TRAVELING WITH THE GRANDKIDS?
3 THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE TRIP
We could all use a vacation, and if you’re looking to bond with your grandkids, a trip might be the perfect answer. It’s fun for you, and getting away from Mom and Dad for a while is thrilling for any kid. But before you board a plane to Italy with your granddaughter or rent an RV for a trip to Yellowstone with your grandsons, there are a few things you need to check off your to-do list.
your grandchild to call home and tell her father about all the fun she’s having. A little compromise can lead to less stress and more fun for everyone.
PACK NECESSARY DOCUMENTS You need to have some form of ID for your grandkids. Older kids can use a driver’s license, but if you’re traveling with little ones, find a copy of their birth certificates. You also need copies of insurance and prescription cards and a notarized letter from the parents granting you permission to authorize medical care in case of an emergency. It’s also a good idea to have a letter of permission for your grandkids to travel with you. Make sure the letter is signed by all legal guardians, especially if your grandchild’s parents are divorced. You don’t want to accidentally cause a custody dispute. PLAN A TRIP YOU’LL BOTH LOVE When planning your itinerary, ask yourself if your grandkids will have fun, too. You might be excited to visit an art museum, but a younger child might not appreciate it as much. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit museums or historical sites! In fact, most of these places offer kid-centric activities, like scavenger hunts, that can help a younger audience engage with the environment. Just be sure to think of your grandchild first when planning. There’s nothing like the adventure of travel to bring generations closer together and create lasting memories. These tips will help you ensure those memories are good ones. Happy travels!
DON’T LET THE PARENTS WORRY Letting their kids go on a trip without them can be nerve-wracking for parents. Don’t view parental worries as an implication that you are an irresponsible grandparent. Instead, think about how you felt when your own children were young, and take steps to alleviate the parents’ concerns. If your daughter asks you not to be on your phone while in crowded public places because she’s concerned you might lose sight of her child, promise to keep the phone in your pocket. If your son-in-law wants regular updates, make time before bed for GET IN THE POOL!
As you can probably tell from our name, North County Water & Sports Therapy specializes in using water as a medium for therapeutic treatment and exercise. We have an on-site pool, which we use to work with many of our patients. As summer approaches, the pool will start filling up, so we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the benefits of aquatic therapy. Aquatic therapy has long been used in concert with traditional land-based techniques to encourage healing, reduce pain, and strengthen. Part of the reason aquatic therapy can be so effective is the way a body can move in water. The buoyancy of an aquatic environment greatly reduces effective body mass and provides support, making movements easier with less pain. The scientific law behind this concept is called Archimedes’ principle, which states, “Any object, wholly or partially immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.” In layman’s terms, that means the water surrounding your body helps you move more freely. This effect has tremendous benefits when it comes to physical therapy. You can begin range-of-motion exercises in water long before you can on land. An aquatic environment also creates resistance through drag, promoting strength and stability. The force water exerts on your body, called hydrostatic pressure, decreases pain, reduces swelling, and facilitates excess fluid trapped in your tissues. The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy
All of these properties make aquatic therapy an excellent treatment option for athletic injuries, post-surgical rehab, arthritic conditions, and more. If you’ve found exercise to be unduly painful, the water is a great place to get started. Because we offer flotation equipment, you don’t need to be able to swim to receive the benefits of aquatic therapy. After you’ve used aquatic therapy to become stronger and increase your range of motion, you’ll be able to perform land-based techniques that were overly taxing before. When combined with other physical therapy techniques, aquatic therapy can lead to transformative results.
With all that said, we encourage you to hop in the pool. The water is warm and waiting for you.
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