Helping Your Child Overcome the Fear of Water

When it’s summer, swimming is on everyone’s mind. Some children take to water like a fish, but others are afraid of getting wet in anything other than a bathtub. If you’re concerned about your child being afraid of water, use some of these tips to help them work their way through the. Not only will helping them over this fear empower them, it could save their lives (or someone else’s) someday.

Talk to your child to try to understand why they are afraid of water. This may be difficult with very small children who aren’t verbal, but you’ll probably remember if something happened to your child which would have scared them. Don’t dismiss their fears but encourage them to talk about their fears so you can work through them together.

Try to put yourself in your child’s place. If you were afraid of something, you wouldn’t want to be around it. That’s the way many children feel about water. It may be helpful to slowly expose your child to very shallow water such as a puddle. Stomp in and splash the water to let your child see water can be fun. Praise them for any achievement they might have in regard to water.

If your child doesn’t like having water in their eyes, you can combat that problem by purchasing good-quality form-fitting goggles. Once your child is comfortable in the goggles, let them practice putting their face in the water while in a small amount of water in the bathtub. This will likely feel less threatening to them than an entire pool with water much deeper than they are tall.

Take time to teach your child the proper way to float. Once they become comfortable with being in shallow amounts of water, teach them to float on their back. This is often an easy skill to teach children if they can relax.

Purchase a life jacket for your child to use when they are beginning to get comfortable in the water. Having a life jacket will allow your child to relax a little bit and protect them if they fall into the water or become tired while trying to swim.

Once your child has learned to float, is comfortable with being in shallow water, and can put their face into the water it may be a good time to enroll your child in a beginning swimming class. You may find your child reacts differently to someone else teaching them to swim than to you. If you think they need extra help, check into hiring someone to teach them on an individual level.

You may also want to ask other parents how they helped their own children overcome the fear of water. Between your own instincts, these tips and help from others, your child can learn to rise above their fear and learn to enjoy swimming.

Sweet and Tangy Banana Smoothie

Here is a wonderful, refreshing smoothie to enjoy during a hot summer afternoon:

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas
• Juice and rind of 1 lemon
• Juice and rind of 1 lime
• ½ cup of Orange juice

Instructions:  Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Enjoy!

 

Summer Sun Safety for Children

Summer is here (obviously) and those living in New York can vouch for that! You want your children to spend time playing outside but the possibility of getting sunburned is an ever-present thought.

Inspiration Child would like to offer a few safety tips to keep your young one safe and enjoy the fun filled days of summer. Here are some simple guidelines to help you - your children will be able to have fun in the sun and you can relax because you know they’re protected.

Summer Sun Safety for Children

Summer sun safety for children is simple:

• use sunscreen every time they go outdoors,



• reapply it every two hours or more often,



• dress them in lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, keep them hydrated.

Dermatologists and other experts recommend putting sunscreen on your children at least 15 to 30 minutes before they go outside each and every time before they go outside. This may seem like overkill, but the fact is, if your child gets seriously sunburned even once, it could increase their chance of developing skin cancer in the future.

Many dermatologists recommend staying indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Why are these hours singled out? It is during these hours that the sun is at its strongest and most dangerous. This is also true on cloudy or overcast days even though the sun may not seem as strong.

If you want your child to spend time outdoors, it might be better to plan outdoor time early in the morning or later in the afternoon. You’d still want to be sure you and your child are wearing sunscreen, sunglasses and hats to protect your skin and eyes.

Another thing to be concerned about in regard to summer sun safety for children is keeping them hydrated. Children may be having so much fun running and playing they don’t realize they’re sweating and losing important hydration.

Here are some things you can do to keep your child from becoming overheated or dehydrated:

• Plan for the time you’ll be outdoors.



• Bring along lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, plenty of water, sunglasses and sunscreen.



• Take along some ‘quiet time’ activities to fall back on during the hotter part of the day.



• Arrive early enough at your location to find a spot under a pavilion or shade tree. This will allow your children to enjoy the fresh air and being outdoors but it will provide some respite from the sun.
  

Have a wonderful and safe summer from your friends at Inspiration Child.