8 Reasons to Enroll Your Child in Swim Lessons
Summer is here. Have you signed your child up for swim lessons yet? It’s not too late! Knowing how to swim is vital to ensuring safety in the water, but did you know there’s an array of social and health related benefits of swimming for kids as well? Here are 8 reasons to enroll your child in swim lessons today.
1. Swim lessons mean safety.
According to the National Institute of Health, children aged 1–4, who received formal swim lessons, saw an 88% reduction in drowning risk. Swim lessons teach children more than just the front crawl. Most swim classes also include guidance on general water safety—such as pool deck safety and the role that lifeguards have—which children can take with them throughout their lives. Swim lessons teach children to be safe around the water by presenting the information in lessons that they can easily remember.
2. Swim lessons can help a child overcome fears of the water.
Having your child learn a new skill, such as swimming, can be daunting. For many, the experience of submerging their face in the water, going fully beneath the surface, or holding their breath can be very scary. By enrolling your child in swim lessons, they can become comfortable with each of these sensations at their own pace, with a trained professional on hand to help guide them.
3. A child can learn perseverance in swim lessons.
No one can overcome their fears or learn a new skill overnight. In the process of learning how to swim, children will inevitably have setbacks as learning and growth are never a linear process. When children are supported, both at home and by their swim instructors, and encouraged to keep trying, they can learn lifelong skills of adaptability and perseverance.
4. Swimming can boost confidence!
As first-time swimmers overcome their fears and become more confident in the water, they will also gain confidence from learning a new skill. You can celebrate with your child by watching their hard work pay off as they hit certain milestones in classes, including blowing bubbles, learning how to float on their back, and completing their first lap of the pool. When kids feel confident about the work they are doing in their classes, they are more likely to enjoy the classes and possibly develop a lifelong love of swimming!
5. Swim lessons can be social.
Both in and out of the water, kids can meet other students at swim lessons. Together, it can be a great way for them to socialize and build community. For older children, swim teams can create strong social bonds.
6. Swimming is great exercise, at any age.
Swimming is an aerobic and full-body resistance workout. It is low impact (meaning it’s easy on the joints!) while still strengthening all parts of the body—legs, upper body, core, back, even lungs! It’s a terrific workout at any age. By enrolling your child in swim lessons, you can give them the gift of an exercise that they can do for the rest of their lives—just add a swimsuit, cap, goggles, and of course, water!
7. Knowing how to swim can help communities reclaim narratives and lessen generational trauma.
Historically, BIPOC communities in America have been marginalized and prevented from using pools and learning how to swim. Exclusionary systems have left entire communities at heightened risk for drowning, leading to intergenerational aversions to aquatics. In fact, if a child’s parents don’t know how to swim, there is an 81% chance that the child will never learn. By enrolling your child in swim lessons, you may be giving them the opportunity to overcome a harmful narrative and bring change to their communities.
8. Swimming is fun!
Whether you’re in a pool, at the beach, or swimming in a lake, there’s nothing better than splashing around in the water on a sunny day. Taking swim lessons can give your child the skills to safely join in on this activity this summer. Swimming is joyful, especially when it’s safe.