Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Growth Mindset: Building Relationships appeared first on One with the Water.

Happy New Year from One with the Water! Part of our goal here is to help our clients maximize the resources available to them to be physically, mentally, and emotionally the healthiest person they can be. To that end, we wanted to highlight some new information on the Self-Determination Program for our clients with disabilities.

CA Self Determination Program

First, if you aren’t familiar, the Self Determination Program is a voluntary regional center program that provides participants with an individual budget, which they can use to purchase the services and supports they need to implement their person-centered plan (PCP) and Individual Program Plan (IPP). The program was established in 2013 by order of the CA governor but was only available on a limited basis. (Just 2500 individuals.)

The good news? As of July 1, 2021, the Self Determination Program (SDP) began to be available on a voluntary basis to any eligible regional center individual. The state of CA has set up a website with all the information you need to learn about the program and all available resources connected to the SDP.

https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/sdp/

If you are interested in applying, reach out to your local regional center for more details on how to apply. There are seven Regional Centers in LA County (listed below for your convenience).

Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center, Inc. (ELARC)

http://www.elarc.org/

Main Office: 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra CA 91802

(626) 299-4700

Whittier Office: 13215 Penn St., Suite 410, Whittier, CA 90602

(562) 698-1046

Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center (FDLRC)

http://lanterman.org/

3303 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 252-5600

Harbor Regional Center (HRC)

http://www.harborrc.org/

Main Office: 21231 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503

(310) 540-1711

Long Beach Office: 1155 E. San Antonio Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807

Suite A – Reception

North Los Angeles Regional Center (NLARC)

http://www.nlacrc.org/

Main Office: 15400 Sherman Way, Suite 170, Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 778-1900

Santa Clarita Valley Office: 23560 Magic Mountain Parkway, Suite 150, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

(661) 775-8450

Antelope Valley Office: 43210 Gingham Avenue, Suite 6, Lancaster, CA 95353

(661) 945-6761

South Central Los Angeles Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (SCLARC)

http://sclarc.org/

2500 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018

(213) 744-7000

San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (SGPRC)

http://www.sgprc.org/

761 Corporate Center Drive, Pomona, CA 91768

(909) 620-7722

(800) 822-7504

Westside Regional Center (WRC)

http://www.westsiderc.org/

5901 Green Valley Circle, Ste 320, Culver City, CA 90230-6949

(310) 258-4000

If this information is helpful to you, or you know someone who might benefit, please share with your community! We are all better when we are all active and healthy within our community. And if you are new here, consider our highly specialized swim lesson programs for children and adults with disabilities.

We offer semi-private and private swim lessons for adults and children with special needs, English second language, and United States Service-Disabled Veterans. We are equipped to teach those with ADD & ADHD, amputation, anxiety, auditory processing disorders, Autism Spectrum (verbal and nonverbal), Cerebral Palsy, Down and CHARGE syndrome, Obesity, sensory integration issues, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities. Register here today!

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Important Update to the CA Self Determination Program appeared first on One with the Water.

In fact, for all ages under 85, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest rates of drowning nationwide, and these typically occur in natural water settings, such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. Additionally, an astonishing 80% of those are male. 

So how do you protect your teen from drowning? Follow these seven simple, common-sense tips to keep your child from being a statistic. 

7 Water Safety Tips For Teens

1. In a boat, wear a lifejacket. Sounds simple, but as mentioned, most of these drownings occur in natural bodies of water. Protect yourself and your loved ones by adding this layer of protection when boating. 
2. Don’t allow your teen to swim alone. Most of the drownings in this age group occur when children are swimming without adult supervision. Never let your teen swim alone or hang out near water without adult eyes on the situation. 
3. Additionally, when at the ocean, pay attention to posted swim warnings. Don’t go in the water without lifeguards and avoid dangerous undertows. 
4. Water safety is a family affair! Both you AND your teen should learn CPR. Be prepared to assist in an emergency. (I can’t emphasize this enough after my own experience with almost losing a child to drowning. Every adult should know CPR.
5. Inflatable life rafts do not count as a life preserver. Please do not rely on them to keep your child safe. 
6. Teach your teen to be smart in the water. Choose safe places to swim and scout the area for submerged dangers. Learn to recognize when hidden obstacles or powerful undertows could be present. Don’t drink and swim. 
7. Finally, learn to swim! Swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88%. Know what to look for in a swim instructor (Not sure? Read this.) and follow up with premium swim lessons that will help your child to succeed both in the water and out. 

Parenting is hard. Keeping your children safe in seemingly scary times is hard. But we do have the tools, and we would encourage you to keep using them. Follow us here on the blog and Facebook for more safety tips, quality coaching, and swimming news. 

