Taking the plunge

Text: Xanet van Vuuren. Photography: Gallo Images/Thinkstock Photos. Article from the November 2013 issue of Living and Loving Magazine.

Children are naturally fascinated by water. So the sooner they learn to be safe around it, the better. We share handy tips and advice on how and where you can teach your little ones to swim.

Drowning remains the second biggest cause of accidental death among children in South Africa, and it’s preventable. Kids as young as three (sometimes younger) can learn to keep their heads above water, move towards the pool’s edge, float on their backs and shout for help.

Lee-Anne McQueen, creator of the Swim Savvy interactive swim teaching and learning materials, shares tips on when, where and how to teach your little ones to swim.

√ Why you should teach your kids to swim

• Swimming is a key life skill. Being able to move through the water forms part of a set of skills that allows one to live a full life.

• It’s a great confidence builder. Mastering the ‘art’ of swimming gives kids a sense of confidence in their own abilities. This will encourage them to conquer the world around them.

Benefits of swimming

• Great form of non weight-bearing exercise
• Stress-reliever
• Four proper strokes uses all the major muscles so it’s a great all-over body workout that helps with muscle- and strength-building
• Improves coordination
• Helps improve low muscle tone
• Strengthens the lungs and increases lung capacity due to controlled breathing
• Can improve – and often completely eliminate – asthma thanks to the controlled breathing and the layer of moist air on the water’s surface
• Helps you recover from heavy exercise or injuries
• Can have a meditative effect and has been proven to aid concentration. 

√ At what age can you start swimming lessons?

This depends on what your needs or goals are, says McQueen. But you can start as early as a couple of months old. “I would say the ideal age to start formal lessons would be three-and-a-half years because children at this age are old enough to process instructions and are usually keen to learn – provided that the child has had exposure to water in a positive environment beforehand,” she notes.

For younger children (six months to two-and-a-half years), you can sign up for a parent and baby class to familiarise your baby or toddler with the swimming environment. Initially, these lessons will focus on water orientation and awareness. Later on, when the baby develops some swimming ‘skills’, floating and potentially life-saving skills are introduced.

√ How to choose a swimming school and swimming teacher

• Get recommendations from other parents. “The swimming teacher you choose could make or break your child’s relationship with water,” says McQueen.
• Look for a friendly, fun atmosphere with open communication. A child-centered environment will be friendly, empathetic, patient, enthusiastic and adaptable to each child’s needs. There should be an element of fun in the lessons, as well as a degree of firmness to make kids feel secure. “There might be ups and downs on the road to teaching your child to swim, so make sure you choose a teacher you feel comfortable talking to,” says McQueen.
• Make sure you find a school with a suitable pool environment. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but the pool facilities and its surroundings should be clean, safe, well maintained and child centred. A toilet within easy access to the pool deck is essential.

√ Can you teach your child to swim?

Yes, you can, by using the Swim Savvy book available online at www.swimsavvybooks.com. It’s designed to support what the swimming teacher’s doing, and parents can use it to teach their children how to swim. The book outlines 10 basic swimming skills with note spaces where kids can record their milestones.

McQueen says parents should dedicate a certain period of time for learning how to swim, say a week or two, and make everything about swimming during that time. “If you make it fun with constant games, activities and rewards, I can just about guarantee that your child will learn to swim during that week,” she says.

Activities

• Read through the Swim Savvy book.
• Practice and play in the pool.
• Play games about swimming outside the pool.
• Read books about swimming.
• Watch movies and video clips about swimming. Go to as many different pools as possible.
• Phone friends and family to talk about swimming.

Pool Safety

Currently, South Africa has no pool safety legislation in place. But there are pending legislation and city bylaws that prescribe open water on properties should be covered by safety nets.

McQueen says while parents aren’t yet legally obliged to have pool-safety mechanisms in place at home, she recommends having two lines of defence in place – like a fence around the pool and a net.

Make sure there aren’t any holes or gaps your kids can climb through and always ensure that the pool gate is locked.

Pool safety essentials

“The most valuable tip I can offer parents is to take turns being the swimming monitor when friends and family are relaxing in or around the pool. Many accidents happen when there are lots of people around because everyone assumes someone else is watching the kids,” says McQueen.

McQueen’s pool-safety checklist

• Know where your kids are at all times when there’s water around – even if it’s a covered pool in your own garden.
• Check that your pool gate is closed, the net is on and the pool alarm is working (if you have one) when the pool’s not in use.
• Let your kids know the pool area’s out of bounds when playing outside.
• When swimming, keep your children within reach at all times. Even confident swimmers can get into trouble quickly.
• Never take your eyes off your children when there’s open water or an uncovered pool around. This includes a pond, Jacuzzi or bath.
• Double check the pool area before you leave to make sure no kids are left behind or have slipped back into the water unnoticed. 

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