When to Enroll Your Child in Swim Lessons
With summer around the corner and temperatures heating up in the coming months, families will undoubtedly try to cool off in a swimming pool. For families with children, it’s essential to teach your child water survival skills. Studies have shown that swim lessons may lower drowning rates among children.
While swimming lessons can’t completely eliminate the risk of drowning, they can keep your kids safe around the pool and help to reduce the number of tragic swimming pool accidents. Below is a guide on age-appropriate swimming lessons for kids.
Swim Lessons for Babies
While infant swim classes are enjoyable for babies and parents, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) does not recommend swim lessons for infants under one year old because they haven’t developed the breathing skills necessary for swimming. The AAP suggests swim classes so that the parent and baby can engage together in water play activities, allowing babies a chance to acclimate to being in the water.
Swim Lessons for Toddlers
Most toddlers are not developmentally ready to swim well on their own or learn complex swim strokes until after their 4th birthday. However, the AAP suggests swimming lessons for kids between one and four years old. According to the AAP, drowning is a leading cause of injury and death among children ages 12 months through 36 months.
Swim classes for kids under four years old should include the parent and child to understand good pool safety habits. These classes are also essential in building swim readiness skills.
Swim Lessons for Kids 4 and Older
Most children can coordinate their movements to kick their feet and swim strokes by this age. When enrolling your child in swim classes, look for programs with safety-certified instructors and courses that allow your child to move to the next level when they have mastered a new skill. The best aquatic programs combine instructions and games that are fun and teach kids crucial skills. Learning to swim is an essential life skill and one that should be a commitment to your child.
Swimming Pool Safety
When it comes to swimming, safety should be a priority. Although swim lessons can help eliminate risks, children should always be supervised in the water. Even with a life vest or floaties, parents should exercise touch supervision at all times, a term the AAP describes as being able to touch your child or within an arm’s reach.
The most important protection against accidental drowning is a secure fence around your pool. It should be at least 4 feet high, surround the pool on all four sides, have closing and latching gates, and isolate the pool entirely from the house. A locking pool cover can also provide extra safety.
Parents can take other precautions, such as teaching babysitters and caregivers about pool hazards and showing them how to use protective devices. When you have a backyard pool party, make sure the adults take turns watching the kids so you can ensure there are eyes on the children constantly. Check the pool first whenever a kid is missing.
When the pool is not being used, make sure to put away any toys and floaties that may attract your child’s attention. Ensure the pool barrier or gate is never propped open and is fully locked. Implementing these safety tips can create a safe environment for children of all ages.
Watch YouTube Video: How to Keep Your Family Safe at the Pool. In the video below, ABC News reports how you can keep your family safe in and around swimming pools.
Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, an attorney for swimming pool accidents. Whether it’s a dip in your own backyard pool or a community pool, these safety precautions can help you and your kids have fun in the sun. Nothing ensures protection from accidental drownings more than consistent swimming lessons as a child grows up combined with adult supervision while swimming and safeguards in place around a pool. If an accidental drowning or accident does occur and you need compassionate legal guidance, call our experienced swimming pool accident attorneys for free and confidential advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
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