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Water Safety and Teens: 7 Ways to Keep Them Safe appeared first on One with the Water.

3 Heat-related Swimming Injuries

1. Heat exhaustion/heatstroke

Heatstroke is the most deadly and seems counter-intuitive when in the water. However, the danger occurs when the water temperature goes above the mid-eighties. Combined with high air temperatures, the symptoms of heat exhaustion can progress rapidly, resulting in heatstroke, a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention. If you are in the water (especially warmer water) and notice the following symptoms, you need to exit the water and get out of the sun immediately. (Source).

• Cool, pale skin
• Headache and nausea
• Weakness and exhaustion.
• Dizziness, faintness, and mental confusion
• Rapid, weak pulse.
• Fast and shallow breathing

2. Dehydration

Dehydration is often one of the key factors in heat exhaustion, and can easily occur in the water, even though the body is submerged. You can still sweat while working out in the water. Here are a few basic rules to follow when thinking about hydration:

• As a general rule, you should be drinking at least half your body weight in fluid ounces BEFORE accounting for training. According to Swimming World, you should add in at least 32/ounces per hour of training on top of that.
• Don’t just chug those 32 ounces all at once though. Ensure a steady intake throughout the workout by drinking about 8 oz every 15-20 minutes.
• If you are planning to work out at a moderate to high intensity for over an hour, consider adding electrolytes, in the form of light-colored sports drinks or coconut water prior to and during the workout.

Sunburn

Sunburn is another heat-related injury that can sneak up on you, even if you applied a liberal dose prior to swimming. Most sunscreen applications last about two hours before it begins to break down in the light. You should reapply every two to four hours or after swimming. A lot of people think the higher the SPF, the better. WRONG. Actually, after SPF 50, additional protection is negligible. The real issue is that most people apply sunscreen incorrectly, only using 25-50% of the recommended amount, reducing the actual protective abilities. New York City dermatologist Doris Day, MD told Reader’s Digest, “If you use SPF 50, you really get the protection of an SPF 20 based on how people actually apply it.” Focus on SPF 30-50 and make sure you apply it correctly and often. (See above).

Use the following application recommendations provided by the American Dermatology Association:

• Apply enough sunscreen to cover all exposed skin. Most adults need about 1 ounce — or enough to fill a shot glass — to fully cover their body.
• Don’t forget to apply to the tops of your feet, your neck, your ears and the top of your head.
• Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.
• Skin cancer also can form on the lips. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Remember, the water cannot protect your body from heat-related swimming injuries. You must be a proactive participant in protecting yourself from the heat-related dangers of swimming. Now, hydrate, apply sunscreen and go swimming!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Three Heat-Related Swimming Injuries and How to Avoid Them appeared first on One with the Water.

At One with the Water, our swimming lessons are taught using growth-mindset techniques. We witness transformative miracles in our students, both in and out of the water, as they shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset learn to love challenges, are intrigued by mistakes, and intentionally seek out new challenges. They have learned that their circumstances matter less than who they are. 

“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” – Carol Dweck.

Positive Feedback

A core component of parenting and coaching in a manner that fosters a growth mindset is the language we use in giving positive feedback. It requires the most intention and retraining due to our current culture of reflexive praise. As a parent myself, I still find this the most difficult to remember in the moment as I go about the daily tasks of raising tiny humans.

Our natural tendency is to respond with a phrase like, “Good job!” While well-intentioned, using this type of expression does nothing to delineate the line between talent, effort, and results. Rather than giving children feedback about how their process of work led to a specific outcome so they can continue to develop their abilities, saying “Good job” implies an end state of success.

Growth Mindset Tools

Instead of saying “good job,” consider the following statements when your child/student is successful in his or her effort. (Source: Mindset Works Growth Mindset Feedback Tool)

• I am so proud of the effort you put forth.
• I am very proud of you for not giving up and look at what you have to show for it!
• Congratulations – you really used great strategies for (fill in the blank).
• I want you to remember for a moment how challenging this was when you began. Look at how far you have come!
• All that hard work and effort paid off!
• The next time you have a challenge like this, what will you do?
• What choices did you make that you think contributed to your success?
• It’s exciting to see the difference in your work now when we compare it to your earlier work.
• Doesn’t it feel good to master this? How does it feel to master this?
• Are you proud of yourself? Tell me what makes you most proud.

Remember that all our responses, growth or otherwise, will have a natural effect on the children we are raising and coaching. We must be using the correct ones.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post What to say instead of “Good Job”: Growth Mindset Tools appeared first on One with the Water.

