Swimming is an essential life skill that every child should learn. Being able to swim can not only save a child's life, but also provide numerous health and social benefits. There are many good reasons why parents should make teaching their child to swim a top priority.
Safety Around Water
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death for children in the UK. Children can drown in surprisingly small amounts of water, sometimes in less than 2 inches. Knowing how to swim gives a child the skills and confidence they need to enjoy swimming and be safe around water. Children taught to swim at an early age are much less likely to drown if they accidentally fall into a pool, lake, or river. Even basic swimming skills can go a long way in keeping kids safe.
Health Benefits
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for kids. The cool water and low-impact nature of swimming make it an ideal activity for children. Regular swimming can improve muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, endurance and flexibility. The exercise gained from swimming helps kids maintain a healthy weight and avoid problems like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes later in life. Swimming is also gentle on growing bones and joints, making it a good choice for children with conditions like asthma or orthopaedic limitations.
Social and Psychological Benefits
Group swim lessons allow kids to interact, play and compete with other children. This helps build social skills, communication, cooperation and the ability to follow rules. Mastering swimming skills also breeds confidence and self-esteem. Children gain a sense of achievement when they conquer their fear of water and learn to swim proficiently. Swimming can become a lifelong hobby that keeps them active and social well into adulthood.
Building a Lifelong Skill
Starting swim lessons early enables children to become comfortable in the water from a young age. This helps avoid fear and makes swimming an enjoyable activity. Swimming is a skill kids can use for the rest of their lives. Even if they live nowhere near a pool or a river, knowing how to swim can give them confidence during trips to water parks, lakes or while on holiday near the sea. Learning fundamental swimming skills like floating, kicking, arm strokes and breathing technique when young means kids will always have this ability to draw on.
Choosing Swim Lessons
Many schools and community pools offer group swim lessons for children starting as young as 6 months old. Private swim instructors are another option for more customised instruction. The ideal age to enrol kids in lessons is between 3-4 years when they are ready to follow verbal cues and direction without parental assistance. Lessons should cover water safety and skills like entering/exiting, breath control, buoyancy, kicking, arm strokes and water games that keep kids engaged. Children who are scared of water can benefit from one-on-one lessons to help them overcome fear and feel comfortable in the pool.
If you are long term fostering, consider enrolling the children in your care in swim lessons. And if they can already swim, ask if they’d like to join a local swimming club to improve their skills.
Teaching a child to swim provides benefits that can last a lifetime. Learning this essential skill early enables kids to safely have fun in the water and gives parents peace of mind knowing their child has the ability to survive if they end up in water unexpectedly.
