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Should I Start Swimming Lessons For My Child Sooner Rather Than Later?

The question on many parents’ lips is ‘when should my child start swimming lessons?’ For me this is an easy question to answer. I feel that children should be introduced to the water as early as possible. There are many reasons for this, and I will cover many of them in this blog. IMPORTANT: Before booking any parent and baby lessons ensure that you properly research the school beforehand. Many believe that teaching mother and baby lessons are as easy as, getting them in the water and playing games. There is a lot more to it than that! If lessons are taught incorrectly it could have a detrimental effect on your child’s swimming for life. bigstock-Mother-And-Baby-In-Swiming-Poo-81203321 Now the warnings are out of the way, why do I think you should introduce your child to the water as early as possible?
1. The younger the swimmer the less fear they have in the water. This allows you to introduce your child to the water without the kicking and screaming that may occur at the age of 4 + (sometimes easily overcome and sometimes not).
2. You can be actively involved with their swimming. For me this is so important for 2 reasons. Firstly, the obvious one, the plain fact that you are involved with another of your child’s developmental stages. Being involved allows you to understand the importance of swimming which is paramount for any parent. Secondly, just being in the water allows a smooth progression of the child to swimming independently, rather than just being placed into swimming lessons at the age of 4.
3. From an early age children can learn many skills that will give them a head start with their swimming such as water confidence and buoyancy. As a swim teacher some of the biggest obstacles to overcome with aged 5 + kids, is water confidence and being able to float in the water; both of which can be taught as early as 2 with a little patience and time.
There are many other advantages to introducing your child to the water as early as possible. As a swim teacher and ex-RNLI beach lifeguard the ones above are the biggies for me. The earlier they start (most of the time) the quicker they progress. A stronger more confident swimmer is a safer swimmer.
If you have started swimming lessons with the little ones or are planning to soon then don't forget we have a huge range of kid's swimwear at Simply Swim which you can find >here<. We also have a great choice of toys and games for the pool and kids' learn to swim training aids.
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