Swimming Milestones for Children
The mastery of swimming milestones provides self-confidence and a sense of achievement for children. While few exercises are better for the body, your child will enjoy his progression toward swimming so much that he won̵7;t even realize he is exercising. Encourage his accomplishments through each step of the process, promoting a lifelong love of water with a positive environment and praise for his small victories toward becoming a swimmer.
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Learning Basic Water Safety
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The American Red Cross encourages parents to teach their children the lifesaving rules about water before they begin any swimming program. Your child should know that he must wear a life preserver around the pool unless an adult is keeping him within arm's reach. Help him to master the art of floating on his front or back. Transition to doggy paddling -- first with the life preserver and then without it. To maintain his safety while he continues to learn, mark the boundary of the deep end as a visual reminder of where he is allowed to swim.
Being Comfortable Underwater
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In some cases, a child takes naturally to swimming without a second thought while in others a youngster will panic when her nose is still one foot away from the water. Before real learning can take place, help your youngster to conquer her fear and uncertainty of being underwater. Praise her when she beats her past time for blowing bubbles, and give her fun games to look forward to ̵1; like a pantomime underwater tea party. Present a series of enjoyable water activities with lots of praise for small accomplishments to help her relinquish her fears of swimming.
Learning Kicks
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Children thrill to flap their feet around to make the most splash; it̵7;s often counterintuitive at first for them to keep their legs straight. Tell your child he is a motorboat, and the straighter he keeps his legs, the faster he will zoom. Practice at the side of the shallow end with simple kicks first, modeling how to keep legs straight like boards. Give your little swimmer a kick-board and pull him around the pool while he ̶0;pushes̶1; both of you.
Learning Strokes
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Surprise your little one by bringing a large serving fork and spoon to the pool. Ask her which one will move more water, and then let her experiment. Show her how the same thing happens when her fingers are wide apart compared to when they are shut tight like the serving spoon. Have her practice the basic breast stroke with this in mind, and gradually introduce other strokes like the freestyle, backstroke and butterfly strokes.
Swimming in the Deep End
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Once your child has gained ground with his strokes and kicking, increase his confidence by showing him he can swim for a few feet in the deep end. Have him jump to you from the side, letting him swim another few feet further each time. For another exercise, place him right next to the ladder where he can practice treading water. When he feels comfortable, have him swim alongside you across the short end of the deep end until he is confident enough to attempt it on his own.
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Whether youre the cheering fanatic spilling your coffee on the sidelines as your little guy runs for a touchdown in an oversize jersey; or the paralyzed, proud type holding your breath as your daughter strikes out three batters in a row at the plate;
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For the kid who talks non-stop about the kickball games he plays with friends during recess or in gym class, a kickball birthday party would be right up his alley. Once youve determined where you want to have the party, whether in a spacious backyard
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Gastrointestinal illnesses are a common cause of dehydration in teens. This is a condition when the amount of water lost from our body is more than water intake . Mild dehydration may not be a problem. But, severe dehydration can affect normal physio
