Frequently Asked Questions

Q. My child likes the water but not putting her head under water.

A. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL. SOMETIMES THE ONES WHO LOVE IT IN YEARS PAST SOMETIMES BECOME AFRAID AT THIS AGE. THE FIRST WEEK OF LESSONS IS VERY HARD ON THE KIDS AS THEY ARE THRUST INTO THIS STRANGE PLACE, WITH A STRANGE PERSON, WITH OTHER STRANGE KIDS. SO THERE IS A PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT. USUALLY BY THE LAST CLASS THERE IS REMARKED IMPROVEMENT. 

Q.When you conduct lessons do parents stay out with you or stay inside?

A. I DONT MIND EITHER WAY. IF THE LITTLE ONE HAS ISSUES SEEING THE PARENT I CAN SEND THEM INSIDE IF THE CHILD DOES BETTER WITH THE PARENT HIDDEN.

Q. In the Group class, are the kids in the pool one at a time or all at one time? How does that work? 

A. I HAVE ALL OF THEM IN THE POOL AT ONCE. I FIND THAT IT IS A GREAT TRAINING TO LEARN TO TAKE TURNS AND LISTEN TO A TEACHER. I THINK THEY DO A LOT BETTER WITH THE PEER PRESSURE TOO.  BUT I KNOW THAT GROUP LESSONS ISNT FOR EVERY CHILD. WE CAN TRY OUT THE GROUP LESSONS FOR A FEW CLASSES AND IF IT IS TOO DISTRACTING FOR THEM I WILL RECOMMEND PRIVATE FOR THOSE KIDS.

Q. My child has tubes in their ears. Is there anything special that we should do for thar swimming every day?

A. I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO CONSULT WITH THEIR ENT ON THIS QUESTION.

Q. I am not sure how to print the paper work off this blog.

A. I CAN ATTACH TO AN EMAIL. BUT YOU CAN RIGHTCLICK AND SELECT PRINT PICTURE FROM A PC (NOT SURE ON AN APPLE) 

Q. I know several people interested. What is your policy on Referal bonuses.

A.THANK YOU FOR THE REFERAL.http://www.missjaneswimschool.blogspot.com/  IF ANYONE MENTIONS YOUR NAME YOU CAN GET $5 OFF YOUR NEXT SESSION FOR EACH REFERAL (UP TO $10 ON GROUP SESSIONS OR UP TO $15 OFF OF PRIVATE LESSONS)

BASIC POOL SAFETY TIPS FOR CHILDREN

Basic Pool Safety for Children and Toddlers

Reviewing Water Safety Rules with Kids to Prevent Drowning Accidents

Jun 3, 2009 Jenny Evans

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 280 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools each year, while another 2,100 are treated in emergency rooms for submersion accidents. Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children and toddlers under 5.
Whether or not there is a backyard swimming pool at home, it is a parent's responsibility to prevent accident or death by teaching children and toddlers basic water safety.

Allow Kids a Healthy Fear of Water

The most important way to prevent water accidents is to teach kids a proper respect for water. Of course they should be able to have fun at the pool or beach without fear, but they should know that they can't breathe underwater and it can be very dangerous not to follow water safety rules.

Establish Swimming Pool Safety Rules

Toddlers should be taught at an early age never to run by the side of the pool and not to enter the water without an adult. Older children (especially those that can swim independently) should know never to jump on or push other kids in the water.
Don't Depend on Flotation Toys as Lifesavers

Water wings, air mattresses, and inner tubes are fun to play with, but they are not designed to be life saving devices. Using them as such leads to a false sense of security (both for children and parents), and if they pop or deflate then the child will go under water.

Read on 

• Prevent Drowning — Stay Safe On or In the Water
• Swimming Pool Safety Guide for Children
• Home Swimming Pool Safety for Children

Teach Children to Back Float

Children are usually capable of back floating long before they can swim well. If kids get in a situation where they are in danger of drowning, knowing how to back float until help arrives just might save their lives.
Always Watch Kids in the Swimming Pool

Never assume another adult, even a lifeguard, is watching a child. Don't allow distractions to take your primary focus off the kids while they are in the water, and never leave them unattended even for a moment. Even children who know how to swim may panic if they get in trouble and can drown in a matter of minutes. Drowning is usually a silent death and there may not be any audible splashing to signal parents.

