Ear Hustle

Community Alert: Children Should Learn To Swim; Here’s 5 Reason Why

swimming

As written by one concerned parent

As a new mom, I’ve experienced a lot of firsts over the last year. An exciting milestone this summer has been swim lessons with my 14-month-old. Swim lessons are an important step in keeping children safe around the water. I’ve spent the last three years working with a committed group of community partners dedicated to preventing drowning, so I knew my little girl would be signed up for lessons at the first chance.

We polled our community partners about why children should take swim lessons; here’s what they said:

  1. Swim lessons teach children lifesaving skills. From how to enter the water to pool safety rules and how to get to the edge of the water, kids learn techniques that may save a life someday.

  2. Swim lessons calm fears. Many children are terrified of getting their face wet or putting their head underwater. Imagine what would happen if such a child unexpectedly fell into the water; he or she would likely panic. Swim lessons start with basics like blowing bubbles in the water to get children used to having their face near water. Spending time in the water during lessons also helps many children become more comfortable with their surroundings.

  3. Swimming is a great way to keep kids active over the summer. We’ve all heard the statistics about the increase in childhood obesity across the country.  What could be more fun than spending a hot summer day in the water with friends and family?  All of that splashing around in the pool is great exercise.

  4. Swim lessons can help kids build confidence. Helping your child learn and master new skills is great for their confidence and self-esteem. Swim lessons are often taught in stages, so with each round a child learns new skills and then graduates to the next level.

  5. Swim lessons can be the start of a new hobby or sport. Lessons aren’t competitive and their purpose isn’t to turn your child into the next Michael Phelps, but who knows? Swim lessons could spur a love of swimming in your child and open up opportunities to remain active as a competitive swimmer. It’s the start of a healthy activity that your child can continue to use for exercise throughout life!

Always remember: Nothing can take the place of active adult supervision when you’re at the pool this summer. Drowning remains among the leading causes of injury-related death for children ages 1-18 in Tennessee.

Source: Children’s Wishing Well

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