How to choose a good swim school for your baby, toddler or beginner swimmer.
As a parent or carer, you play a crucial role in choosing a Swim School that will enhance your child’s Drowning Prevention Skills. Here are some key factors to consider in your decision-making process. We’ve also included practical insights into what to look out for in classes or a swim program that will NOT maximise their development.
Welcome to our 20-part Superfish Educational Series.
It’s alarming to know that 75% of Australian 4-5-year-olds lack life-saving, self-saving drowning prevention skills. This means children are either not being taught at all, or they are being taught the wrong way, and the parents don’t realise. As Learn to Swim Experts, we aim to drive awareness and share real-world drowning prevention insights and tips. So please share these videos with friends and family with young children – you could save a life!
Have a question? Give our team a call:
Pacific Pines 5529 4343
Sunnybank 3323 3188
Benowa 5597 1311
Worongary 5530 6116
Redland Bay 3086 0131
Click here for helpful tips fact sheets.
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So what should you be looking for for a high quality swim school? Well, for beginner swimmers and babies and toddlers, we really need to look for a program that offers self saving techniques and drowning prevention skills a priority to focus on things like face up, floating, kicking, paddling and rolling on to their back. Falling in and getting back to the edge or a ledge, teaching breath control or holding their breath when submerged underwater and make sure they’re doing lessons with clothes on.
00:00:30:08 – 00:00:56:05
These skills can be taught and developed and must be independent as young as possible. Now here are the things we don’t want to see. Beginner swimmers chasing after toys or balls in a pool for toddlers or beginner swimmers, trying to reach for toys is dangerous and can put them at risk of drowning. They don’t usually have strong swimming skills or the ability to stay afloat while swimming after toys.
00:00:56:07 – 00:01:25:23
They also don’t understand the depths of water, and it distracts them from focusing on their own safety. Putting flotation aids on like back bubbles or floaties. For that, these eyes give a false sense of confidence to your beginner swimmer and make sure goggles are not worn. Toddlers and beginner swimmers must learn self saving skills without goggles on. I’ve seen too many times children panic when they haven’t got their goggles to swim in.
00:01:26:00 – 00:02:00:21
Teaching toddlers and beginners swimmers to blow bubbles is detrimental, because blowing oxygen out of their lungs affects their buoyancy and makes them sink. Breath holding is far more crucial for keeping air in their lungs and staying afloat. And finally, make sure your lessons aren’t all singing songs, playing and splashing about. Sure, lessons with this age group need to be fun, but we’ve got 30 minutes to do real life saving skills.