HANDY WAY TO ADDRESS FEAR

Today my students were 7 and 10 year old siblings.  They both were comfortable in the water and we quickly covered bobbing, treading, stroke basics, the survival float, and even elementary back stroke.  They were getting ready for another summer vacation in a mid-western lake.  Their mom mentioned that they seem fearful in the lake but I didn’t see any signs of it . . . until . . . our second time swimming down the lane over the deep end, the oldest was almost in tears.  I quickly taught them both the Emotional Freedom Technique of tapping with one hand on the other hand on the fleshy part under where the pinky and ring fingers join (see the picture above).  I tapped on the child’s hand until he was calm. Then we swam all the back to the shallow end.