5 Reasons to Enroll Your Children in Swim Lessons

Check out this great information from American Academy of Pediatrics at www.healthychildren.org

Learning to swim can provide your child a lifelong source of fun and fitness. It also adds a layer of drowning prevention when they're around water.
Here are some of many reasons to enroll your child in swim lessons. Also learn when kids are ready, how to find quality lessons, and why you may want to consider signing up, too!

1. Swimming can be fun! Children of all ages are often enthralled by water. Whether kids jump in, splash at the surface, or toss in objects to watch them float and sink, water endlessly fascinates t them. Learning to swim is one way to engage your child with water and allow them to safely experience the joy that water has to offer.

2. Swim lessons promote water safety.Each year, many young children and teens lose their lives by drowning. Children are naturally drawn to water. And if they do not know how to swim, they can easily get into trouble. The leading reason that children drown is that they wander and encounter a pool or other body of water while unsupervised.
Making sure that children know how to swim is a layer of protection to prevent drowning. Swim instruction includes lessons in water safety that even very young children can learn.
Hear more about when children should start swim lessons in this video from Dr. Ben Hoffman:


3. Swimming is great exercise.Daily physical activity is important for all children. Swimming is a low-impact way to gain strength and endurance while having fun. Children of all fitness levels and abilities can enjoy time in the pool. Becoming comfortable in the water is a great way to build the idea that fitness is fun. Early and regular swimming can lay the foundation for a healthy level of activity and lifelong enjoyment as an adult.

4. Swim lessons promote healthy development. Swimming can support a child's healthy mental development, endurance and strength, general coordination and balance. Children of nearly any age, background, size and physical ability can learn to swim. Swimming allows children of all levels of ability to get outdoors and be active while socializing with their peers. Skills learned in swimming can translate to other sports as well, including building the confidence to try other physical activities.

5. Learning to swim can build self-confidence. Children love to say, "I can do it!" Competence is the ability to accomplish a task well. Competence can lead to self-confidence. As children grow, challenges such as learning to swim help children to develop the confidence to persevere in difficult tasks. In swim class, a child can learn that something difficult can be accomplished over time. Developing competence is a vital step in gaining the independence that children will eventually need to transition into adulthood.

Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/