Dear Parents,

Only two weeks until summer camps and classes begin!  Don't panic if you have not made plans.  Local camps welcome your inquiries even if they are full.  If there's a program you really like, ask to be put on the waiting list.

We hope you've enjoyed reading about the variety of summer programs in the Camp Calendar.  It's a great time for children to try new activities.  Keep checking our Camp Calendar for new entries.  For the most comprehensive list of summer programs, go to our A-Z Camps Resource.

The events in this newsletter include highlights for the entire summer so be sure to visit our Events Calendar to access many more events.  Remember to use the Search feature so you can isolate by date and/or category of event. Whether your family preference is festivals, plays, musical entertainment or walks on the beaches and in the redwoods, it's all here!

Are you vacationing locally this summer?  Then you will want to visit our Activities & Family Fun Resource section for ideas.

At the end of the day, enjoy a family meal and listen to the children tell of their summer adventures!

Parmalee

by Tiffany Harmon, Seahorse Swim School

We come in all shapes and sizes, with past experiences and fears and with our own personalities and ways of learning new things. In our aquatic community, it is important that every person, young and old learn to swim. Below are a few techniques to simplify the ways we can get your shy or fearful child to their first swim lesson.

• Communicate with your instructor in advance of the lesson to identify the participant's fears. Discuss how the fears surface and how they are handled at home. Ask the instructor what the process will be for the first swim lesson so that you can discuss this with your child in advance of the first lesson.

• Validate the child's fears and explain that they are going to be learning new skills in a safe place. Explain the process & let your child know what they can expect from the lesson in advance. Often, if we know what is expected of us early on, we are able to relax and open up to learning new things. Visit the pool before your lesson & have them watch a current class.  This will give the child a chance to see what they may be doing and will help acclimate them to their new learning environment.

• Bring favorite waterproof toy to the lesson to assist the child in being comfortable in their new aquatic environment.

• Maintain consistency to allow the student to develop trust with the teacher. Limit the variables: same time, same location, same instructor, same positive feedback. Consistency is key. Keep coming back. Make swimming part of their ongoing schedule.

• Reward the learner by taking notice to things they did well big and small. Ask them to tell/show you what they learned that day; what was the best part of their swim lesson. As we learn new skills and techniques, we like to know we did a good job. Reinforce the learner by noticing and commenting on their accomplishments.

Tiffany Harmon, owner of Seahorse Swim School, has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from UCSC. With over 25 years of experience, Tiffany has nurtured the development of thousands of swimmers, as well as Water Safety Instructors (WSI) & lifeguards in Santa Cruz County. Tiffany is an Instructor Trainer for the American Red Cross; she trains swim instructors and lifeguards in Santa Cruz County. (831) 476-7946

By Starshine Roshell

There are certain things you expect to see at a kids' soccer game. Gatorade bottles and orange slices. Coaches' clipboards and cans of spray sunscreen.
Here's what you don't expect to see: A 9mm handgun.

Michigan dad James Sherrill was arrested recently after pulling a pistol on another player's dad at a high-tension soccer match between - get this - 6 and 7 year-olds.

We'd like to gasp in horror. We'd like to grimace in shock. But anyone who's ever schlepped a folding chair to a field knows adult tempers percolate vigorously at kids' sporting events. All too often they boil over.

"Coaching seven years of Little League has left me believing that parents at all games should be muzzled," says a dad I know. "I had a guy threaten to not only kick my ass but have his son kick my son's ass. Over playing time! It was a sad sight to behold."

He once saw a father spit on an umpire. "Parent ejected, kid embarrassed," he says.

Another friend once saw a shoving-turned-punching match between two dads at a soccer match. "One of the wives joined in and took a swing," he says. "The kids came running off the field, then the guys' kids went to blows. A lovely lesson to teach your 10 year-old."

Parent violence at kids' athletic events quadrupled between 2000 and 2005, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports.

"Almost every day you see some pretty outrageous stuff," says Blake Dorfman, a sports writer who founded PresidioSports.com to report on kids sports in Santa Barbara, Calif. He's seen parents shouting at each other, at coaches - even at their own kids. "I think this all sprouts out of a good thing, which is the fact that parents are involved. But sometimes that leads to over-involvement."

He blames the rise of club sports, which demand a lot from moms and dads: "It costs thousands of dollars to put a girl through club volleyball, for example, and there's a sense of, "Hey, I invested so much time and money, I have a right to give my opinion and have this play out how I want.' "

Many parents have grand aspirations that, if coached right, their child will earn athletic scholarships and maybe even a spot on a pro team - a near impossibility, statistically speaking. The rotten economy only fuels such victory-fixated desperation.

