Should I Put My Toddler in Swimming Lessons?

Swimming is fun, but is it safe to teach your toddler swimming? Let’s find out what measures to take care of while putting toddlers in swimming class.

Swimming is one of the life-saving skills that everyone should have. People often ignore the need to learn to swim and don’t even realize how important it is to have such a skill. Many people fear water (hydrophobia), and it’s very stressful for them; with that, they can’t learn to swim, and it can become an irrational fear for their children.

Having swimming skills at any age is essential as there could be a situation where your safety is at risk. Swimming lessons can lower drowning rates among kids, including toddlers.

If swimming lessons are provided to toddlers, it can promote their physical and mental health, and it will provide them with a great deal of learning experience and lots of health benefits at the same time.

One of the beneficial things that you can do as a parent for your kid is to introduce more physical activities to their lifestyle rather than making them stay home which can resist their proper growth and physical development. Skill-based activities like swimming lessons can be a great idea to boost your toddler’s physical and mental growth.

Here are the reasons why swimming lessons are essential at any age and the answer to the question, should you put your toddler in swimming lessons?

When Should Kids Start Swimming Lessons?

As mentioned above, having water survival skills is important for every child. Swimming lessons can help your child be safe around water and prevent water accidents, particularly for kids ages 1 to 4 (toddlers). So, when should kids start swimming lessons?

As kids develop at different rates, not all are ready to start swimming lessons at the same age. While putting your kid to swim lessons, keep these points in mind:

• Their comfort level in the water
• Their physical abilities and limitations, and
• Their emotional maturity

In general, by the age of 4, most kids are ready for swimming lessons, and they can learn basic water survival skills.

Things to Consider Before Enrolling Your Toddler in Swimming Lessons

It’s a great decision if you’re considering enrolling your toddler in swim lessons as the drowning cases are increasing daily among kids. Learning swimming skills will not just make them have fun, but it will make your toddler fit and healthy as well; these are the things you should think about before enrolling your toddler in swimming lessons:

Experienced, Qualified, and Safety-Certified Instructors

Be sure that the program has instructors who are well trained and have experience in teaching toddlers, they should be qualified and have been certified through a national level recognized program/institution. The trainer should be friendly to the kids and be good at teaching swimming techniques to the kids.

Pool Water Should Be Pure

Your toddler can swallow water from the pool multiple times, so it’s very important to ensure that the hygiene and chlorine level should always be checked. And the pool water needs to be contaminant free.

Require Multiple Sessions

Once your child starts with the lessons and you see consistent progress in their skills over time, there should be an ongoing program that allows your child to go to an advanced level each time they master a new skill.

Lifeguards on Duty

There should also be lifeguards on duty with CPR and First Aid certifications in case of an emergency and kids need to get rescued.

They Should Provide You with Progress Reports

Ensure the trainer gives monthly reports on your toddler’s progress. Instructors should explain your kids’ progress and the new techniques they have taught them.

Look For Options

Consider a few more classes before admitting your child to any program, and you need to compare between classes to find a perfect program for your kid.

Teaches Safety Habits Near Water

They should teach the kids never to swim alone and always do it under the supervision of adults. They should teach the kids to ask for adult permission before they even try to get into any water body.

Should Let You Watch a Class

They should let you watch a class to see if it fits your toddler best. You need to observe if the kids are getting one-on-one attention and if the instructors are friendly to the kids.

Why Say Yes to Parent-Toddler Swim Lessons?

Swimming skills should be a priority for every family; it’s an important life skill that plays a key role in helping to prevent drowning, which is a top cause of death among kids.

Kids and their parents must learn to swim to protect themselves from water accidents. According to recent studies, it is suggested that training for water survival skills and swim lessons can help in reducing the drowning risk for toddlers.

Programs that include both parent and their kids are a good way to introduce water safety skills, and if you find your kids ready, then it’s better to begin the classes now.

How Swimming Lessons Are Beneficial For Your Toddler?

Swimming is a life-saving skill, and along with that, it’s a fun activity and a great escape in hot weather as well. But the benefits of swimming are way more than that; some of those are

Improved Health

Swimming is a great exercise for cardiovascular health, which means that it is good for a healthy heart and lungs. It prevents obesity, helps in better metabolism, lowers the risk of type 1 diabetes, and overall great health.

Physical Fitness

Swimming uses the entire body and is a great aerobic exercise for kids. Swimming needs some skills, and that’s why it improves posture and body balance. It improves flexibility, and it’s fun to do too.

It Improves Cognitive Skills

Cognitive skills are the brain-based skills needed to acquire knowledge, attention, memory, processing speed, etc. A young baby’s brain develops using both sides of the body. Swimming needs all the limbs, so it helps in the brain development in toddlers, improves reading ability, development of language, and many more.

It Improves The Sleeping Pattern and Appetite

A lot of energy is required to spend time inside the pool by the kids. Your toddler may be extra tired after the swimming lesson due to the extra energy they spend swimming, and it will improve their sleeping pattern.

After regular swimming classes, it is more than possible that your toddler will have an increased appetite.

It Increases Confidence

Swimming gives your toddler a lot of confidence; they enjoy jumping into the pool and swimming with their friends with confidence. Swimming can improve their emotional health and provide them with calmness.

What Are the Disadvantages of Putting Your Toddler in Swimming Lessons?

There are numerous benefits of teaching swimming to your kids, but with the good comes bad; here are some of the disadvantages of putting your toddler in swimming lessons:

• There is a good possibility that even the baby pool can be big for your toddler, even though there are some swimming classes where they train kids as young as six months. Still, studies say it’s less than possible that a kid can be an expert swimmer before the age of 6 or 7. So the best time to start swimming classes for your child would be at 4 or 5.
• During the summer, the pool’s cold water can cause a few diseases like colds and coughs in your toddler.
• The chemicals used in pool water and those used to clean the pools can form a toxic gas that baby swimmers breathe in just over the pool water surface. It can lead to asthma.
• In swimming classes, the trainers put multiple kids into a pool that is not cleaned often, which can spread contagious diseases.

But what if you notice something wrong in the swimming classes and they don’t take any preventive majors to avoid any accidents? And what if an accident happens in that swimming class? What should you do? What type of lawyers handles swimming pool accidents and drowning cases?

You can get legal assistance for swimming pool accidents and drowning incidents. Personal injury laws are meant in favor of the victims to get appropriate compensation for the injuries incurred. Typically, personal injury lawyers handle swimming pool injury or drowning cases. If an accident at the pool, like drowning, a lawyer can be appointed who could make a case to hold the pool owner liable for failing to meet safety majors. You need to know your legal right. So in the case of any swimming pool incidents in your family, you may be able to recover damages to pay for hospital bills, medicines, and the pain and suffering you are going through due to the pool owner’s negligence.

Conclusion

Putting your toddler in swimming lessons can be a great idea; it’s an amazing exercise for the kids’ overall health. It’s a lifesaver skill that is needed to be taught to every person, and it’s good if you teach your kid to swim as early as possible. It’s all good if you see all the pros and cons of putting your toddler in swimming lessons.