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.

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

Can TV influence obesity or intellectual ability in children?

The number of young children with televisions in their bedrooms has increased, according to research by the Independent Television Commission. More than one third of children under the age of four, thirty-six (36) percent have a television in their bedroom, with fourteen (14) percent having a video recorder as well.

In a March 2008 article by Tara Parker-Pope, the NY Times reported in their Health Section that children with televisions in their bedroom score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Television is also strongly associated with being overweight and places the child at a higher risk of smoking. Research also indicates that children with televisions in their bedrooms spent less time reading.

A 2005 study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is quoted relating to a year long study of 400 children in six northern California schools relating to their television, computer and video game habits. Seventy (70) percent had their own TV in their bedroom. These children “scored significantly and consistently lower on math, reading and language-arts tests.” A study in Pediatrics is quoted as showing that kindergartners with TVs in their bedrooms had more sleep problems.

I know there are many informative shows on television, even shows that report on this alarming trend. Yet our children’s television viewing habits are increasing.

The average child in the United States spends about 25 hours a week in front of the television, according to the latest annual "Media in the Home" survey, conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. A statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics includes the following language:

Pediatricians should recommend the following guidelines for parents:

1. Limit children's total media time (with entertainment media) to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day.
2. Remove television sets from children's bedrooms.
3. Discourage television viewing for children younger than 2 years, and encourage more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together.

So get the kids off the couch and out in the yard, or might I so boldly suggest swimming.

A Dad's Argument in Favor of Breastfeeding

In addition to being a father of eight, I am also a huge proponent of breast-feeding. Not for all of the obvious physical changes in my spouse. Not for the money we saved on formula. Not because I got to sleep through the night as often times I was the one who went to get the baby and then was nudged awake with a foot in the back to tell me it was time to return the baby to the crib.

Groups such as the La Leche League have argued for years about the benefits a child receives from breastfeeding. Recent research tells us that babies who breast-feed for a prolonged period of time score higher in intelligence tests.The Archives of General Psychiatry reported on a study of the breastfeeding habits of more than fifteen thousand mother-infant pairs. The control group on which they report received standard care and information regarding breastfeeding. The sample group of 8,457 mother-infant pairs received “extensive breast-feeding education.”

At three months of age, seventy-three (73) percent of the mothers who had received the additional breast-feeding training were still nursing as opposed to only sixty (60) percent of the control group. By six months of age both groups had experienced significant drops in the exclusivity of breast-feeding to seven point nine (7.9) percent for the trained group and less than one (1) percent for the control group.

Now here is the surprise: the study showed that at six and one-half years of age, the children who breast-fed longer scored “significantly higher” in vocabulary, word matching and verbal IQ than the control group. The study was not able to determine what aspect of breast-feeding caused the increase only that these children exhibited higher levels of intelligence. The specific aspect of breastfeeding that was so beneficial was not able to be articulated, but factors such as breast milk composition and time spent being held by and bonding with the mother are possible contributors.

How about another argument in favor of breast-feeding - this time for a mother’s health? A Swedish study also quoted in the New York Times suggests that women can reduce their risk of arthritis by more than 50% by breast-feeding. The researchers write that the benefits may come as a result of long-term changes in the mother’s immune system induced by breast-feeding.

So let’s hold those kids more and nourish them with their mother’s milk. Dads – change the diaper and burp the baby and support mom if she struggles with breastfeeding. You’ll wind up with not only a healthier and smarter child but also a healthier mother of your child.

Pick That Kid Up

As I wander through life, one of the things that surprises me is the number of very attentive and involved parents who leave their children in portable plastic infant carriers all day long. Walking down the street I see parents who look like they might be permanently disfigured by hooking the handle of the child carrier in the crook of their elbow and struggling to carry their toddler safely encased in his carrier. I see parents take the removable carrier/car seat from the car, transfer it to the stroller and roll the kid 15 feet into older sister’s ballet, martial arts or swim class where they leave them in the carrier for the entire duration of the class. How about the parent who is sitting somewhere with a child in the carrier, holding a bottle while the child eats? To me, there’s something wrong with this picture.

What happened to holding your child or carrying them in your arms? Or letting them crawl around on the floor in a public place? We seem to live in an era of anti-bacterial lotions and gels, where parents are afraid to let their kids crawl around, get dirty, or fall down. What are we so afraid of? And what does that say about someone like me, who still believes in the five second rule when a piece of food is dropped on the floor?

The other night I was at a grade school play with two of my grandkids. As the play went on and on (as these things do), the three year old wandered off from next to me, laid on the linoleum and started an impressive floor routine involving snow angels and spins. From the expression of the other parents and kids, you would have thought they had never seen a child play in an unstructured manner before. They laughed and smiled at his uninhibited joy in the freedom he was experiencing.

So what are infants missing out on when they’re strapped in their car seat all day long? First, there’s the issue of proper vision development. As an infant’s eye sight develops, their ability to detect colors, focus, track motion, and discern depth improve with exposure to stimulation. If they’re strapped in a carrier, the infant’s frame of reference is the white ceiling of the grocery store, swim school or dance studio rather than the vibrant colors of mom’s blouse or the warmth of dad’s smile. University of Massachusetts Medical School stresses the importance of visual stimulation for proper eye development. I have spoken to multiple physicians who have expressed concern for vision issues this practice can cause later in life. Even a variety of interactive toys hanging within reach can’t compare to the eye contact an infant receives from being close to your face, or the positive feedback in seeing your eyes dance or smile.

And what about the lack of tactile stimulation? Yes, when you hold an infant, they squirm and wiggle, and can be a bit of a pain. But think about the muscles they are developing by holding their heads up or trying to push away from you. Consider the understanding of texture and shape they get from touching different things. Outside of their carriers, infants are open to so many more simple experiences that can greatly impact their development. They can also move around, get dirty, and even fall down – additional experiences which teach lessons and influence development.

So do your child a huge favor and pick them up. Think of it as expanding their physical and intellectual development and exposing them to life outside the confines of their carrier.