Swimming Lessons: Everything A Parent Should Know!
According to stats, swimming pools in Singapore had a record 2.32 million visits in 2020.
Swimming is a basic skill that every child should know. And that is why toddler swimming lesson in Singapore is so prevalent among citizens. It’s not just for competition but for their water survival. Also, it lowers the risk of drowning and feeling unsafe underwater.
For a better understanding, we have created this article that comprises everything a parent must know about the toddler swimming classes before enrolling. Let’s get right into it!
Importance Of Swimming In Singapore
As you already know, swimming is an important skill that everyone must know in Singapore. Also, it has become an essential content in Physical Education subject that every child must learn.
The National Water Safety Council (NWSC) works in authorising swimming institutes or academies in Singapore. It included programs that aim to equip kids with adequate water survival skills and swimming competencies.
What Is The Right Age To Start Swimming Lessons?
You might have heard that anyone can learn anything at any age! But when it comes to swimming, there is a preferred age of learning. According to research, it has been proved that learning swimming at an early age develops cognitive, language, and physical skills among 3 to 5-year-old children.
Also, for infants and toddlers, it’s important to learn in the presence of their parents. Children between six months to 5 years old can only participate in parent and child lessons.
Now coming to some common skills that a swimming instructor teaches kids in classes.
- Feel comfortable underwater
- Learn to close their mouth in the pool
- Putting their face underwater
As you have already understood, 3 years to 5 years is an ideal age to enroll your kid in a swim class, but exceptions are always there.
Every child is unique, and so is their learning ability. It’s not compulsory that if some kid has joined swimming classes at the age of 3 years, then your child will also do the same. While registering their names, make sure to evaluate your kid’s developmental abilities, emotional/physical maturity, comfort zone, and limitations.
Report Says
You will view numerous studies and research on the right age to start swim lessons for kids.
- A study from Australia has recommended that kids start learning basic aquatic locomotive skills and develop confidence underwater at around four years. It doesn’t matter whether you enrol them at the age of six months or three years.
- The same report says that if swimming lessons start at one, two, or four years, kids will achieve the essential skills of performing freestyle only at the age of 5 ½ years.
- Some proof suggests swimming classes enhance the behaviour around the pool and swimming ability in younger kids (between the age of 2 to 4 years).
- Research indicates a negative prior aquatic experience that may occur during a toddler swimming lesson. And this may impact your children’s achievement level negatively. So, don’t compare your child’s ability to other kids.
Help Your Child Learn to Swimming
Have you sent your kid to swimming classes, but they are not comfortable? Well, don’t worry, it’s genuine that kids sometimes fear water. So, you can take a few steps to make their experience easier and more enjoyable.
-
Start from home
If your kid isn’t considering visiting swim classes, start making them comfortable at home. It’s not anything unique; many kids hesitate to join formal lessons. Well, bath time is the best chance to make kids friendly with water. Let them enjoy making small splashes and blowing bubbles.
Once they start feeling comfortable, you can take your kid to a private swimming instructor instead of enrolling in group swimming classes. It is because the private instructor will be focused on a single kid at one time.
-
Show them Live swimming sessions or TV shows
Before you register their names, take your kid to a swimming academy. Show them how other kids are enjoying swimming. Also, you can use a TV show or video content to make them familiar with swimming lessons.
When your kid watches others having fun in the pool, they will get excited. You need to make them believe that swimming is a fun activity instead of necessary.
-
Add fun element
Never stress yourself or your kid regarding swimming classes. You can implement goals and reward formulas to make swimming a fun activity.
Show them a range of objects and make them float in water. Also, you can take the help of pool games which would be helpful for your children to teach them floating, kicking, and treading water.
-
Make a routine
For improving learning ability, repetition is very important. Make an everyday routine to teach your kid to be comfortable in the water. The daily routine will help in making them used to a certain activity. It will also develop a child’s ability to continue development over time.
-
Never force
Have you tried every possible way to encourage your kid to swim? If so, and nothing works, then let it go. Don’t force your child or make them learn to swim forcefully.
There are chances that your child will become curious about swimming in their teenage years. So, leave it and make your child learn social skills and stay active.
Benefits Of Swimming Classes At Early Age
When it comes to water activities or swimming, keep safety in your mind. However, professionals offer safety gear while taking toddler swimming lessons in an academy.
It reduces the risk of drowning underwater because there is always an instructor to supervise. There are a few more advantages of a toddler swimming lesson, have a look at them.
1. Physical benefits
The first and foremost thing that swimming offers is a fun workout. Basically, it’s a full-body workout that engages your core, legs, lats, triceps, and upper body. Also, swimming uses the body’s major muscle groups. So, whether it’s an infant, toddler, or adult, swimming provides health benefits to all.
2. Overcome hydrophobia
You might have seen many people with Hydrophobia. So, participating in swim lessons from an early age helps in overcoming the fear of the water.
The main goal of instructors is to develop confidence in kids and make them feel comfortable underwater. And it starts with small steps like teaching breathing control and proper body positioning.
3. Build trust
Enrolling your kids to swim classes at an early age promotes water awareness. Moreover, once they get comfortable, there are no chances of experiencing any panic attacks in adulthood or old age.
Also, swimming develops skills of safe risk-taking in children. It boosts their self-esteem and builds trust in themself.
4. Boost academic skills
Pursuing everyday swimming lessons help in the development of coordination and gross motor skills. Swimming is an ambidextrous activity that boosts language development and enhances reading and writing skills.
Unlike other sports, swimming needs a specific skill set. An individual can enjoy it with the guidance of a professional instructor. And success totally depends on individual achievement with guidance, which makes a child eager to improve.
Furthermore, children who practice swimming daily have been found to be more self-disciplined.
5. Lifelong skill
There are no chances that kids who have learned swimming will forget it over time. Just like bike riding, out of practice, don’t make you forget it. So, swimming is a skill that can’t be forgotten if learned once.
6. Enjoyable experience
Consider swimming as a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Undoubtedly, kids love to play water games, so help your kid to create unforgettable childhood memories.
7. A break from screen time
These days kids spend more time watching TV, mobile screens, video games, and more. More screen time makes kids obese and generates irregular sleep issues and behavioral problems.
As per WHO reports, children that are under the age of 5 and engage in less screen time have more possibilities to grow up healthy. So, registering their names in swimming class provides the best opportunity to introduce non-screen activities to your kid’s routine.
Perks Of Having a Private Swimming Instructor
For a toddler, a private swimming instructor can do wonders!
These days most parents prefer private lessons instead of group swimming classes. Below we have enlisted some common benefits of hiring a private instructor for a toddler.
- While teaching to a single student, the instructor will be dedicatedly focused on your kid rather than a group class.
- Parents can customise the classes.
- Schedule the classes as per your free time.
- Your kid may get some special accommodation in a private swimming class.
- An experienced private instructor will help out your toddler to overcome water fear.
Final Thoughts
Today, swimming is a large aspect of social activities, and people realise its tremendous benefits.
So are you ready to register your child’s name for the swimming classes? This article might have helped you in understanding the importance, uses, and benefits of swimming lessons for kids.
Hopefully, you will find the best private swimming instructor in Singapore for your child. They can help to enhance the learning ability of your child and make them more dedicated to swimming.
Thank you for reading!