Posted by Rebecca Wear Robinson on September 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Summer’s over!
Labor Day weekend is upon us. The days are getting shorter and the nights a little cooler. I’m even seeing a few leaves beginning to drop. Kids are back in school or will be soon. Parents are scrambling to organize fall activity schedules. Sadly many of the outdoor community pools where so many of us spent relaxed and happy summer afternoons will be closing this weekend. The pools will probably be packed with kids and parents enjoying one last blast of summer fun. Make sure your summer ends on a good note and don’t let you guard down – be in arm’s reach of your learning or non-swimmers and keep a close eye on the competent swimmers in your family. It’s been a very hot summer all over the northern hemisphere (as it was in the southern hemisphere during their summer) and drowning rates are up as people flocked to pools, rivers, lakes and the ocean to keep cool and have fun, but didn’t know how to have fun safely.
Having fun is a key point and one that can be easily overlooked with all the tragedy of drowning accidents. Kids naturally have fun in the water from the time they are put in their first bath right through to splashing in puddles, slippery slides, catching tadpoles, floating boats and swimming. Is there a person out there who hasn’t involuntarily smiled when they see the exuberance on a child’s face as they race through a fountain or splash in a rain puddle?
While water can be a lot of fun, a source of life, and a fact of daily life since it covers 70% of the earth’s surface, we must also never lose sight of the fact that water can be dangerous – drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children in every developed country and an even bigger problem in developing countries. Teach your child how to have fun safely – teach them water safety and teach them to swim. Don’t just put them in swim lessons in the summer, swimming is a great exercise year-round, not to mention a great way to burn off steam during the cold months and an excellent time for them to develop the swimming and safety skills in time for next summer’s fun. When you’re looking at the activities for fall and winter, add swimming lessons to the list. The only problem you will probably have is fighting with your kids to get out of the water afterwards, especially if you build in a few minutes of ‘play’ time after the lesson, but the reward will be exhausted, happy, and safer kids.
As for this weekend, remember you don’t need to keep them out of the water to protect them…just keep them within reach. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!
