Do you think it is a good idea to give your children swimming lessons at a very young age???

Question

personally I think it is a great thing to do. I was told by a swim instructor the younger the better because they don't have the fear of the water.my middle daughter camethisclose to drowning when she was 6, she fell into 10 feet of water in a channel while we were on a fishing trip my husband and I didn't know how to swim.I regretted that we never had them learn how to swim.it almost cost her her life

Answer 1

it's a great idea i learned to swim from being young and have never feared water i love it.

plus as you said about your daughter.

so it's for safety you never know when you may need to swim

Answer 2

I agree that it helps the child gain confidence and not fear water. Some babies learn before they even walk!

Answer 3

of course! u should probably take some adult swimming lessons yourself in case that happens again,or just so u can help your kids swim better.

Answer 4

absolutly. the younger a child is to start learning the better even if they are 1 years old. it get them fimilar with the water so they're not scared of it when they get older. also just in case they fall into a pool at a young age they'll know what to do

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in Canadian children one to four years of age, accounting for more than one-fifth of deaths in this age group (1,2). Hospitalization rates for near-drowning peak in the toddler age group, with a five-fold increased risk compared with older children (2). Infant and toddler drownings tend to occur in or around the home, with infants mostly in bathtubs, and toddlers falling into swimming pools (3,4).

Swimming programs for infants as young as several months of age are widely available in Canada. These programs are designed to introduce young children to water, build water confidence, and teach water safety to parents and guardians. Few studies have examined readiness for swimming lessons in this age group. Parker and Blanksby (5) reported that children’s earliest mastery of water confidence and basic aquatic locomotive skills is four years of age, despite the age at which lessons commence. Blanksby et al (6) reported that children achieved the skills necessary to perform the front crawl at 5.5 years of age, regardless of whether lessons began at two, three or four years of age.

also read this-

Humans are the only mammals that lack the instinctive ability to swim. This is why is it very important to introduce swimming at a very young age with baby swimming lessons, so that children grow up learning how to swim. This is beneficial from a safety standpoint in addition to enjoyment and fitness purposes.

Before enrolling any youngster in baby swimming lessons, the child should be as accustomed to the water as possible. One way to prepare children for baby swimming lessons is at home in the bathtub by pouring small amounts of warm, non soapy water over the child's head so that it trickles down the face. Incorporating toys into bath time also helps build position associations with being in the water that can transfer over to the swimming pool.

Starting 'em Young

The best time to start a child in baby swimming lessons is between six and twelve months old, because the water still has some of the natural associations of being in the womb. Some mothers choose to start baby swimming lessons as early as twelve weeks while others wait until their babies are about 18 months old. After this time, it can be more difficult for a child to learn water adjustment and breath control.

While swim diapers aren't required in all swimming pools, they are a good idea for baby swimming lessons to avoid any accidents in the water. Babies over the age of one may also benefit from water wings to help stay afloat.

Before starting baby swimming lessons, visit the pool during non-peak hours a couple of times to allow the baby a chance to get accustomed to the water. Some pools hold weekly "parent and baby" swimming sessions reserved specifically for this purpose. Always maintain eye contact when first entering the water, and hold the baby close to make them feel relaxed and confident. As their confidence increases, move the baby around slowly in the water to ease them into the feeling of swimming.

Toys, Songs, and Bubbles

Here are some other great tips for making the pool a fun and enjoyable experience for babies. Try bringing some of the baby's bath toys to the pool to demonstrate that the water is essentially the same. Once the baby has a feel for the pool, toss one of the toys a few feet and hold them as they glide through the water to retrieve it. Or, try laying the baby down on their back and holding them up while they their legs.

Some parents like to sing songs like "Humpty Dumpty" while the baby sits on the edge of the pool. When the song comes to the line "Humpty Dumpty had a great fall", lift the baby up and down into the water with a big splash!

Once they become accustomed to the feeling of having water on their face, children love to learn how to blow bubbles. Blowing bubbles is a great first step in learning how to swim since it is impossible to inhale water while bubbles are being blown.

There is evidence that swimming lessons improve swimming ability and deck behaviour in young children (two to four years of age); however, the long term maintenance of these skills has not been reported (7,8). There is no evidence that swimming lessons prevent drowning or near drowning in this age group. Although it may be possible to teach young infants basic motor skills for water, infants cannot be expected to learn the elements of water safety or to react appropriately in emergencies. No young child, particularly those who are preschool aged, can ever be considered ‘water safe’. Active adult supervision and four-sided pool fencing are the best strategies against drowning in this age group (9-11). In particular, pool alarms are not effective and may give parents a false sense of security. Hazards of swimming lessons for young children other than drowning include water intoxication with hyponatremia and seizures, hypothermia, and various infectious diseases including otitis externa (12-19).