Safeguard the Backyard Pool

If there is a swimming pool at home, special precautions must be taken to prevent kids from getting into the water without parents knowing it. A fence should be installed around in ground pools, and ladders should be removed from above ground pools when not in use.
When summer hits most kids can't wait to get to the pool or beach. Let them have all the fun they want in the water, but make sure they understand and follow the rules to enjoy themselves while staying safe.
Readers may also be interested in "Child Drowning Statistics" and "Teaching Pre-Swimming Skills to Toddlers."


Read more at Suite101: Basic Pool Safety for Children and Toddlers: Reviewing Water Safety Rules with Kids to Prevent Drowning Accidents http://www.suite101.com/content/basic-pool-safety-for-children-and-toddlers-a122379#ixzz1Hao07jOp

Swimming Lessons Help Prevent Drowning

Lack of Vigilance Does Not Increase Drowning Risk for Toddlers

Aug 1, 2009 Christy Swift

 

Swimming Lessons Protect Toddlers from Drowning - Christy Swift

Parents may wonder if sending their small children to swim lessons is only setting the stage for a false sense of security that could put their child in danger. At least if they know for a fact that their 3-year-old can’t swim, they won’t be tempted to take their eyes off him, right?

National Institutes of Health Study on Drowning

The National Institutes of Health recently debunked this myth with a study released in March 2009. According to the study, “Providing very young children with swimming lessons appears to have a protective effect against drowning and does not increase children’s risk of drowning.” (“Swimming Lessons Do Not Increase Drowning Risk in Young Children”, NIH News, March 2, 2009)
The researchers studied coroner reports and interviewed the families of children ages 1 through 19 who had died by drowning. They compared those reports to another child of the same age and gender in the same geographical location who did not drown.

The study showed that only 3% of the children aged 1 to 4 years who drowned had received swimming lessons as compared with 26% of the children who did not drown.
In the older age group, the 5 to 19 year olds, 27% of those who drowned had taken swimming lessons as compared to 53% of those who did not.
The study does not specifically calculate the extent of the protective effect of swimming lessons on children, but it may be that children learn enough skills to survive until a parent discovers they are in trouble (which may only take seconds). Perhaps the child is even able to call for help, which is key to avoiding drowning, what is often called a “silent killer.”

 

Drowning Prevention for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Still, the study is quick to point out that swimming lessons alone are not enough to protect young children from drowning. Other ways to prevent drowning deaths include:

• Fence in pools and spas with a 4 foot high or taller fence that is not easy for a child to climb or squeeze through. Install self-closing, self-latching gates with the latches out of a child’s reach.
• Consider using pool alarms or safety covers for pools and spas.
• Remove toys and other temptations from pools when not in use so that a child does not fall in trying to retrieve them.
• Supervise children at all times. For groups of adults, ensure that whoever is on “pool duty” knows it, so that it isn’t just assumed that the children were being watched by somebody else.
• Beware of pool and spa drains, which have strong suction that can be dangerous for young children and can also trap clothing or hair.
• Learn CPR. Prompt administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save a drowning victim's life.

More than anything, what parents should take away from this study is that putting small children in swim classes is one additional way to protect them from drowning, but that teaching them to swim by itself is not enough. For more information on water-related injuries, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Water-related Injuries Fact Sheet.


Read more at Suite101: Swimming Lessons Help Prevent Drowning: Lack of Vigilance Does Not Increase Drowning Risk for Toddlers http://www.suite101.com/content/swimming-lessons-help-prevent-drowning-a135887#ixzz1HanEARPX

What are the benefits of swimming for adults and teenagers?

