Australia is surrounded by open water, and being in and out of the water is a significant part of our lives.
It’s therefore important for both adults and children to learn skills to help them swim safer.
Paul Sadler Swimland offers classes from 4 months old all the way through to adults.
By 4 months of age, babies are able to regulate their body temperature for the duration of a 30-minute class.
It’s a great time to start water familiarisation and a great opportunity for parents and carers to connect with their babies.
The long-term benefits to children who start swimming lessons young are huge.
A study conducted in 2012 by Griffith University – which surveyed almost 7000 parents with children under five – examined whether participation in early swimming lessons impacted subsequent milestones in child development.
The results showed a clear connection between children who participated in early swimming lessons with developing a range of physical skills and meeting a number of developmental milestones earlier than their peers.
Paul Sadler Swimland offers free swimming classes for four and five month old babies, so there’s never been a better time to start lessons.
When to stop lessons can be a confusing question for many parents and instructors often hear parents say ‘I’ll stop lessons when my child can swim’.
This, however, is quite an ambiguous statement, which means different things for different people.
Studies show many parents overestimate their children’s swimming abilities and therefore exit lessons too soon. These parents find by the time their children finish primary school, their swimming skills have declined.
Paul Sadler Swimland Swordy 1km swims are not only a great achievement, but also a great indicator that children are proficient swimmers. It’s a great goal to aim for before exiting lessons.
Don’t underestimate the risk or overestimate swimming abilities – make 1km you and your children’s goal to help them be safer swimmers.
