We all know that children need to be encouraged through recognition and praise. We want to build them up and help develop self-esteem, so we take advantage of every opportunity to say things like, “good job!”, “I like the way you….” “I knew you could do it!”.
Although these are positive statements intended to compliment the child’s accomplishment, it also sends a message that focuses on our (the parent/ teacher) approval. “Good Job!”, “I like the way you…..”, and “I knew you could do it!”, are all statements where the person making the statement, is the main subject. In other words, “What you have done pleases me and because you have pleased me, I am happy!.”
Instead of saying, “You didn’t cry! I’m very proud of you!”
Try this: “You didn’t cry at swim lessons because you have worked so hard at being brave and coming to every class even when you didn’t feel like it! “
Instead of saying: You didn’t leave your shoes in the floor this time. I’m proud of you!”
Try saying: “You remembered to put your shoes away because you’ve been paying attention to our rule about picking up after yourself. You are really getting better at being responsible! Aren’t you proud of yourself!”
True self-esteem comes from being proud of one’s self. Knowing that the choices you have made and actions you have taken are meaningful. True self-esteem comes from within ourselves, not from the approval of others. As parents you are constantly guiding your children and teaching them about values and acceptable behavior. And of course you should be encouraging them with your recognition and praise, however, when you’re ready to praise them, be sure to praise their actions, not their ability to please you.
We have (and have had) pediatricians bring their own children to our school for lessons.
We find that it is due to our litigious society and the concern for liability that they do not recommend swim lessons for their patients.
There is no data that the American Academy of Pediatrics can cite stating that swimming lessons make a child less safe around the water. In fact, the AAP is in the process of rethinking its recommendation about swim lessons.
Researchers at the National Institute of Health report that providing very young children with swim lessons appears to have a protective affect against drowning and does not increase a child’s risk of drowning. If you would like to read the press release about this study, the link is below:
Swimming Lessons Do Not Increase Drowning Risk in Young Children
At Little Otter we want your child to love the water, respect it and understand their own limits. We want them to have as much skill as they do confidence. Never become complacent with your swim abilities no matter how awesome they are. Swim lessons are just one of the many layers of protection that can keep your child safe in the water
We are all aware of the risks that come with neighborhood pools and lakes. We go to great lengths to lock pool gates, secure proper fencing and enroll our children in swim lessons. We also understand that even good swimmers are not drown proof and therefore no child should ever be allowed to swim without adult supervision. But did you know that many drowning accidents happen at pool parties where there are several adults are present?
The problem is that everyone assumes that someone else is watching the water and if there is a specific person watching the water, it’s not uncommon for that person to suddenly get distracted and leave the pool falsely comforted by the fact that, “I’ll just be gone for a few minutes, besides there are a lot of adults around”. This is an extremely dangerous situation, because no one is actually paying attention.
Children can drown without making a sound, right in the middle of what looks like play to the casual observer.
There is a very simple way to help ensure that this doesn’t happen. Assign someone the duty of being the Official Water Watcher. We recommend that this person wear a decorative necklace that indicates that he or she is the Official Water Watcher. This serves as a physical reminder to that person and all others that someone is and should always be watching the water. While wearing this necklace the Official Water Watcher must actively supervise the water. They must give 100% attention to the children in the pool. They should sit or stand where they have a good visual of the entire area and be in arms length of any children who cannot swim.
While wearing this necklace, they should not flip through a magazine, talk on their cell phone, or dig through the ice cooler for a cold drink. If they need to leave the area for any reason, they should place the necklace around someone else’s neck appointing them the new Official Water Watcher.
You can stop by the front desk and get your FREE Official Water Watcher tag. We only have a limited amount so just one per family please.
Join the staff of Little Otter for a Swim Festival on June 6th. It will be an afternoon of races and games for all our students.
We plan to end the day with a record setting attempt for most babies back-floating at one time. Please follow the schedule below so your child can swim with children of their own level.
1:30 Team, Speedy Stingray, Mighty Mako & Blazing Barracuda
2:15 Dashing Dolphin, Golly Green Guppy, Purple Parrotfish,
Silver Starfish
3:15 Yippy Yellow Tang, Rosie Red Fish, Shiny Starfish
4:15 Otter Baby 3, Otter Baby 2, Otter Baby 1. We will take a
photo at 4:30 (Parents in water with children for Otter Babys)
Everybody will get a medal so come join us for a fun day at the pool.
As you head for the pool this summer, think twice before you pack those “water wings” in your swim bag. Most people perceive floaties to be good tools for helping children learn to swim. The opposite is actually true. Floaties do not help children learn to swim.
Floaties teach children to stay vertical in the water. Moving vertical in the water extremely inefficient. It requires a lot of energy for very little pay off.
Floaties create a false sense of confidence for children and parents. You may think your child is comfortable being in the water, when what he is really most comfortable with is being in the water with floaties. He ends up with more confidence than skill. This kind of thinking can be very dangerous.
Floaties hinder progress in swim lessons. At Little Otter, your teacher will spend a lot of time getting your child comfortable with his face in the water and comfortable in that nice horizontal swimming position. Once a child gets a taste of freedom in the water while throwing caution to the wind, they lose interest in swimming independently.
So what do you do if you have several children in the pool who need your supervision?
First of all, continue with your child’s year round swim lessons until he can safely swim 75 ft and get several independent breaths. If you feel you must use a flotation device, avoid the arm type floaties. Choose something like a life jacket that is truly a safety device. And most importantly, make sure your child’s last memory of the water is one where he has swam without any flotation device at all. He should leave the pool with an awareness of what his true swimming skills are like.
Parents…are you tired of participating in songs and games during class? Do you feel like you’ve done the same circuit several times? The songs and circuits play a crucial role in our lessons. They provide a consistent routine that increases the comfort of your baby in swim lessons.
Singing the same songs and playing the same games will help your baby relax and learn to swim better. So don’t get tired of the songs and games! We need them so your baby can be as comfortable as possible.
Have you noticed that you child works on a lot of the same skills during every lesson? Bubble, back float, face floats…Learning to swim is based on repetition. We need repetition to strengthen skills and build a strong foundation.
To prevent our students from becoming bored with repetition, our instructors use different themes each week to vary activities while practicing the same skills. For example, we practice the safety skill, “jump, turn, grab the wall”. It can be done off the island, off the big green mat or off the slide. And while it is a safety skill to us, the children are imagining they are jumping off the circus train to catch a lion or walking the plank during pirate week!
Through creative repetition and stimulation, your child will be come a better swimmer!