“As authority figures, the messages we send to students and clients about success can often cause them to fall into the fixed mindset, as their success breeds a fear of failure. If success means they are smart/talented/brilliant/athletic, then failure means they are the opposite of all those things. At One with the Water, we praise our clients based on the growth processes used to perform – practice, study, effort, consistency, and persistence — and connect it to the outcomes, successful or not. And we are always developing new strategies and approaches. Because everyone is different. Because everyone learns in a different way.”

Interestingly, a not-insignificant number of individuals hold a growth mindset concerning athletic abilities and a fixed mindset when it comes to academics, believing that while athletic ability can be improved by practice, persistence, effort, and hard work, intelligence and academic success is innate, and cannot be changed. One study showed that 75% of students focused on performance goals in school versus mastery goals. In sports, the opposite was true. 77% of students were oriented towards a mastery goal in sports, compared to performance goals.

So what does that mean for you and your swimmer? The good news is that mindsets can be changed. And when you or your student exhibits a mixed mindset, as mentioned above, the tools we teach, the growth mindset used in improving their swimming abilities, can be applied to their academic and professional arenas. Numerous studies mention treating the brain like a muscle, viewing the academic arena as a playing field, and teachers who are there to coach, mentor, and care for them. Sports and swimming, in particular, become a familiar reference in which to re-imagine their capabilities and nurture a complete growth mindset.

Sign up today for our premium swim lessons and see the power of a growth mindset to transform your life.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Growth Mindset versus Mixed Mindset and the power to change. appeared first on One with the Water.

We’ve all heard of the crawl, walk, run concept of teaching new skills, whether it be in sport or elsewhere. At the core, the crawl to walk developmental sequence involves patterned neural activity, perception, cognition, and social interaction that has sequential effects on each subsequent skill. Ideas illustrated by research on the development of walking are broadly applied to other functional areas of development, in both the particulars and the process.

 However, learning to walk is not merely a euphemism for maturing and evolving. Like swimming, it is a physical skill with concrete markers of achievement that must be built upon sequentially in order to achieve the desired end state. At One with the Water, the crawl, walk, run is foundational in determining the method and order in which we teach you or your swimmer each new skill.

Our Coaching Method

It is vital to understand that when a new swimming skill is introduced, only minimal space is needed to perform the skill correctly. Once you or your swimmer is no longer able to do the movements correctly, your coach will stop and take a moment to correct the mistake, provide an opportunity to review the correct steps , and begin again training the skill.

 You may wonder why we teach in such small spaces, but because of the minimal space required, coaches do not have to have a swimmer swim more than a few strokes when learning a new skill. Once you or your swimmer shows appropriate mastery of the technique, we start having you move beyond the 10 meters mark. Forcing a swimmer to do more than 8-10 meters due to outside pressure or misguided coaching will only teach bad form and cause them to tire them out sooner. 

 Like crawling and walking, new opportunities for learning in each stage provide a developmental foundation for the acquisition and understanding of new skills.

 “Fluency is what makes skills efficient, coordinated, and beautiful to observe. It is the ability to execute movements smoothly, accurately, and rapidly. Consistency and automaticity—performing the same movements in the same way over and over—are the signature attributes of fluency that allow for more efficient use of psychological and neural resources.”  Source. 

Take advantage of our research-based, and time-tested, growth-mindset influenced coaching methods and register for premium swim lessons today.  

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Coaching Method: Crawl, walk, run. appeared first on One with the Water.

Sometimes the news can be overwhelming. Right now, LA County caught on fire seemingly overnight. Hundreds of thousands of Northern Californians are without power. Hurricane Dorian almost shut down the entire East Coast last month. In any disaster, natural or otherwise, it’s easy to feel panicked, helpless, and out of control. 

Take drowning, for example. It doesn’t always look the way we imagine it would. This post, written in 2010, goes viral at the beginning of every summer, but let me summarize the facts. Drowning produces what’s known as the instinctive drowning response. It’s silent, as victims are physically unable to cry out for help, fast (less than 30 seconds), and doesn’t involve a whole lot of thrashing around. And perhaps the most alarming, over half of adolescent drownings each year occur within 25 yards of an adult, and in 10 percent of those incidents, the adult will watch them drown with no idea what is happening.  

CPR Saves Lives

I know this is true because it happened to me. My three-year-old passed out in the water with two adults nearby while all our  attention was focused on a minor emergency outside the pool. In those crucial seconds, he decided to swim across the pool, was unable to reach the side, and passed out from holding his breath. Thankfully, he was seen, rescued, and resuscitated by  my cousin using CPR, with no damage to his brain and body. In those moments, however, it became shockingly clear that I was unprepared to give him CPR. In fact, according to a study done by the American Heart Association, less than 20 percent of Americans are equipped to perform CPR during a medical emergency. 

