Why Swimming Lessons Are So Important
Water can be so much fun. It cools us down, is an awesome summer activity for families with many heading to beach and lake destinations over summer, as well as those who visit their local swimming pools. There is so much we can enjoy being around water - the fun is endless!
However, as we head into the enjoyable, fun, holiday period that is summer, we are also heading into our most dangerous period for being around water. After a tough few years many children will be experiencing their first summer holiday by a pool this summer and it is vital they and you are best prepared to enjoy splashing around as a family.
Learning to swim is a vital life skill. Unfortunately, lots of us are missing out. Did you know that just over a quarter of the British population cannot swim to a primary school standard? Add a pandemic into the equation with pools closed for long periods and children not learning to swim as early in age.
We’re posing a serious question to parents – Do you know how well your child can swim?
It’s wrong to assume that just because your child learns to swim through school which are often only weekly lessons and during certain terms – if at all.
Is this really enough to ensure your child can swim?
We mean really swim and be confident enough to do so should they fall, fully clothed, into water which could be cold and have currents present.
We also know that for a variety of very valid reasons, parents are less able to take their children swimming compared to 20 years ago.
Do not worry though, there is an answer on hand, swimming lessons are readily available with Inverclyde Leisure and are good value for money, with children able to progress quickly to a minimum standard and then take swimming even further should they wish!
Swimming lessons are so much more than being an amazing swimmer. Unlike other sports where we often see our children continue to do them because they’re skilled and want to compete - swimming is more than being the best. Irrespective of your swimming ability and how many lengths you can swim or how fast you are, it can save your life or your children’s lives if they know how to float, tread water or use a survival stroke to reach safety. Swimming lessons provide a life skill and a survival skill.
Being safe in and around water is achieved with the combination of both supervision and skill. We keep ourselves and our children safe by always watching them around water but also by providing them with the awareness and skill to keep themselves safe. Children are their own first response when they are in water and learning how to swim gives them more confidence and the ability to instinctively keep themselves safe should the need arise.
At IL Swim School we start teaching water safety skills from the moment anyone enters the pool. Regardless of their age! These are a key component of our lessons from as young as babies and are adapted to be age and development appropriate through our toddler, school age and even adult lessons. It is never too late for adults to begin swimming lessons as this increases your confidence and ability in the water especially when with kids.
While learning how to save your own life is the most important reason to learn to swim there are also some other important reasons to take swimming lessons:
It’s great for the body! Swimming is a low impact form of exercise that uses the whole body. In particular, it improves coordination, flexibility and balance. Swimming requires the entire body to be able to do it and it doesn’t take long for your children to tire out! It is a fantastic way to incorporate movement into your child’s routine and they get to have fun doing it too! Swimming keeps your child’s heart and lungs healthy, increases stamina and even improves balance and posture.
It’s important to note that once someone learns how to swim they always know how, regardless of their fitness level, which is why it is a survival skill for life.
Swimming is also great for the mind as it increases confidence, improves mood and boosts self esteem. It creates a sense of self security being able to navigate water especially for your child. Learning how to swim early on will reduce a child's fear of water, which will make pools and beaches a far less stressful environment for both you and them.
It’s fun! So many children love water, love splashing in the bath, playing with containers of water from a young age and even the garden hose. It is a stress relieving and relaxing form of movement and at Fulton Swim School we ensure every lesson, regardless of age and ability is fun. Having fun is a key part of building confidence and being happy around water. It is also the environment which we learn best in. If a child is happy in the water they are going to learn best and what we want them to learn is a survival skill!
It is important to take swimming lessons for a number of reasons; the first and most important being it is a life saving skill we all need, especially living in a country surrounded by water everywhere. Many of our activities and family fun involve water and with that comes the responsibility to both know ourselves as well as teach our children how to ensure that we are all safe. Swimming is also great for our physical body, to create confidence and reduce fear, as well as to have fun with!
It is never too late to learn to swim. Too many people panic if they fall into water because they don’t know what to do. Learning to swim gives you and your children the confidence and ability to save your own lives.
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