3 Things to Remember to Kickstart Your Summer Regimen Summer is prime swimming season and…
4 Essential Reasons Your Child Should Learn To Swim
Get amazing benefits from learning swimming early on!
Water safety is an important topic, and while there are many reasons that we believe swimming is a valuable lifelong skill, we at SwimMirror came up with our own list of 4 essential reasons your child should learn to swim! Read on to learn what they are.
1) Breaking free from fear
When a child first encounters a pool of water, they can be intimated by the blue vastness, not quite sure what do with the themselves. It’s perfectly normal to be scared of the water but the reality is, water is all around us (about 70% of the Earth is covered in it!).
“All ages can be nervous about the water, but as they get older it gets harder to face,” says Amanda Beard, American swimmer and seven-time Olympic medalist. “As you become a teenager or an adult it becomes more of an embarrassment thing because you don’t want to go learn how to swim. ‘[Because] you’re like, ‘I never did and I don’t know how.’ And you feel very vulnerable in the water.
“It’s definitely a lot more common than I ever knew, to be honest,” Beard adds. “But I’m glad that even though these kids are nervous and scared of the water that they’re coming in and we’re working with them every week to slowly break away all that fear.”
Breaking away from fear builds confidence and self-assurance, which are valuable traits to have early on. Imagine learning how to swim as the first building block to tackling future challenges and embracing possibilities your child can be capable of.
2) Prepared for the unexpected
Accidents happen even to kids with the most attentive parents. Every moment counts and within seconds, it may be too late. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), drowning is the leading cause of injury death of children between the ages of 1 to 14. Learning swimming basics such as floating and navigating the water can save your child’s life. Even a baby as young as 4 months old can learn these skills!
Did you know that May 15th is International Water Safety Day? It was created by the American Red Cross to “help spread global awareness of the ongoing drowning pandemic, and educate the youth in becoming safer in and around water.” This is a great opportunity to teach your child important lessons such as how to control breathing, rolling over when tired and general pool safety. You can also download the app which features water safety information in different aquatic situations, games and quizzes for kids, and a progress-checker.
Teaching your child to swim early on not only prepares them for any situation but also gives you peace of mind.
3) Fostering interest in sports and fitness
Swimming is not just constricted to the local pool. Watersports is a world of many possibilities and avenues, such as competitive swimming, canoeing, kayaking, jet skiing, surfing and more! Because swimming is a fundamental learning block, your child will have the capability to dive into other interests that can jumpstart a lifelong passion. According to Psychology Today, it’s been proven that participation in sports cultivates commitment, teamwork, resilience, and of course, a way of being out of the house.
Introducing your child to swimming can also encourage the habit of exercising. Because swimming utilizes the whole body, you child can get a head start in developing muscle and lung strength that makes other forms of exercising easier.
If you have a pool in the backyard, making swimming a regular activity can foster the need to keep the body moving and encourage other forms of daily movement such as walking or running. With much practice, your child can develop the flexibility and endurance to stay in shape and care about their own body.
4) To just have fun!
What better way to utilize all that energy than swimming and having fun under the sun? Swimming is one of the most enjoyable family fun activities, especially during the summer time. Your child can also enjoy swimming with friends, play in water parks or community pools, and have an amazing time on beach day! There are so many opportunities learning to swim can open up to and knowing how early on can make sure your child won’t miss out!
SwimMirror: Your #1 Swim Teaching Tool
Convinced it’s time to get your child swim goggles and dive in for their first lesson? Know what tools are available to make the most of their experience. Like SwimMirror, is an underwater pool mirror that reflects your child’s swim strokes as they practice in real-time. This long lasting and low maintenance tool can help your child (and, parents, too!) improve swimming basics and advanced techniques. See it in action below!
Want to learn how to be the best swim parent ever? Check out our post here!
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