Based on the current research evidence on the effectiveness of infant and toddler aquatic programs, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that:

Swimming programs for infants and toddlers less than four years of age should not be promoted as being an effective drowning prevention strategy.

Children less than four years of age do not have the developmental ability to master water survival skills and swim independently. Aquatic activities and swimming programs for these children should focus on building confidence and educating parents regarding water safety.

Swimming instruction should be carried out by trained instructors in pools that comply with current standards for design, maintenance, operation, and infection control (to reduce the risk of hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, skin infections, etc.).

Residential pools should be fenced on all four sides, and must include a self-closing, self-latching gate. Check with the local municipality for other requirements, such as height and type of fencing.

Constant arms-length adult supervision is recommended for toddlers and infants near water (pools, bathtubs and natural bodies of water). Infants placed in water must be held by an adult at all times.

Government-approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) should be used for all young children and those who cannot swim. PFDs are not a substitute for supervision.

Parents and pool owners should be encouraged to receive first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, and to maintain an emergency action plan.

Answer 5

I would say 3 years old is a great time to start.

Answer 6

Yes.  Knowledge can never hurt a person and having your children develop a respect for water and joy from it will make their lives richer.

Answer 7

I don't like to see them getting lessons before three or four. Your statement that they have no fear of the water is exactly why. Young children are taken swimming with their parents, and put in pfd's, and carefully supervised in the water. They aren't really learning to swim, but are losing any fear of the water they might have had. So when they happen to come across water when they are alone, they'll just hop right in, and nobody will be there to help them.   By five or six they can accept instruction and actually learn.

And when on a boat, everyone on board should always wear a coast guard approved personal floatation device, even adults and swimmers. If you fall off and hit your head, or the boat sinks, or your non-swimming child falls in, the pfd's lying on the deck or floating away won't do you much good.

Answer 8

yes totally i started taking swimming lessons when i was 3 and it is definitely worth it

Answer 9

YES teach them how to swim at a young age that way if something like what happend to you happens again she will know how to swim Also take some lessons yourself just to be safe!! Happy Swimming!

Answer 10

A definite YES!!!!

I taught my kids to swim early on. It does not take a long time, some manage it in one afternoon, or a couple of days. Later on, practice makes perfect. Mine learned to swim at the age of three and a half. I had to do it because kids are fearless, and might just throw themselves into a pool, thinking that if other kids can do it, they can too.

Just don't hamper their natural abilities with lifesavers and inflatable arm floaters, because they just tend to make kids dependent on them.

You, should by all means, learn to swim too. Your kids look up to you.

Answer 11

Absolutely.  I almost tend to think that it is borderline abuse if parents don't teach their children to swim.  Kids have the chance of being around water at lots of different times in their lives and just the basics about swimming can save their life if they fall in.  When I was eleven I had to save a friend from drowning because she thought she was jumping into the shallow end of the pool.  It scared me to death.  My children were good swimmers by the time they were 5 or 6 but could have prevented from drowning by the time they were 2 or 3.

Answer 12

most of my family has taught themselves to swim, my dad taught himself, same with me...  

as far as lessons, many can't afford that...  the practical thing to do in those cases would be to teach your child to swim...  and also teach yourself...  (which is what I did, taught myself when I was 10 or so...)  No, I am not an expert swimmer but I can save myself and others if I need to...  when you put a dog in the water, they automatically paddle without being taught...  us adults can do that too when the adrenalin is pumping...

Teaching a child how to swim does not necessarily save their life, they should still be supervised, if they get caught in a current in a river or a lake, they can still drown...  the adults need to know how to swim too in order to save them...  So, I think the first step is to get adults learning how to swim first, you can teach yourself, because even with lessons a child does not have the strength to save themselves if a storm hits and a current starts...  they will need an adult's help...

Our oldest daughter taught herself, as well...  husband taught himself too...

I suppose it all boils down to how one was raised, we were raised to teach ourselves to swim (plus my dad helped me  learn), plus I had the independent desire to teach myself.  Our kids will be taught or teach themselves because it's not affordable to give them lessons, or practical, driving them back and forth.  Plus, I feel pretty good about myself that I have taught myself =)

There are also some kids who think because they know how to swim that they can do anything while swimming, look at how many drownings there are in oceans and lakes and the kids even knew how to swim...  if the right conditions arise, even an adult can drown that knows how to swim, you can hit a rock even, and pass out =(...

I am not saying children should not be taught, it's just I think parents need to learn as well...they should also be reminded of the dangers as well...  and children should always be supervised, anyway, around deep waters...