Swimming is good exercise (that's obvious). Swimming is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person! But what is it that makes swimming good, specifically? That depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime - and the health benefits swimming offers for a lifetime are worth the effort it takes to get to the swimming pool. It works practically all of the muscles in the body (if you do a variety of strokes). Swimming can develop a swimmer's general strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It does not help with bone density - you need to weight bearing exercise for that - but that is about all that is missing from what swimming could do for your fitness.

Why do you swim? For the health benefits to your heart and lungs? For the chance to be with some of your friends at the pool? Because, in your case, running everyday hurts? Because you like the feeling of floating and sliding through the water? Or is it something else?If you are looking for a break from the heat of the summer, then a dip in the water is exactly what you need; swimming is a way for you to cool off. It fills a wonderful recreational need for individuals and families, from beach and pool fun to water parks.
Maybe you are a runner, training on a regular basis, and want to find an activity that keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off of your body. Perhaps you have been doing some other form of land exercise, and now an injury prevents you from putting weight on a knee or ankle. Swimming can help you. Kicking workouts, water aerobics, pool running, or a regular swimming workout can all give you a great exercise session without the weight of your body pounding you with each move.

Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.
Swimming does burn calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 meters), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour. However, many swimmers do not swim that quickly, and many cannot swim for that distance or duration.

Spending time in a group workout, whether water aerobics or a master's swim practice, is a great social outlet. Exchanging stories, challenging each other, and sharing in the hard work make swimming with others a rewarding experience.

There are other psychological benefit to swimming, if you allow it to occur. Relax and swim with a very low effort. Let your mind wander, focusing on nothing but the rhythm of your stroke. This form of meditation can help you gain a feeling of well-being, leaving your water session refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Many swimmers find an in-direct benefit form swimming. They develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth through their participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than non-swimmers as a group.

Why is learning to swim so important for the safety of your children?

Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise because it engages several body parts in an environment that doesn't stress your joints. Swimming provides an aerobic exercise that has a range of health benefits. For children, it's a fun form of exercise that should be introduced at an early age.

Emotional benefits

• Swimming can improve the mental well-being of your child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming can improve your mood and decrease anxiety. Swimming is also an activity that can involve the whole family. The CDC also reports that parents of children with developmental disabilities have found that group swimming improves family connections.

Range of Exercises

• Swimming can provide children with a range of exercise, from a small amount of activity and movement to a full-on aerobic workout. The fun of messing around in the water allows children to exercise without even knowing it. It can provide stretching and toning exercises, or a full workout that can strengthen the lungs and the heart. It is also good as an individual activity or as a team sport where kids compete in relay races.

Health Problems

• Swimming is beneficial for kids with health problems ranging from arthritis to asthma. Overweight children will find that swimming is an easier form of exercise than others such as running or playing tennis. The movement in the water makes exercising easier and more fun for overweight children. Those with juvenile arthritis benefit from the weightlessness of being in water, making it easier for them to get a small amount of low-impact exercise. Similarly, kids with asthma are less likely to suffer from asthma attacks while swimming than during other forms of exercise. Indoor swimming is especially beneficial as the moist air makes breathing easier.

in the study Swimming for Babies, physiotherapist Antonio Bretones Fernández (www.efisioterapia.net), concludes, "It's best to wait until the fourth month, since, at that time, the baby's immune system has finished developing, and the possibility for colds and infections like otitis is significantly reduced."

Babies

Parent-child swim lessons are playful, allowing the babies to learn to relax and enjoy themselves while increasing their sense of security and independence in the water.

Benefits

Several studies have shown that “babies who have been swimming during the first two years of their lives develop a greater sense of their surroundings, and thus are already learning to be more creative and observant."

Additionally, experiences in water allow little ones to better develop their psychomotor skills, because there they can move more freely and begin to understand concepts of distance and movement.

The cardio-respiratory system is also strengthened as the baby exercises his or her heart and lungs.

There are psychological benefits, too. Swimming lessons help babies become more confident and provide them with a sense of relaxation, while the experience also contributes to their socialisation as they pass time in an environment filled with people. Their bonds with parents even grows stronger as together they share new and rewarding experiences.