Cool Down

Cool Down



After doing aerobic or muscle exercises, your child is
ready to cool down.


What to do


1. Have your child walk around for a few minutes to make sure
breathing is back to normal and that the heart is NOT
beating fast.

2. Your child should feel slightly relaxed when it is time to
do stretches.

3. Doing the stretching exercises given on previous pages or
others, have your child stretch all major joints and
muscle groups, especially those used in the workout.

4. Have your child work on flexibility, since it's easier to
stretch warm muscles.

Children should cool down after vigorous exercise to get
their breathing back to normal. Cooling down also keeps muscles
from becoming sore and stiff.



More Ideas


Here are some more ideas that will help your child grow up
healthy.


Safety First


Be aware of ways to prevent accidents and be able to
identify how accidents are caused. Teach your children to pick
up toys off the floor and stairs. When cooking, try to use the
back burners, making sure that pot handles and spoons are
turned toward the back of the stove. Use safety latches on
cabinets that contain cleaning fluids or knives and other
dangerous utensils. Cover electrical outlets with plastic
devices made for this purpose. And always be sure to keep an
eye out for your children!



Identify safety rules and practices to prevent accidents
at home, at school, and during recreational activities. Look
for playground and swimming pool rules that give safety
precautions, and explain them to your children. Make sure your
child wears safety equipment for specific activities: a helmet
when riding a bike and knee and elbow pads when roller skating,
roller blading, or skate boarding. Have your child practice
hand signals while bike riding. For the car, make a "Buckle
Your Seat Belt" sign and place it where children can see it.

Be aware of peer pressure. Observe your children in social
situations, and listen closely when they talk with you about
things that happen at school or on the playground. Get to know
the parents of your children's friends and try to attend as
many functions in which your child is involved as you can.

Teach your children how to protect themselves. Have them
practice saying "No." Tell them not to talk to strangers, to
always walk with a friend, and to avoid isolated areas such as
woods or vacant lots. If your child is followed by a car, he or
she should run away to a friend or neighbor's house. Teach your
children to be alert and to scream if someone grabs them. Keep
the lines of communication open, so that your children will
tell you if someone touches them in a way that makes them feel
uncomfortable. Work with your school and neighborhood to have
the police brief your children about safety precautions and
start a "safe home" program where neighbors display a sign in
the window to show children that if they are in danger they can
go to that house.


Response to Emergencies


Recognize and lean appropriate responses to emergency
situations, such as fires, lightning, tornadoes, and
earthquakes. Teach your children the proper uses of fire and
fire safety. Plan a home fire escape with your children and
practice it often. Also, show children what to do if their
clothes catch fire (STOP where you are, DROP to the ground, and
ROLL to put out the flames). Make sure your children know how
to dial the emergency number 911. Post it and other emergency
numbers near the telephone where they will be easily seen. In
the event of a tornado, teach. your children that the safest
place to go is the basement or interior room or hallway on the
bottom floor of the house. In an earthquake, teach children to
get under a desk or table, and stay away from windows If your
children are outside during a storm and there is lightning,
teach them not to stand under or near a tree. Trees tend to
attract lightning, because they are so tall



First Aid


The best rule of thumb is, "When in doubt, call the
doctor." Know the symptoms that require a doctor's care:
intense pain, high fever, excessive bleeding, unconsciousness,
difficulty breathing. Emphasize to your children that the best
way to care for a minor cut or scrape is to wash it with soap
and water and cover with a bandage if the cut is bleeding or
will be exposed to dirt. If possible, take a first aid course
from the American Red Cross, your local YM/YWCA, rescue squad,
or other organization to learn the procedures in
life-threatening situations, such as choking or poisoning. Some
doctors have free pamphlets or video tapes on first aid and
what to do in case of emergency.