Swim Lessons
From LoveToKnow Swimsuits
How Important are Swim Lessons?
Unless you live near a body of water, or are lucky enough to have your own swimming pool, you may not think that swim lessons are all that important. Think again. In 2000 alone, a total of 943 children died from drowning, with many more having to receive emergency treatment for non-fatal injuries suffered at the pool or beach.
Many of those children were left unsupervised near water for less than five minutes, so it's easy to see why you should consider giving your child swim lessons sooner rather than later.
Safety aside, swimming is great fun for kids and adults alike. It's one of the best forms of exercise you can get, and provides an excellent opportunity for some family bonding time. Learning how to swim adequately can also allow you and your children to enjoy a whole host of vacation water sports.
When Should Your Child Start Swim Lessons?
When to begin a child's swim lessons is a question which has no right or wrong answer, and the age at which you start your child off with swim lessons will very much come down to your own personal choice. As a parent you are the best judge of when your child is actually ready.
Professional Guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that serious swimming lessons shouldn't be undertaken until a child is at least four years old. Until then, you can take your child along for some supervised fun in the water, but don't expect them to be ready to learn "properly" until they're old enough to be able to follow and retain simple instructions.
Another Opinion
Of course, not everyone subscribes to the view that children under four aren't ready to begin formal swim lessons, and a quick search online will turn up dozens of stories of children, some only a few months old, who have successfully learned to swim much younger. Babies and toddlers have no real fear of the water, and while they're obviously too young to learn proper swimming strokes, they will instinctively close their mouths and make motions to propel themselves through the water. For these reasons, some instructors argue that the younger the child is when he or she starts swim lessons, the better.
Deciding Factors
Ultimately, you'll need to decide which one of these ideas you subscribe to when trying to decide if it's time to book swim lessons for your child.
Ask yourself these questions:
- How likely is it that your child will be around water? If you live near a pool or beachside, you already have a good reason for wanting your children to be confident in the water from a young age.
- Has your child shown any interest in learning to swim?
- How quickly does your child pick up simple instructions?
Lessons for Babies
Babies won't be able to learn to swim formally, of course, but they do love the water, and some time at the pool can be a wonderful experience for both baby and parent alike. Many pools and swim schools now run sessions especially geared towards babies, and allow parents to take their infants into the water during open sessions.
If you'd like to take you’re baby swimming, a swim diaper is a sound investment. These special diapers do not bloat with pool water, and most public pools and water parks will not allow babies in the water without them. Sun protection is also a major concern, so consider investing in a UV swimsuit, and don't forget to apply sun block with a SPF 30 or greater several times throughout the session.
Although it may seem like a good idea to put water wings on a child who isn't yet able to swim, these flotation devices are not designed to be worn by children under the age of one, and will not prevent a child from drowning without parental supervision. Children's swimsuits with built in flotation vests will provide better protection, but your supervision is still required.
Lessons for Nervous Swimmers and Adults
Swim lessons aren't just for children. There are a lot of adults out there who, for one reason or another, never learned to swim as children, and who'd like to take some lessons now.
Like riding a bike or getting used to roller blades, learning to swim can be more difficult as an adult, purely because adults are more aware of all the things that could go wrong, and so are likely to be a bit more nervous in the water. Luckily, with a bit of practice, anyone can learn to swim, and by finding a sympathetic instructor, even the most nervous of swimmers will soon be enjoying the water, whatever their age.
If either you or your child has a fear of the water, or of swimming in general, it's important to mention this to your instructor before booking a course of lessons. He or she will be able to take your fears into account when working with you, and try to make sure that you're never asked to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.
External Links
- YMCA, find your local chapter to inquire about swim lessons.
- ClubSwim.com, a resource for finding local swim lessons, swim camps, and how-to-swim instructional videos.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 2,284 times. This page was last modified 20:13, 27 October 2007.
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