Maybe you’re one of the lucky parents who is having a snowy winter and your children are worn out from sledding, ice skating and snow ball fights. Or maybe you’re like me and it’s too cold to play outside but no snow in sight. Or maybe you have babies or very young children who are still at the point where the time spent outside before they are freezing cold is roughly half the amount of time...
I’m a mom and I’m pissed off. Not a bit concerned. Not even angry. I’m pissed off as in, ‘I have a flame thrower and I’m not afraid to use it’ pissed off. Why? Because child safety is about as big a mom issue as you can get, and yet children keep drowning and no one is talking about it. We all know ‘stop, drop and roll’, but did you know that drowning kills more children in the U.S....
Did you know that children over the age of six usually drown in open water? That means that 71% of the Earth’s surface poses a drowning risk to your child. Rivers, lakes, oceans, retention ponds, streams, drainage ditches, blocked street drains, canals, and of course, flooding from violent storms and hurricanes. I could go on, but you get the idea. So how do you keep your child safe around open water?...
Most children are born loving the water. The earlier you can get them in the water doing playful ‘parent-tot’ classes the better off you are. I’m not a fan of the classes that put a baby in the water without a parent, or that force a baby or small child into the water in any way. I think they introduce the concept of trauma around water and can instill fear instead of respect for the water. Fortunately,...
Michael Phelps. Missy Franklin. Ryan Lochte. These superb Olympic athletes have captured the attention and admiration of both adults and children. The difference is that adults understand full well the incredibly rare cocktail of talent, determination and drive that it takes to become an Olympian, much less ‘most decorated Olympian in history’ that Michael Phelps was just awarded. We know that...
During the 2008 Summer Olympics I witnessed additional Olympic events every day at my local pool. Inspired by the swimmers, the children spent every afternoon recreating the the aquatic competition – complete with cheering, colorful commentary, and imaginary award ceremonies. Now, are all those children going to be competing in the Olympic games some day? Of course not, most kids have no more...
