I was horrified one day while watching a news story featuring a diaper clad toddler, who somehow squeezed between the bars of a metal fence surrounding a pool and basically just ran into the pool and sank! There were two boys who saw it happen from the outside of the fence and as one thankfully ran to go get his dad, the other boy frantically tried to climb the fence. Minutes later the other boy's dad jumps over the fence, jumps into the pool, pulls out the limp body of the toddler and begins to administer CPR. Then the dad is seen gently holding the boy and stroking back his hair from his face. He was able to revive him thanks to the quick thinking of his son and also because of his knowledge of CPR. When paramedics arrive on the scene, the dad is finally able to hand over the breathing child, thankful he was able to get there on time. Turns out the toddler slipped away while his mother was changing his infant brother’s diaper.
One thing I know after having two kids, is that kids are fast! Mine are spaced 8 years apart, but I’m sure that it’s even more challenging if you have kids closer in age. Before you know it they are lost in the store, suddenly out of the yard or grabbing for the hot stove! Trying to keep a constant eye on all your kids is a challenge. And honestly, we can’t always be there to protect them. Then perhaps the best thing we can do as parents, is to teach them to protect themselves.
When my daughter was three, we were hanging out near a backyard pool at a family gathering. While my husband and I were talking over by the table, my daughter who was standing by the pool with her cousins, just suddenly just fell into the pool! The scary part was there was no splashing or screaming, she just sank like a rock! We didn’t even see it happen! Thankfully her older teenage cousin was in the water and he was able to grab and yank her out of the water. It was all so fast and I hate to think what would've happened if he had not been there!
I learned the hard way that a child’s ability to save themselves in the pool is critical. The burden is on us as parents to teach them when they are young. I had already done the Parent and Me classes at another swim school but she didn’t have this life saving ability yet. When we moved to Aliso Viejo, I immediately put her in lessons at Premier Aquatics so she could quickly gain this skill. In hindsight, I wish I had known how important it was to start kids when they were younger, not older.
Like me, many people wrongfully think waiting until their kids are 5 years old is the best time to start swimming lessons. Sure, the kids are bigger, older, can talk and communicate better, but according to this article, “Studies show that the best time for a child to start learning swim basics is between the ages of 1 and 4. However, infants aged 6 months to 3 years can participate in Parent and child lessons to start enjoying and getting acclimated to the water. (when-good-time-start-swim-lessons) Younger kids tend not to have fear of the water yet and are actually capable of learning water safety skills! Before they even learn how to “swim” they can learn how to roll onto their backs and float and then roll over again and kick to safety. This is an ability that can be learned early on and just might save their life.
So, water safety is the obvious reason to get your kids into early swim classes but did you know that there are many other benefits as well? The following are some pretty significant reasons for starting your kids' swimming classes sooner than later. And as you can see, the benefits go way beyond the swimming pool.
- Water Safety
- Avoid Fear of Water
- Social Interaction and Aptitude
- Boost Motor Skills
- Academic Benefits
- Increase Self-Esteem (https://www.swimrightacademy)
As you can see, starting swim lessons young has so many benefits for your child! Who knew it was good for their brains and academics too? And the combination of early swim lessons for your child as well as CPR classes for parents, will provide extra protection for your family and loved ones! Thankfully the dad in the article knew CPR or that story would have ended so tragically. At Premier Aquatics we offer both early swim lessons from the age of 0 months to older, as well as CPR classes. Summer is the ideal time to learn these safety skills because of the warm weather and all the free time. Also, living in sunny Southern California makes it especially important because many of our days will be spent enjoying the pool or swimming at our beautiful beaches! So sign up now to ensure that it will be a fun and safe summer for all!