Home
Find A Club
Junior Programs
Schip & Andy
JX Program
Our Friends
Competitions
Australian Age Champ
Games and Fun
Mums and Dads
Contact Us

Information for Parents

Swimming

Australia

Parent Handbook

The Swimming

Australia

Parent Handbook provides valuable information for parents about:

* Developing an "athletes first, winning second" perspective

* Building your child's self-esteem

* Helping and encouraging your child in setting realistic goals

* The right amount of training

* Healthy swimming

* Feeding your swimmer, and

* Officiating

Click on the image above to download a copy. Alternatively, if you would like us to send you a free copy, please contact us on 3390 2011 or admin.qld@swimming.org.au

Rules For Kids

Swimming Queensland is committed to presenting swimming in a way that ensures kids have the opportunity to learn, experience success, and have fun.

An important step in achieving this goal is to give young children access to swim meets at which they will not be disqualified if they are unable to fully conform with Swimming Rules.

With this principle in mind, Swimming Queensland has instructed its Referees that they must not disqualify swimmers aged 7 and under at any meet under any circumstances.

In addition, at meets categorised as "non-qualifying", every effort will be made to avoid disqualifying swimmers aged 8 and 9 years by applying tolerances to the swimming rules.

Junior swimmers participating in events where Rule Tolerances are applied will be given a Stroke Correction Form when they infringe the rules.

Click here to download a copy

Physical Activity

The Commonwealth Government recommends the following physical activity for children and youth:

1. Children and youth should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day.

2. Children and youth should not spend more than two hours per day using electronic media for entertainment (e.g. computer games, internet, T.V.) particularly during daylight hours.

Physical Activity recommendations for Children and Youth. Commonwealth of

Australia

, 2004

The Healthy Lunch Box

Our dietician Ruth, has come up with some special tips for Mums and Dads to help keep kids lunch boxes healthy.

What's In The Box?

"To keep kids healthy they need a variety of foods each day, but they are not necessarily 'gourmet' eaters! School lunches should taste great, look interesting, vary a little each day, be filled with foods to satisfy young scholars, and provide the goodness growing bodies and active minds need"

So what makes up a healthy school lunch?

1. Variety in colour, taste and texture

2. Include mainly foods from the bread & cereal group

Suggestions

Snacks:

Scones, muffins

Pikelets

Fruit & Grain Bars

Muesli/Fruit Slices

Low Fat Brownie

Fruit � fresh/dried

Fruit Bun/Loaf

Home Baked Biscuits

�Big� Lunch:

Breads: Pita, Lavash, Turkish, Grain Slices & Rolls, Lebanese Rolls, Wraps.

Crackers: Wholemeal & Grain, Rice/Corn crackers.

Pasta/Rice: Leftovers, Rice/Pasta Salad

Savoury muffins

Don�t forget to include some protein for growth & satisfaction.
e.g. Meat, fish, chicken, cheese, egg, peanut butter.

4. Dairy Products may be a good �filler� � yogurt, cheese chunks/sticks, frozen milk drink, yogurt drink.

5. Fresh foods are essential for vitamins & vitality. Always remember to include fruit and vegies or salad.

Fruit Options:

Fresh fruit pieces

Melon balls

Grapes

Dried Fruit

Fruit Tubs

Veggie Options:

Salad in the sandwich

Veggie pieces

Cherry Tomatoes

Leftover fried rice with Veggies

6. Pop in a frozen water bottle. This helps to keep the cold foods cold and encourages kids to drink more water during the day.

7. Encourage healthy snack choices such as fruit, cheese sticks, crackers, pikelets, scones, fruit muffins, fruit & grain bars, yogurt.

Remember, always try to follow the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

Encourage and support breastfeeding

Children and adolescents need sufficient nutritious foods to grow and develop normally
- Growth should be checked regularly for young children
- Physical activity is important for all children and adolescents

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods

Children and adolescents should be encouraged to:
- Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruit
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta, and noodles), preferably wholegrain
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives
- Include milks, yogurts and cheese and/or alternatives (*reduced fat milks are not suitable for young children under two years, because of their high energy needs, but reduced-fat varieties should be encouraged for older children and adolescents)
- Choose water as a drink (*alcohol is not recommended for children)

And care should be taken to:

Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake
- Low-fat diets are not suitable for infants

Choose foods low in salt

Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars

Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia. National health and Medical Research Council, Commonwealth of Australia, 2003