Sunday Post: Water…and Some Summer Water Safety Tips for Parents

Posted on June 12, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is WATER.

WATER: provides a wonderful intergenerational recreational opportunity.

WATER: gives parents a chance to help kids master skills and develop an appreciation for preserving nature and the environment.

WATER: Kids and water go together like peanut butter and jelly…it’s cooling, refreshing and so much fun!

With the official start of summer only several days away, kids will be home and enjoying many water-related activities. Water is one of the most ominous hazards your child will encounter because young children can drown in only a few inches of water, even if they’ve had swimming instruction.

Here are few important water safety tips to keep in mind from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

Be aware of small bodies of water your child might encounter, such as bathtubs, fishponds, ditches, fountains, rain barrels, even the bucket you use when you wash the car. Empty containers of water when you’re done using them.
Children who are swimming—even in a shallow toddler’s pool—always should be watched by an adult, preferably one who knows CPR. The adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision” whenever infants, toddlers, or young children are in or around water. Empty and put away inflatable pools after each play session.
Enforce safety rules: No running near the pool and no pushing others underwater.
Don’t allow your child to use inflatable toys or mattresses in place of a life jacket. These toys may deflate suddenly, or your child may slip off them into water that is too deep for him.
Be sure the deep and shallow ends of any pool your child swims in are clearly marked. Never allow your child to dive into the shallow end.
Backyard swimming pools, (including large, inflatable above-ground pools), should be completely surrounded with at least a 4-foot (1.2 meters) high fence that completely separates the pool from the house. The fence should have a self-closing and self-latching gate that opens away from the pool, with the latch at least 54 inches high. Check the gate frequently to be sure it is in good working order. Keep the gate closed and locked at all times. Be sure your child cannot manipulate the lock or climb the fence. No opening under the fence or between uprights should be more than 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Keep toys out of the pool area when not in use so that children are not tempted to try to get through the fence.
If your pool has a cover, remove it completely before swimming. Also, never allow your child to walk on the pool cover; water may have accumulated on it, making it as dangerous as the pool itself. Your child also could fall through and become trapped underneath. Do not use a pool cover in place of a four-sided fence because it is not likely to be used appropriately and consistently.
Keep a safety ring with a rope beside the pool at all times. If possible, have a phone in the pool area with emergency numbers clearly marked.
Spas and hot tubs are dangerous for young children, who can easily drown or become overheated in them. Don’t allow young children to use these facilities.
Your child should always wear a life jacket when he swims or rides in a boat. A life jacket fits properly if you can’t lift it off over your child’s head after he’s been fastened into it. For the child under age five, particularly the non swimmer, it also should have a flotation collar to keep the head upright and the face out of the water.
Adults should not drink alcohol when they are swimming. It presents a danger for them as well as for any children they might be supervising.
Be sure to eliminate distractions while children are in the water. Talking on the phone, working on the computer, and other tasks need to wait until children are out of the water.

Children love to mimic the behavior of their parents…use this to your benefit and always follow good water safety rules yourself and your children will naturally copy you.

I hope parents (and others who know people with young kids) will check out my book for great summertime activities that the whole family will enjoy! Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is a treasure-trove of classic picture book suggestions, quick and easy eco-friendly arts and crafts projects and simple healthful child-friendly recipes that will make planning for the summer a snap! Check out this recent review from Tom at Your Family Book Club. His library in Katona, Iowa is receiving a copy of Show Me How! The book is available on my website or on Amazon.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/sunday-post-water-sunset-in-water/

http://jmeyersforeman.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/3183/

http://northernnarratives.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/sunday-post-water/

http://myphotoyear2012.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/9th-june-2012-sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://alicethroughthemacrolens.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://firstandfabulous.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/weekly-sunday-post-water/

http://catbirdphotography.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://abusymom.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://jayjaysfavorites.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/waterdragon-weekly-sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://justfletcher.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water/

http://blueberriejournal.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/water/

http://rondomtaliedraai.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://pollysspace.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-h2o/

http://africatoalgarve.blogspot.pt/2012/06/water.html

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water-h2o/

http://tostir.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-post-water/

Vital pool safety info from Red Cross (wpri.com)
ABC’s of pool safety (azfamily.com)
Teach Your Child to Swim (answers.com)
Tips for following portable pool safety practices this summer (bangordailynews.com)

Sunday Post: Sunrise…A New Beginning For Everyone

Posted on June 3, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is SUNRISE.

In the summer of 1969, my husband and I packed up our 1967 Pontiac Catalina and left the east coast with a sign that said, “California or Bust”. We were teachers at the time and had the summer off…and we spent the next six weeks traveling across the country. I still have the journal we kept that tells what cities we stayed in and how much we spent for everything. The entire trip, including gas, motels, food, keepsakes (we still have a bunch of oil on velvet paintings that we bought in Ensenada, Mexico) cost us $1200. Amazing!

Sunrise is also a perfect theme because Wednesday is World Environment Day…if we want the sunrise to greet our grandchildren and their grandchildren, we need to be thoughtful about preserving and caring for our planet by reusing and recycling wherever we can.

We knew we wanted to experience the sunrise over the Grand Canyon and drove all night from Las Vegas through Zion National Park, finally arriving at the Grand Canyon at 5am. We made our way along the trail…which was no easy task in the dark. Fortunately, we met another tourist who offered to take our picture. I apologize for the poor job of editing these photos…my scanner was not cooperating and my editing program decided to join the strike.

Less than a minute later, he snapped the picture below.We will never forget that moment!

For me, every sunrise is a new beginning. No matter what your situation, every day is the first day of the rest of your life. We have a fresh opportunity each day to be kind to someone…to help another person…to encourage a child…to follow our dream. What will you do when the sun rises tomorrow?

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://aliciapics.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/sunday-post-sunrise/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/sunday-post-sunrise/

http://motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/weekly-sunday-post-sunrise/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/the-sunday-post-sunrise/

SUNDAY POST : Sunrise (jakesprinters.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Stairway to Self-Esteem (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Door (bringingeuropehome.com)
Judge Chuckles on SUNDAY POST : Pet (seraphim6.wordpress.com)

Sunday Post: Vehicle

Posted on May 6, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is VEHICLE.

I always try to tie in the theme with something related to parenting.

The dictionary first defines ‘vehicle’ as a means of transportation.

But the dictionary has another definition for the word…a vehicle can also be a medium for communicating, expressing or accomplishing something.

Art is certainly a vehicle through which we communicate and express our thoughts and emotions.

Books are another vehicle through which we learn information and discover things about ourselves and the world around us.

If you have young children, are you reading with them every day? Studies reveal that children who are introduced to books at an early age are more successful in school. Please join us in the Positive Parental Participation Reading Challenge and let us know what books you are reading with your children.

In my Friday post, I listed the 20 libraries that will be receiving a copy of Show Me How! If you didn’t see that article, please click on this link. I’ve asked the people who nominated their library to email me at vivian@positiveparentalparticipation.com so I can mail them a copy to present to their library.

Please don’t forget about Jackson’s Birthday-Earth Day Water Wishes page…your children are invited to draw a picture for the project…and your donation of $6 will move them closer to their goal of providing clean water for an entire community. This is a wonderful opportunity to help children become involved in the world around them. We are never too young (or too old) to learn the importance of sharing with others and reaching out to the community.