Barb - Swimming/Wed - C25K & OT overprotective mother question

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Hi Barb!I totally agree with you - we actually started swim lessons this year. I wish I didn't wait until she was 5 - I had it in my head that if I waited longer, I wouldn't have to go in the pool w/ her for the 'mommy & me' classes - well, I was wrong! The first lesson was not a parent participation class - and she freaked out - so I had to find a parent participation class for her age group - which our "Y" offered. We did that for most of the school year and this summer she "graduated" to the non-parent participation class. Our first lesson was on Tuesday and she did really well. I'm doing the "intensive" thing this summer and taking her 2X per week at the Y. I hope that by the end of the summer she'll be able to graduate to the next level. She definately enjoys the water, and while she isn't afraid,

I do think she knows her limitations. I would also love to find some private lessons - I think that would speed things along, too.

Being that I'm not a proficient swimmer at all I really want her to learn. And, I actually want to go for some adult classes so I can get better at it. I don't need to be a superstart swimmer, but I would like to feel more confident. I'm good with "playing" in the shallow end - up to 5 feet or so, but after that I tend to feel less and less confident about my abilities (or lack thereof!).

Take care!!

Donna

Subject: Re: [FitFirmies] Wed - C25K & OT overprotective mother questionTo: FitFirmies , exercisevideos , fitnbusymoms Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 5:30 PM

Hi donna!Sorry about your sleep. I know how that feels. I've been awake since 4 AM today, and I didn't have to get up until 5:45. About your DD....she is almost 6, is there any reason why she hasn't had swim lessons yet? I am a HUGE proponent of swim lessons at a young age, the younger, the better. Kids HAVE to know how to conduct themselves in the water.I started when he was 6 months old - now, he obviously couldn't learn to "swim" at that age, but by a year old, when he found himself in the pool, he automatically could turn, and reach for the edge, and actually pull himself out. So important.When was in 3rd grade, one of the girls in his class had a pool party at a local fitness club. This wasn't a YMCA, but it had a standard-sized pool, 25 yards, 6 lanes, and NO LIFEGUARD. So 3 lanes were roped off for lap swimming, and the other 3 lanes were open.Well one-by-one,

parents dropped off their kids for the party. I had planned on going to Walmart across the street, but then I found myself alone with another mom, whose 3 kids were on the swim team at my Y....and 20 8-year-olds, and not all of them could swim, and there was NO LIFEGUARD... .....well, needless to say, even though my son could swim and so could hers, we ended up being the "lifeguards" and the only adults. The birthday girl's parents were in the party room setting up for the festivities for after the pool activities.I know a big reason why I'm so huge on swimming so early and why I started at 6 months is because I swim laps every day....but I think by the time kids are old enough to go to camp, to birthday parties, to other kids' houses, they really should know how to swim because you never know what kind of situation they will find themselves in.And I can tell you this - many times they will not stay out of the pool

or deep end even though they know they should, because they are embarrassed. At the pool party I described above, the other mom and I made *each and every kid* swim across the pool in the shallow end - or attempt to. there were 2 or 3 that could NOT swim. Yet - every single one of them triedd several times to follow their friends into the deep end even though we had told them where the deep end was, and how far down the pool they could go!Please understand that I am typing this out of concern for your daughter and any other children who don't know how to swim, it is so easy to learn when you are a child.(((hugs)))Barb [FitFirmies] Wed - C25K & OT

overprotective mother question

Hi Everyone,

My sleep has been suffering this week - and so have my workouts! I haven't been able to do as long a session as I normally do. I am still moving though and the biggest motivator for me this week to keep moving is that I know my back feels so much better when I exercise - so even though mentally I'd like to be sleeping in every day, I just know I have to get moving or face the consequences of not moving (which are not fun!)

Today I did Couch Potato to 5K - week 3, workout 1 - after a 10 min warm-up I did two rounds of: 90 sec jogging/running, 90 sec walking, 3 min running/jogging, 3 min walking. I then ran/jogged for two minutes and then walked for about 10 more. So, I got about 40 minutes in and did a bit over 3.5 miles.

I didn't have time for any extras - so just did some stretching on my own.

Now, on to my over-protective mother question - in my DD's camp this summer they are making two trips a week to the local pool. My DD does not know how to swim - we're taking lessons but she is definately not proficient, she needs to wear a flotation device and floaties. I'm a little leary of having her go to the public pool without me. Yes, her camp counselor will be there and it is a small group of kids (around 6)- but, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. I also do not know how crowded the pool gets during the summer with other kids - not from our camp. So I can imagine a chaotic atmosphere. She is generally a cautious kid who knows her limits, so I don't think she would take any chances. She knows she can't swim and she knows she has to wear the floaties, and she isn't shy about telling adults or other kids what her limits are in these areas. I'm hesitant to send her on these trips - just

b/c I know that tragedies can happen in a split second. Am I crazy? She is going to be 6 this August. I'm going to talk with the head of school /camp about my feelings - to get an idea of the lay of the land - are they just going to the kiddie pool or are they going in the large pool? How many adults are going? Can I go along to get a sense of it? Etc. I guess if worse comes to worse I'll just pull her out of camp early on those days - which isn't necessarily a bad thing b/c we'll get to spend our afternoons together, I can set up some playdates w/ friends who don't go to camp, and the two days that they swim at camp are the days she has swim lessons and karate in the evening (and i was worried that it would be too much for her anyway to get home from camp and in less than an hour be out the door on the way to another activity anyway!) So maybe a blessing in disguise? I'm sure she'll be unhappy about

not being able to be w/ her friends at camp if I decide to pull her out early - but I guess I should g et used to that as I'll have to face that as a teen-ager when she wants to do stuff that I don't think she is ready for anyway (so good practice for the future!)

Thanks for letting me ramble!Donna

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