Shaping Your Children: Summer Week #2

Summer means swimming!

My summers were spent at the public pool and, yes, we rode our bikes there most days. Whether you have a public pool available, your own pool or you swim in the river, these times of freedom from the stress of schedules is so much fun!

Most children begin the summer by waking up late and spending the day either in their pajamas or their swimsuits. Who doesn’t want to do that?

As a pediatric physical therapist, here’s an important tip for you—make sure your children learn how to swim and can handle themselves safely near water. It is absolutely an essential life skill, in my opinion.

Here in Florida, water is everywhere. And when I worked in our local children’s hospital I saw way too many cases of near drowning. These were children who suffered brain damage from loss of oxygen (anoxia) because they almost drowned.