10 swimming lesson safety tips every parent should know

One of the best pastimes for cooling off on a sweltering summer day is to go swimming. Children especially love jumping and splashing around in a pool of water, having the time of their life. As parents, we want to provide our children with opportunities to become and feel comfortable in and around water. Offering swimming lessons is the best way for children to feel safe in and around a body of water. While nothing replaces adult supervision, introducing young children to swim lessons can be a proactive step to helping keep children safe.

However, even with the best of intentions, tragic swim accidents can and do happen. From 2005-2014, there were an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) in the United States – about ten deaths per day. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger.

Swimming lessons will not prevent all drowning deaths but they do protect children who know how to swim compared to children who do not. Just having the ability to know how to float, tread water or get back to the surface and swim to where they can stand or grab onto something can save their life.

Taking swimming lessons is a good thing but all parents should also know the following 10 swimming safety tips as they schedule swim lessons:

1. Swim lessons can begin as early as 6 months of age. Every child is different and children’s developmental abilities and swim readiness will vary. This does not mean every 6-month old child should start swimming lessons at this tender age. If the baby is fearful of having their head submerged under water, it’s best not to push swim lessons just yet. Wait until they are feeling more comfortable being in water. Just because a baby has taken swim lessons, they are in no way ready to be swimming on their own or at a distance from adult supervision.

2. There are advantages to starting swim lessons early. Some kids are simply ready at an early age to get started on practicing swim skills. One of the more useful reasons on why introducing a child as young as 6 months to one year to swim lessons is that if they were to fall into the water, they may have learned how to automatically float on their back until help arrives.

3. Never assume the pool they are taking lessons in is automatically safe. Generally, most pools where swim lessons are taught are safe. But as a parent, you need to check it out for yourself. Look around – is the pool clean and well-maintained. When swim lessons are going on, there should be lifeguards who are not involved in teaching watching over the pool. The areas between the shallow and deep ends of the pool should be clearly marked, warning children and parents of the depth of the pool. Lifesaving and first aid equipment should be in plain view, easy to access with posted safety rules.

4. Know the qualifications of the swim instructors. Most of us would assume someone who is teaching swim lessons is qualified to do so but always inquire. Ask how the instructors are trained and evaluated to qualify to teach swimming lessons and whether it’s under the guidelines of an agency such as the Red Cross or the YMCA.

5. The ratio between the number of kids to a teacher should be reasonable. The younger the child, the lower the ratio should be and especially with new swimmers. The instructor teaching young children should be able to have all children within arm’s reach and be able to watch the entire group. Older children who have already had a few years of swimming under their belt, can be a bit larger group but the group of children should never be more than a teacher can safely supervise.

6. Swim lessons should have a progression based on a child’s ability. From the very earliest stages of first taking lessons focusing on getting a child used to being in water to more advanced swim lessons that are teaching different strokes, every child should move at their own pace. Some children will sail through swim lessons fairly quickly as they take to the water like a born fish. Other children will be more hesitant, taking their time to progress at each lesson. The main thing is that there should be a clear way that children are assessed, and a clear path for moving them ahead in their skills.

7. As a parent, you should be allowed to watch the lesson. Unless you are more of a distraction for your child when they are taking their lesson, you should be able to have the opportunity to watch each lesson. Some pools (usually indoor) may have an observational window or deck to view your child from afar but still being able to see how they are doing.

8. Flotation devices may or may not be allowed. Different swim instructors have different philosophies on whether flotation devices help or hinder a child when learning to swim. At the very beginning, they can be of help for young children keeping them safe and helping them learn proper positioning and stroke mechanics instead of swimming frantically to stay afloat. However, if they are used, eventually they will gradually need to be relied on less and less.

9. Give positive reinforcement for the child who is fearful of water and taking swim lessons. It is natural that some children will have trepidation of learning how to swim. Maybe they had a bad experience of accidentally falling in water or don’t like water covering their head, making them not want to learn how to swim. It’s not a good idea to force a child to take lessons when they are terrified of it. Acknowledge their fear and see what exactly scares them about water. Be thoughtful and respectful of their fear but gradually talk to them about the fun they are missing out on keeping the conversation positive. Asking the swim teacher to talk with your child can also be of help as long as they are upbeat and positive about the advantages of learning how to swim.

10. Never assume that children who know how to swim cannot drown. We enroll our children in swimming lessons to help them to have fun in the water but also to know how to be safe. Yet, children can get tired, hurt, trapped, snagged, or disoriented that can get them in a life-threatening situation. Even strong swimmers can get into trouble. Always supervise your children when swimming and never leave them on their own when in and around water. Swimming accidents can happen in seconds. Always be able to see your children at all times when they are in water. If they go out on a boat or other water sports such as a jet ski, they should always wear a lifejacket.

For more information on water safety, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website - https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html