You watch as your children delight in the joys of bath water and wonder about the next step. There are many valid reasons why your child should learn to swim, with safety being primary on the list. It is important to remember, though, that children should never be left unattended around water, whether the children know how to swim or not. If children's safety is ensured, your child will be able to enjoy the many benefits of learning to swim.
Water Safety
Drowning remains the No. 2 killer of children under age 18. Consequently, it is critical to establish and teach children basic safety rules around a pool. This will develop a respect for the water in children and youth even if they have no concept of their own mortality. Even small rules such as 'do not run around the pool' or 'do not dive into the shallow end' could prevent avoidable tragedies.
Fitness Development
Swimming is as excellent form of exercise. As your child's body is growing and ever changing, it is important to ensure that your child is getting enough exercise, and swimming is an excellent means to that end. Swimming will help your child develop strong muscles and bones, maintain flexibility and promote weight control. As your children spend time swimming they also will spend more quality time getting good sleeps as well.
Self-confidence and Accomplishment
Swimming skills are unique in that most swimming skills apply to only that sport. Nowhere else will you find blowing bubbles, getting your ears wet or floating as stepping stones of learning a sport. Nowhere else is there a front crawl or butterfly stroke as you get more advanced. Every step in swimming requires learning something new, and every step ensures the development of a new self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. These attributes are important to the developing child and a couple key benefits of learning to swim.
Life Skills
Learning to swim can develop essential life skills in a child. Children learn how to set goals for themselves and work to achieve them. They may develop ways to motivate themselves and to deal with pressure, whether from their teachers, you or themselves. Learning to swim is an activity that comes with much personal accomplishment. With that new sense of pride, it leaves the child free to develop her own sense of sportsmanship as well.
Social Benefits
Your child will come into contact with many people in his lifetime. They will need to be socialized as children. One way to socialize them is to teach them to swim. While swimming is an individual sport, children learning to swim meet many different people as they work through their classes. They will learn how to act around different people, a skill which will serve them well in life. Over the years as your child has learned to swim, he will get to enjoy the social benefits of always being able to hang out at the pool with family and friends.
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