Why does that matter? Well, if a bystander does not perform CPR, the survival chances of a victim will decrease 7% in every single minute of delay. And European studies done on Cardiac resuscitation show that early initiation of basic lifesaving measures increases the chances of survival up to 2–4 times. Additionally, a Canadian study done on out of hospital cardiac deaths related to drowning found, “most drownings are unwitnessed, occur in public locations, and present with non-shockable initial rhythms, suggesting that treatment should focus on bystander CPR.” 

Learn CPR

What’s the point of all this? Simple. Learn CPR. There is a form of CPR known as hands only, eliminating many concerns of individuals concerning the spread of disease or proper breathing techniques. Regardless of how or to what level you learn CPR, you need to learn it. You might very well save a life one day. To find classes, you can access this course finder, taught by the American Heart Association, or this one, prepared by the American Red Cross. 

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post CPR Saves Lives appeared first on One with the Water.

If you are like me, your Facebook feed is exploding with back to school photos. Cute smiles, brushed hair, and shining faces. Lunches are packed, new backpacks are brimming over with school supplies, and moms and dads everywhere are flopping down on the couch for a quiet, uninterrupted cup of coffee. (Maybe that’s just me!)

Let’s be honest; how long will we all keep it up? We have strong personalities in this house, with big emotions that need constant regulation. If we don’t have a steady morning routine in place, things go downhill quickly, and neatly brushed hair gives way to bedhead and mismatched socks.

In that vein, here are three quick ways to practice healthy morning habits and create regular routines for sensitive and emotional children. We might be a swimming blog, but our goal is physical, mental, and emotional wellness for all.

Healthy Morning Habits

1.    Start with nightly prep and set expectations. Lay out clothes, plan breakfast, make sure your child knows the tasks they are expected to perform in the morning. Depending on age, charts are an excellent tool for this purpose.

2.    Plan for 5-10 minutes of mindful movement after waking. Even brief exercise will awaken the brain and stimulate information processing, plus help with stress reduction and improved concentration abilities. Start here for some simple stretching exercises to do in the morning.  (And for children with ADHD, read more about how and why swimming especially can help with focus in the classroom.)

3.    Protein for breakfast. First, start with the fundamental fact that children need to eat breakfast, period. One study showed that students who ate breakfast in the morning scored twice as high on Teacher Assessment, compared with those who did not. However, what they eat matters too. Carbohydrates in the morning add glucose to jumpstart your brain, but solely eating carbs in the morning will result in a blood sugar crash well before lunch, leading to grumpy, unfocused children. (Adult too, for that matter!) Adding a healthy serving of protein to your child’s breakfast slows carbohydrate absorption and levels out blood sugar throughout the day. (Read more here for suggested healthy snack choices and serving size).

The bottom line? Routines matter. As parents and caregivers, we must teach and model healthy habits for our children, providing them with the physical building blocks needed for emotional, mental, and academic success.

Sources:

• http://www.houstonstateofhealth.com/promisepractice/index/view?pid=3616 
• https://www.verywellfamily.com/simple-kids-stretching-exercises-1257070  
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151116212635.htm 
• https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSFCS86.pdf 
• http://www.sagechildcare.edu.au/blog/why-a-high-protein-breakfast-is-essential-for-childrens-learning/

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Back to School: Healthy Morning Habits appeared first on One with the Water.

Did you know 4th of July is the number one holiday for alcohol consumption in the US? Combined with Independence day also being the busiest boating season, and prime time for water activities, it’s important to remember these vital safety tips both in and out of the water.

In no particular order:

1. Remember all water can be dangerous. Even inches.
2. Always swim with a buddy no matter what age you are.
3. Enter the water feet first. In natural bodies of water, have a good swimmer scout the water first for hidden dangers.
4. Weak swimmers should use a USCG approved lifejacket in the water, no floaties or noodles for drowning prevention.
5. Designate a water watcher or assign a lifeguard, but keep counting your own children. (It’s how we saved our son’s life). 
6. When not around the water, use pool barriers and other protective measures.
7. Avoid distractions when watching children. As in, STAY OFF YOUR PHONE.
8. Don’t consume alcohol when operating water toys, watching children, etc.
9. Assign swim breaks. Give yourself a chance to rest, rehydrate, and reapply sunscreen.
10. Educate yourself. Know what drowning looks like. (HiInt: It’s not what you think.)
11. If a child is lost or missing, CHECK THE WATER FIRST.
12. Learn CPR – this applies all year round! Drowning victims need oxygen – know how to give it.
13. Remember, swim lessons are the number one tool of drowning prevention. Register with us today if you haven’t yet taken this lifesaving step for you and your loved ones.

Now go out there and celebrate! (Safely).

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Water Safety: July 4th Edition. appeared first on One with the Water.