You're planning your next family vacation, and you start to envision going on a kayaking or other paddling adventure....sounds awesome, right? Well what if your children do not yet know how to do so? How can you teach them about the basics of this fun and exciting family activity, before the vacation commences?
Safety Issues
Whenever little ones are involved, you absolutely must put your children first. Even if they are over the legally required age for a life jacket, tell them that they must wear one. You need to wear on too. Model positive behavior for your children by doing it yourself. Furthermore, check into height and weight restrictions for this type of activity or for the particular company with which you'd be going.
Take A Class
Chances are, some classes exist in your local area to help children learn the basics of paddling. Unless you're an expert in the field, it's not a bad idea to leave the training to the professionals. Look into some local community colleges to find courses. If that brings you to a dead end, contact swimming schools and instructors in the area. They might be able to recommend someone. Once you've found a suitable class, think about taking it together with your child or entire family. It wouldn't hurt for all of you to brush up on your skills.
Swimming Instruction
If your children are going to doing any sort of boating or paddling, it's crucial that they know how to swim. Accidents happen, and you want your children to be prepared if they end up in the water. A certified swim instructor or swimming school can help to make this happen. They can teach them the proper techniques for swimming, and they may also be able to show them what to do in an emergency. You want to emphasize that falling into the water is not a good thing; however, you also want them to be prepared in the event that something does happen.
Modeling
Once you have completed these aforementioned parts of the instructional process, it's time to hit the water. Find a calm area near your house where kayaking or other paddle boating is permitted. Bring your children there one day, and head out into the boat. Show them how to use the paddle, and allow them to join in after watching for awhile. This task will likely be easier if you try to have one adult per child. When this isn't possible, try to take smaller children in separate shifts. Kayaking and paddling can be a lot of fun, but you don't want to put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation.
Be Safe
You should always be safe in every way when you're in the outdoors, and especially when you're on the water. So, this means follow all of the obvious things - helmet, life vest, the works. But one thing you might forget is that it's also important to insure yourself, just in case of unforeseen events. So, invest in some quality health insurance for everyone that you plan to teach the art of paddling, so that no matter what happens, you're taken care of!
Now that you have done all that you can, it's time to go and enjoy your vacation. Just remember to keep safety in mind. If you're going out on a guided tour, it's important to make sure that the group allows children to attend. You don't want to sign up only to find out that you're unable to participate in this activity for which you've spent so much time preparing!
Bariska Halloway writes all about recreation. Her recent work is on the Top 10 Online Master’s in Sports Management Degree Programs
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