Academy Swim Club

Over the summer most of our staff (along with the rest of the planet) saw this little movie called The Avengers.  Thumbs up from everyone here at ASC , by the way.  What’s not to love?  A bunch of attractive super heroes, each with a unique skill set, working together to save the world.  In examining those skills, it occurred to me that, put’em together, they’d make an awesome swim instructor.  Over the next few weeks we’re going to showcase the unique quality each member possesses that would make him (or her!) a valuable addition to Academy Swim Club.

Iron Man: What he brings to the team – Equipment. Tony Stark has all the cool toys.  Each has a purpose, but most can be adapted to other uses.  We’ve got our own toy box full of barbells and dumbbells and belts.  Our instructors have found more uses for them than WD-40.  Even our playtime toys serve a purpose.  A simple game of catch with a ball or rocket is actually a trust building exercise that strengthens the bond between instructor and swimmer – and that’s worth more than Stark Industries when you’ve got a weepy 3 year old at his first swim lesson.

Next week – Thor brings down the hammer.

So you’ve made the decision to stick with swim lessons for at least 3 lessons, but your work is not done yet. . .  

Keep Calm and Carry On. Your attitude will set the tone for all the lessons to follow.  Try to stay cheerful and moderately excited, as if you and your child were having an outing in the park.  Your child is tuned into your feelings and looks to you for security.  If you are nervous, tense, worried, unsure, you can bet she will be, too.  If you treat the lesson as normal, safe and possibly fun, she’ll have an easier time believing it – it just may take a few lessons first.

Next week we’ll discuss Watching from a Safe Distance.

*** Interesting side note:  The slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On” was first thought up by some bright bulb British civil engineer around 1939 or thereabouts.  The British Ministry of Information released a couple of morale boosting propaganda posters during the early years of WWII, but was saving this one in the case of invasion by Germany.  Luckily, it was never distributed for it’s original purpose.

Some kids never cry.  You know the ones I mean.  These are the babies that have never met a stranger.  As toddlers they launch into new activities with enthusiasm.  They sleep through the night at birth.  If you’re lucky enough to have such a child as this, well, good for you.  This article is for the rest of us, because when starting swim lessons a solid percentage of young kids are going to wail their heads off.  It’s nothing personal, just biology, really.  Babies and toddlers are hardwired to communicate by crying.  What they are really saying is a salty version of, “No, I’d really rather not go with that stranger in the big bathtub.”  We understand, kid, but we’d really rather you didn’t take a header into a pool and not be able to save yourself.

Our experienced ASC instructors have a few things we wish every parent bringing their child to swim lessons for the first time knew.  Over the next four weeks we’re going to lay it out for you.  Here’s the first thing you need to remember:

Stick It Out. Three lessons is the average amount of time it takes for the instructor to stop being a stranger and a bond to develop.  For many kids, the first swim lesson is his first experience with being entrusted to a teacher without Mom or Dad present.  A child may also protest for the first few lessons strictly on principle; an automatic, knee-jerk “NO” to anything new.  If you haven’t experienced this colorful bit of toddler behavior yet, wait – you can count on it making periodic appearances at the family dinner table.  (“It’s disgusting!  I hate it!”;  “What do you mean?  You’ve never had it before!” But I digress. . .) In any event, give it three lessons.  If you still don’t see any hope of your child ever enjoying himself, or at least quietly resigning himself to the inevitable, talk it over with your instructor and the office staff.  There are other options you can explore in your quest for a watersmart kid.

Come back next week when we Keep Calm and Carry On.

The key to preventing childhood drowning is supervision; however studies have estimated that up to 90% of children who drown were reportedly supervised when the incident occurred.  The best protection is an adult educated about and focused on water safety.  Here are a few simple steps you can take to become water smart:

1. Designate a Water Watcher.  Many parents accompany their child to the pool, but read a book, play on their phone, or otherwise divert their attention away from the action in the water.  Remember: children drown without a sound . . . in just a few seconds.  Whenever and wherever children are swimming, designate a person who will focus solely on supervising the splashing.  He or she should not leave the pool area (or lake, river, etc.) until a replacement arrives or the children leave the water.  It can be a mind-numbing job, so Water Watchers should trade off fairly regularly.
2. Always bring a phone to the pool, lake, river, etc.  You won’t want to waste precious minutes racing to the house to call 911.  Make sure the phone is placed in a high, dry place.  DO NOT leave it in a pocket.  Chances are you wouldn’t stop to remove the phone from your pocket before jumping into the water to rescue a child.
3. Check the water first.  If you notice that your child is no longer happily mashing Cheerios into the living room carpet where you left her, look where the water is first.  Parents have searched for their toddler in the house for 15 minutes before finally looking in the pool.  Early medical intervention is vital, so be sure to first scout out the pool, pond, fountain, toilet or any other place where an exploring child could run into water trouble.
4. Learn CPR.  Minutes make a huge difference when it comes to receiving emergency care.  The CPR class is only a few hours and the cost is cheap compared to a child’s life.  Contact the American Red Cross or your local hospital for information on upcoming classes in the area.

Childhood drowning is preventable.  Educated adult supervision, together with swimming lessons and barriers, combine to wrap children in layers of protection.

Safety Week at Academy Swim Club contains a lot of information, but these three easy water safety rules just might save your child’s life. Review them early and often for a watersmart kid!

1. Never swim alone – Always swim with a grown-up!
This is the number one rule in the pool. Even a good swimmer can get a cramp or hit his head and need help. Oh, and make sure your child understands what age qualifies as an adult. A three year old might consider her ten year old cousin a “grown up”.

2. Never jump in to save someone–Get a grown-up (or Reach & Throw–Don’t Go)
Some kids will instinctively jump into a pool to rescue another child that is struggling, especially a sibling or close friend or relative. It is especially important to train young children that the best way to help is to tell an adult (again, making sure they are clear on who makes the cut-off). Reassure your child that he will not be in trouble (even if he broke the rules and snuck out to the pool with his little sister).  In the event that an adult is not available for some reason, school age children can be taught Reach and Throw rescues. The rescuer holds out a hand, towel, noodle, etc. for the child in the water to grab ahold of, and then tows her back to the side. The rescuer MUST lie on his/her tummy while pulling the victim to safety so s/he is not accidentally pulled into the water as well.

3. Wall Walk to the Steps
Wall walking is like the Vice President of water safety skills – unappreciated and overlooked, but really, really important in the case of an emergency. If your child falls into a pool then manages to grab the wall, the safest way to exit is to wall walk to the stairs (not to be confused with the ladder, which can be slippery). He should NOT try to climb out at the side. Chances are he will fall back in and not have the energy to make it back to the wall again. It’s a good idea to practice wall walking to the left and right – toddlers can become so used to wall walking in one direction that it becomes impossible for them to go the other way.

Talk to your child about these rules regularly, emphasizing the actions he or she should take in case of a water emergency.