusiasm that you have made the decision to enroll them in swim lessons, for example, and find a positive reason to do so.

If you feel compelled to offer your child a role in the decision-making, let them make decisions about the options surrounding their activity. Let them choose the time of day they are swimming - i.e. in the morning with one parent or perhaps in the evening with another. Ask "either/or" rather than "yes/no" questions. For example, in our swim classes, we offer kids choices on how to do something ("would you like to kick with a kickboard or a noodle?") but not the choice of whether to do it or not ("would you like to do kicks?").

When my own kids were growing up, we offered them the opportunity to choose the sport they wished to participate in each season. They knew they had to play a sport – that was not a decision they were involved in, but they were involved in choosing their sport. They picked from an appropriate list of options - i.e. a sport we could get them to practice for, one we could afford and one that was not in conflict with another siblings practice schedule. Two goals were achieved: the children knew they would be participating in a sport and they had some choice in the matter.

My youngest son wanted to play ice hockey. We responded with enthusiasm and as he did his research we asked him whether he wanted to attend 5:30 am practice two or three days per week. Suddenly afternoon basketball practice was so much more appealing to him.

My advice is this - do not abdicate your role as parents. You are in a position to make choices for your children because of your experience, knowledge and concern for their well-being. But heed this advice my kids gave me on Father's Day – "be nice to you kids – one day they'll choose your nursing home."

Why should my baby learn to swim? (Part one in a continuing dialogue)

image shot at Hubbard Swim School by Urchin Rock Photography

Teaching your infant to swim is not only about safety!

Many parents are compelled to explore the option of infant swim lessons as a direct result of the fear they have as parents of their child drowning in a family or neighbor’s pool. They don’t want to be another statistic – another family on the evening news, saying that it happened so fast, that the child was only out of sight for a short time, that they didn’t even think to check the pool because it was fenced. The reality is that if fear is the motivating factor for choosing swim lessons, parents would be better-served to go out in the back yard and check the gate and locks on their pool. A secure pool is the single best way to protect your child from the risk of drowning, and this risk is further decreased with proper supervision. So make sure your pool is secure and always watch your kid around water – they are two critical steps everyone can take to prevent childhood drownings.

One might ask, as the owner of two swim schools, why on Earth would this be the advice I would give? If fear is no longer the motivating factor, why else would should parents enroll their children in swim lessons, especially infants in swim lessons?

My answer to parents is that there is an infinite list of benefits infants receive from swimming lessons beyond learning to swim. This is part one in a series of reasons why I strongly believe in putting infants in swimming lessons.

If not for safety reasons, why should I choose to participate in swim lessons with my one year old, or even my six month old? I believe exposing your infant to the water at a young age you are setting them on a path to positive development. By that do I mean you will be raising a more intelligent child or one who is a better athlete than the child who is not exposed to water at an early age? YES! Do I believe that an incredible amount of bonding can be achieved in the water? YES! Do I believe a child will gain new cognitive and physical skills by being exposed to the water? YES!

I’m a big fan of Dr. Jill Stamm, a PhD and parent whose daughter was born almost four months premature and was never expected to walk or talk. Her daughter is now a fully-functioning, normal adult, and Dr. Stamm’s experience illustrates that every baby’s brain has limitless potential. In her book, Bright From the Start, she makes some very interesting points about infants and brain development:

“An infants’ brain is a fertile feed for stimulation and much of the brains pathways and connections are developed before their third birthday. This places a huge importance on the auditory (voice), visual (colors) emotional (hugs), intellectual (music) and physical (swimming) opportunities we present to our children.”

How does swimming fit into this arena? Infants spend much of their time in a prone position before they can walk or crawl. They lay on their bellies or backs or are being held by someone or more frequently today are encased in plastic car seats or carriers. When we place an infant in the water they begin to develop skills related to floating in a supportive yet fluid environment - similar to their time in the womb. They are stimulated by the water and their parent’s hands. They learn breath control and balance and buoyancy. They stimulate those synaptical neurons in their brain. They may not be able to walk or run or even sit up but with appropriate stimulation that can float through and under the water while holding their breath. The time bonding with a parent in warm water is also amazing!

So in your journey to raise a happy, healthy, well-adjusted child child, get them in the water either at home in the tub, or the shower, or in your backyard pool for fun play time or in formal swim lessons. And if you need a reason other than fun, think about all of the physical and emotional benefits they receive by returning to that aquatic world where they spent those nine months.