The many wonderful reasons to teach your child to learn to swim:  Being part of that process can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences a parent can have with their child.

By Julia Ham (Hampton Swim School) Some parents choose to delay the commencement of their child’s swimming education, believing that their backyard pool plays a more important role in aquatic development than structured lessons. BUT WAIT, in 2009 alone in Australia over 50 children between the ages of 0-17 years died by drowning, with many more near-drowning incidents and accidents occurring around the pool or beach. As previously reported, many of these children were left unsupervised, so it's easy to see why swim lessons sooner rather than later provide an additional barrier against drowning. Safety aside, swimming is a great form of exercise and, as well as being fun, it promotes time with the family and opens the door to many water sports such as water polo, sailing and nippers. The most common question asked by prospective parents of children of Hampton Swim School is, “when is the best time to start swimming?” Opinions on this topic vary. Given Qld’s lifestyle, the likelihood that a child will be...

One of my swim school parents recently told me of their intention to stop their 6-year old’s swim lessons as they believed that their child was now “water safe”. When pressed as to what exactly they meant by “water safe”, the parent explained that her son had been taking swim lessons for 3 years, and could now swim 25m unassisted and float on their back, and was aware of basic water safety information. Moreover, the little boy had said to his parent that he wanted to start sailing lessons instead. Discontinuation of...

Some parents choose to delay the commencement of their child’s swimming education, believing that their backyard pool plays a more important role in aquatic development than structured lessons.

BUT WAIT, in 2009 alone in Australia over 50 children between the ages of 0-17 years died by drowning, with many more near-drowning incidents and accidents occurring around the pool or beach. As previously reported, many of these children were left unsupervised, so it's easy to see why swim lessons sooner rather than later provide an additional barrier against drowning. Safety aside, swimming is a great form of exercise and, as well as being fun, it promotes time with the family and opens the door to many water sports such as water polo, sailing and nippers....

There are plenty of wonderful reasons to teach your child to swim, and being part of that process can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences a parent can have with their child. Swimming encourages fun and learning, and helps a child develop confidence and a positive self- image. Research has shown that early swimmers perform better both socially and academically and that swimming from an early age enhances not only gross motor skill development and coordination but also the personality development of a child...so swimming...

Home pools are becoming more common every day. It is estimated now that more than 1 in 5 Australian homes have a swimming pool and, with QLD’s perfect weather, the water is the place to be! But beware: this great Aussie Icon can be dangerous! The RLSSA National Drowning Report for 2009 showed an alarming increase to 302 in the number of deaths caused by drowning. This is the highest figure in 6 years, and a wakeup call to parents especially when we consider that 32 deaths were in the under 5 years age group and, of these, over 60% were in backyard swimming pools. Combine this with the recent tragic drowning of 2 children at public pools, and we need to realise that supervision CAN, and DOES FAIL. Recently, Hampton Swim School conducted a Mother’s Morning Tea at which a segment interviewing a parent of a young child who had drowned was aired. There was not a dry eye in the room, and the grief and guilt of the parent was felt by everyone in attendance. Parents need to be reminded not to be complacent about SUPERVISION as the primary layer of protection in the prevention of drowning. Vigilance is required, no matter how confident a young swimmer may be....

Parents seeking ways to improve their young child’s confidence, independence and relaxation in water need look no further than their role as the caregiver ahead of and during a swimming lesson. The caregiver plays an invaluable role in assisting and enhancing the child’s aquatic development. Influences on a baby’s swimming ability are exerted well before a baby enters a swimming pool, and in fact these influences begin at birth with the bathing process. Parents need to be aware of the verbal and physical influences they impart to their child about water. If the parent themself exhibits nervousness or fear around water, these emotions may in turn be passed on to the baby or young child, regardless of whether they have been verbalised. Phrases such as “don’t go near the water, it’s dangerous!”, or actions including hastily dragging a child away from an aquatic environment such as the edge of a pool are likely to cultivate within a young child a negative attitude toward water, and in turn will magnify the difficulties...

Toddler and pre-school aquatic programs (13 months to 4 year age bracket) afford an opportunity to introduce young children to the associated joys and risks of being in or around water. These lessons conducted within these programs generally focus on developing water familiarisation and confidence and learn-to-swim readiness with an underlying emphasis on water-safety instruction not only for the parent but also the little swimmer themself. However, having a child attend swimming lessons at this age is not license for a parent to become complacent about their child’s swimming ability and, in turn, the safety and security of their child around water. While we have probably all heard of baby swimmer success stories and toddler swimming prodigies, water-familiarisation classes taken through swim schools are not designed to teach children to survive independently in the aquatic environment, and they DO NOT make your child drown proof. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in Australia for children under...

Babies arrive in the world from the warm, liquid environment of their mother’s womb free of inhibition and without an inbuilt fear of water. Typically however, a baby’s innate responses to the aquatic environment are lost at around age 12 months, and they may sometimes develop a fear of water or a sense of feeling uncomfortable in water around this age. In last week’s article on bathing basics I discussed preparation rituals and bath positions that can benefit and enhance the aquatic experience for your newborn. Once the child has become accustomed to these positions in the water, parents are then able to commence a so-called “water-conditioning” of their baby as part of an introductory phase of the water-familiarisation process. Newborns are born with a trigeminal reflex that enables them to automatically stop breathing for a short period of time if they are submerged underwater, or if water touches the nasal/mouth region of their face. This reflex allows the infant to avoid inhaling water (even with their mouths wide open) for a short period while underwater....

Having spent 9 months suspended in the warm fluid of a mother’s womb, newborn babies have a natural affinity with the water. Once baby is born, parents can help maintain this affinity that their baby has with the water through their initial bath-time routines. However, as they become older, babies can lose their inherent love of the water and become fearful. The progression from the bath to early infant swim lessons can ensure baby learns to enjoy the aquatic experience from an early age, while at the same time providing baby with many benefits that extend well beyond the swimming pool. Swimming is a complete physical workout which in turn assists the development of the heart, lungs and muscles of your baby. The physical activity that swimming offers stimulates the appetite of baby, which in turn promotes food digestion and boosts the immune system. Regular swimming also aids in the development of sleep patterns. One reason parents love to have their baby in swim lessons is for the deeper and longer sleep that invariably follow a swim session. Even though the class may be appear gentle and relaxing, the baby very often exerts themselves to an extent that they are exhausted by the end of the half hour!...