At a young age, we teach our children about the importance of being safe. We teach them not to run onto the street and to keep their fingers away from outlets. What often gets forgotten is the importance of teaching them to be safe in and around water. It’s not a matter of if your child will encounter water but when. Most children shy away from water. This is largely due to a lack of exposure during early years. At bath time, we avoid splashing water on their face and we panic when they go anywhere near a pool or lake. We recommend that parents start their children swimming early.
The truth is, it’s important that your child begins their swimming journey as early as possible. We offer free parent and tot classes for infants under six months to promote early exposure. This prevents children from developing a fear of water and makes progress much easier. We encourage parents to not shy away from getting water in their child’s face at bath time because it’s important to let your child know that water doesn’t have to be scary.
At Russell Aquatics, we begin teaching life saving water skills like back floats and swimming small distances at the age of two. Learning to roll onto their back to take a breath can allow them to reach the edge of the pool without assistance or extend the length in which they are able to swim at a time.
Drowning is the second highest cause of paediatric death so it’s absolutely vital that we do everything we can to prevent that. This is especially important given the number of pools, lakes and open bodies of water in Ontario. It is impossible to watch your child 100% of the time so equip your child with the skills needed to be safe in and around water.
Aside from learning an incredibly important life skill, swimming at an early age can also help build muscle, increase appetite, build coordination and balance, improve quality of sleep and all around, is a fun, athletic activity that can ultimately save lives.
