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Your Baby and Water Safety
from February 2020
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New babies mean exciting times. Maybe weary times too, as you strive to make your child’s start in life a safe and happy one. And with bath time splashes and rising mobility, an important question eventually arises – when should my child start developing the skills needed for water safety?
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What Age to Start If you are wondering if your child is old enough for swim lessons, the answer is likely YES. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that structured swim lessons start at 1 year of age. We now know that toddlers who have had more exposure to water and even basic swim skill instructions learn to swim and become water safe at a faster rate. Although most children will not swim independently for a few years, early exposure to water safety is crucial for all children.
Importance of Swim Lessons and Water Safety Around one in every five drowning deaths involve children under the age of 14, with children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old having the highest drowning statistics. This is largely due to parents’ lack of knowledge of water safety. In most cases, you’ll find that swim lessons for kids can start at around 6 months of age with a parent accompanying their infant. At this level, the lessons are meant to help your baby get acquainted with the water and for you to learn water safety. While these aren’t “proper” swim lessons, they set the groundwork for when your child can be enrolled in the next level where they start to learn different skills. To make sure their first experience is as magical as possible, here are some tips to prepare for that first swim school visit.
3 Steps to Swim Lesson Preparation – From Fear to Fun, then to Skill Building It is virtually impossible to teach safety skills if some
one is deathly afraid. So, water safety skill building starts with the basics – associating water with fun. Here is what you can do to set the tone for a fun and successful swim lesson with your child:
Step 1 – Prepare Yourself - • Ask to visit a swim school class with your child. Some babies adapt more willingly than others to new people, environments and experiences. Visiting a swim lesson or school prior to getting in the water will help to gauge your child’s interest in the lesson.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Infant/Toddler • It all starts at bath time. Make sure bath time is a fun time of day, as this will help your little one to thrive in water, viewing it as something to be enjoyed and loved.
Step 3 – Support your child’s swim school visit • Ease into the new environment. Make sure your first visit is a positive, gentle introduction to the multi-sensory world of swimming pools, lessons, and other parents/kids.
In summary, by starting lessons early, you greatly increase the likelihood that your child will progress from fear to fun and build the skills and confidence needed for water safety and a lifetime of adventure and joy in and around water.
Read more about baby and water safety on our website thehoodmagazine.com. l
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