At some point, every person needs to know how to swim. Teaching a child at an early age this invaluable life skill is a responsibility for every parent, but simply dropping them off at the closest location for swim classes doesn’t always help. To make sure your child is learning effectively and safely, pick a swim class based on the following criteria.
Culture and Environment
If you don’t know what kind of swim class you send your child off to, there’s a chance you’re endangering them more than helping them. Look for a swim class with multiple lessons that focus on safety and age-appropriate skills, with a culture of encouragement, not stress or discouragement. Environmentally, according to Pool for Thought, a good swim class will be in an environment that has proper chlorine levels, good disinfection methods, and warm water—the latter especially if your child is 3 or younger.
Student-Teacher Ratio
In a situation that could potentially be life-threatening, your child needs attention. If there are too many students to one teacher, your child loses out on one-on-one help as well as supervision in case they need help. According to SwimJim, small student-to-instructor ratios are best to promote safety and ensure that each child gets the attention they need. The golden ratio is considered to be three students to every teacher. Classes for very small children may require the parent to be on hand and within reaching distance of the child at all times, however. There may be fewer teachers for that reason. Also, only having a few children in a single class means your child will miss out on the socialization aspect, so look for classes with a lot of children and instructors!
Water Survival Competency Skills
Though you want your child to have fun in a swim class, the primary purpose should always be survival skills. According to Drowning Protection Auckland, look for classes that focus on developing water survival competency in swimming long distances, floating, propulsion, and rescue. You’ll have invested in something a lot more helpful in the long run. Splashing around and hanging with friends is a great plus to swim classes, but ultimately won’t help your child in a life-or-death situation.
You want your child to be prepared for all dangerous situations they’ll face in life, but learning how to swim safely can be a tricky thing to master. Though there are lots of classes that teach children, checking on a swim class before signing your child up is always a good idea. Your kid will be able to enjoy the pool and gain a valuable life skill!
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