Importance of water safety and the benefits of starting swim lessons early
Why Early Swimming Lessons are Key to Your Child’s Safety
Learning to swim from a young age is not just a fun and social activity, it’s also one of the few sports that can save your child’s life. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental injury and death for children in Australia. Starting with early exposure helps to build an essential life skill that can further prevent drowning. It also teaches your child valuable water safety knowledge.
What is water safety?
Staying safe around water means you know the water safety signs and what they mean, know basic water safety practises, and are aware of weather conditions before entering the water. Some of this basic water safety practises include:
At home:
- Parent supervision. Always.
- Ensure compliant pool/spas fences for at home pools.
- Never leave your child alone in the bath.
At the beach:
- Always have someone looking out for you.
- Check weather warnings when swimming outdoors.
- Recognise beach flags and their meanings.
- Know how to spot a rip current.
At public pools:
- Make sure a lifeguard is on duty.
- Ensure children under 5 are within arm’s reach.
- Enrol your child in swimming lessons at your local pool.
When teaching children to swim, typically swim schools run water safety weeks focussing on important survival skills and teaching children how to respond in emergency situations. This focus develops crucial skills that could help save lives.
Why is water safety so important?
On average, 20 children aged 0-4 drown each year in Australia, so starting swim lessons early sets a great foundation for water safety and lifelong survival skills. Some of the most important life-saving skills are built through repetitive swim lessons, that also build healthy habits so that water safety practises become a natural behavior when swimming.
Water safety education is essential and includes mastering basic swim strokes, how to float to survive, and how to get in and out of the water correctly. Young babies and kids often fall head first into water silently. 75% of drowning deaths in children aged 0-4 are due to an unintentional fall into the water, so constant supervision and teaching the correct way to enter and exit the water can actively reduce injuries and death. Vital water safety knowledge can significantly reduce this alarming rate.
Why is it important to start swim lessons early?
Swimming takes years of practise, so starting early is a great way for children to build confidence in the water. Establishing this foundation will make it easier for them to develop essential swimming skills quicker and easier. This means that children are more likely to enjoy swimming and want to swim safely throughout their lives.
Growing confidence in the water means children can learn important preliminary skills, making it easier to build and retain water safety information as they grow up. It’s also a great idea to keep up swim lessons throughout childhood and adolescence, as recent trends in Victoria record an increase in drowning in children between the ages of 5 and 14 years.
Building these preliminary skills at an early age helps your child with:
- Water familiarisation
- Breathing control
- Respecting the water
- Knowing the ‘feel’ of the water
Studies show that children ages 1–4 who have had formal swimming instruction are less likely to drown. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends starting swim lessons before the age of 1 as a way to reduce the risk of drowning and build healthy water safety habits.
Swimming lessons for babies and toddlers are also a fun bonding experience and trust activity, particularly for the caregiver who is out of the house more often. By investing your time in swim lessons with your child, you can create a fun and positive experience with water together.
Book now to keep your child safer and learn this vital skill that will benefit them for life.
Research Resources/Supporting Data:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/drowning-prevention-and-water-safety/?srsltid=AfmBOoppZJXH1OEUMkxHBTEHhQenlGv4PBJPkPtYD6tYCHQ6ZcpF3e0g
- Royal Life Saving Society Australia: https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/communities/how-to-keep-children-safe
- Life Saving Victoria: https://lsv.com.au/research/water-competency-of-victorian-children/
- Victoria Government: https://www.vic.gov.au/water-safety
