I CAN Swim!!
Posted by Kim Lefko in October 13th 2009
I took a lot of abuse in this office over enrolling our daughter in Survival Swimming when she was 2 years old. After talking to neighbors and reading about it – my husband and I were intrigued with the idea of 2 & 3 year olds learning how to get themselves to the water’s surface and to the side of a pool. These classes weren’t meant for teaching them how to swim, rather it was about “surfacing” and buying the parents 20 more seconds in the case of an accident.
After two full weeks of lessons (5 days a week for 1 hour) – our little 2 year old could get herself to the surface of the water and float 15 feet. We have spent a lot of time in the water and continued swimming lessons. One year later I’m amazed at her progress.
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That really is amazing and a wonderful reminder to parents. Those 20 seconds or so could mean the difference of life and death with a child.
My mother learned to swim as an adult and has never been a strong swimmer. To this day long bridges and large boats scare her because of being over/on a large body of water. Because of this, she was insistent that her children learn to swim as early as possible. I was enrolled in Mommy & Me swimming classes at 18 months. Was I “swimming” by myself at 18 months? NO. However, a child’s ease in the water early makes it much easier to learn a little later vs those children who are so terrified of the water they’ll only barely put their feet in. I continued to take lessons and as I got into more skills based classes (rather than age based) I was often with much older children who had started much later than me. Learning to swim is a life saving skill and it’s never too early to start. I can’t imagine why someone would criticize you for such a thing. Thanks!
Very impressive. You know that your most paranoid and safety/security conscious colleague approves wholeheartedly!! Next up, defensive driving for toddlers :-0
I think it is a fantastic idea to teach babies and toddlers how to swim. So many children needlessly drown every year because it can happen in a heartbeat. Even with a little bit of training, infants and toddlers have a better chance of survivial. Pool safety is always important for everyone, even when kids are older. I don’t know why anyone would question teaching a bay or toddler how to swim. It is a smart precaution to take. Good job.