Some parents are more prone than others toward sideline squabbles and bleacher brawls. "Parents who have been athletes themselves seem to understand competition better," says sports psychotherapist Susan Farber. "The parents who always wanted to be a star athlete (but never were) have a more difficult time and can sometimes try to get their unrealized dreams met through their child."

Another factor feeding this phenomenon is the inherently combative culture of athletics. We urge our kids to "Get him!" and "Block her!" We impel them to "Get in there!" and "Don't hold back!" And then we wonder why mom and dad are raring to rumble by half-time.

Some leagues now require parents to attend pre-season training classes, where they learn how to be boosters - rather than embarrassments - to the system. My friend Jonelle Bruno, a longtime coach and former Little League president, made her team parents sign a Code of Conduct contract. If they hollered at umpires or berated players, they were unwelcome at future games. "I'd bench the parents!," says Bruno, who believes that youth sports have more important things to teach kids than how to behave like idiots: "Conflict resolution, teamwork, operating within rules, and learning how to fail and fail and then finally succeed," she says. "Those are the lessons they should be getting."

Starshine Roshell is the author of "Keep Your Skirt On" and blogs here.

Over the years of my emergency and urgent-care career, I've dealt with many injuries and illnesses seen commonly during the summer. I'd like to share some of my thoughts on making this a safe season for everyone.

**Sunscreen: Almost everyone who spends time out in the sun must wear sunscreen to block the damaging effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays on our sensitive skin. Use a sunscreen that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF rating of at least 30. Apply it liberally and often - at least every two hours. Parents, protect your children's precious skin.

**Insects: Beware of the many summer bugs lurking out there. For mosquito protection, use a repellent that contains DEET, which, when used as directed, is safe for adults and children older than 2 months.

Regarding stinging insects such as yellowjackets, wasps and honeybees, avoid them if they are nearby. If you are stung by a honey bee, which is the only stinging insect that leaves a stinger behind in the skin, remove it as quickly as possible, by any means possible. It is now deemed OK to pull it out with your fingers and not waste time finding something with which to scrape it off. Immediately apply ice to the sting.

When out in a wooded or grassy area, always check your entire body for ticks when you get home. If you find one, remove it as soon as possible by getting a pair of tweezers, grabbing the tick close to the skin and pulling it straight out.

**Poison oak: The best protection is to recognize it and avoid it. If you touch poison oak with your skin, clothing (including shoes and shoe laces) or garden tools, wash them immediately with soap and water. Poison oak oil must be washed off the skin within a few minutes to avoid the dreaded rash. Remember, all parts of the poison oak plant contain the nasty oil, including the leaves, branches and roots.

**Heat: Heat exhaustion is evidenced by extreme sweating, fatigue and cramps. Heat stroke (a life-threatening condition) is characterized by lack of sweating; red, hot skin; and a very high body temperature. Both conditions can usually be prevented by drinking plenty of liquids and avoiding direct sun as much as possible, especially between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

**Water safety: About 4,000 Americans drown every year - and men are four times more likely to drown than women. Alcohol is frequently involved. Make sure children are supervised in the water every single minute. Watch out for rapid currents, riptides and rocks, and always be aware of your surroundings.

Boat injuries claim another 700 lives a year. Drive your boat sensibly, have enough life preservers on board, and do not drink alcohol and drive.

**Bicycling: Wear a helmet! No matter how obvious this bit of advice is, I still see people riding without a helmet, and I cringe when I see children without this life-saving protection. Head injuries are often very serious, if not deadly, and are inexcusable for lack of a helmet. Be aware of your surroundings, and be in control of your bike at all times. Don't take foolish chances.

**Eating: Summer picnics can be a common source of food poisoning, manifested by vomiting or diarrhea. Food left out too long is the usual culprit. Handling uncooked chicken or eating undercooked chicken is also a common source of illness.

**Driving: We all drive more during the summer. The cheapest form of life insurance while you are in a car is the good old seat belt. Wear it! Also, make sure children are in proper, age-appropriate car seats. Hand-held cell phone use while driving your car is a significant cause of accidents and is now illegal.

Have a very enjoyable - and very safe - summer.

Terry Hollenbeck, MD, practices in Scotts Valley and blogs on Valley Doctor.

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

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