
Swimming is a crucial skill for keeping children safe around water, but there are numerous other benefits children experience when they start learning to swim at a young age. These benefits are clear to see in the physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects of development. Here are a few of the benefits of swimming classes for kids.
One of the most important benefits of starting swimming lessons early is that your child will learn water safety, and you won’t have to constantly worry about your child when you’re around water. Your baby will quickly learn skills necessary to prevent drowning when accidentally going into a body of water.
One of the biggest struggles parents of older children experience when beginning swimming lessons is fear of the water. Most children don’t have a natural fear of water until around 2 years of age. By enrolling your child in infant swimming lessons before this age, they’ll be able to progress more quickly because you can avoid the transition period when your child has to get comfortable in the water since fear was never present. Swim lessons are significantly more difficult when children are afraid of the water, so it’s best to start before children learn to form this opinion.
An important component of swimming lessons, whether you choose to do private or group lessons, is the social interaction that occurs. Even if your child is working one-on-one with a teacher, he or she will learn to interact with the teacher and follow simple instructions. Group lessons help children learn how to be around other children in positive interactions. Children that begin taking swim lessons at a young age tend to develop more quickly socially, whether it’s because of their comfort in communicating with others or simply because of the benefits that come from regular exercise.
Regular exercise in general helps children learn motor skills more quickly, but certain studies show that many children who start swimming at an early age are several months ahead on motor skill development. This is important in every aspect of a young child’s life because they’re able to use gross and fine motor skills to do tasks like run, jump, manipulate writing utensils, and build with blocks. Swimming builds strength throughout the body so that balance and overall motor control is strengthened.
Your child can benefit cognitively from swimming lessons as well. Using both sides of the body has shown benefits to brain development by building up neurons. This helps with important academic skills, such as reading, spatial awareness, and language development. In addition to strengthening the brain, the discipline learned in swimming is helpful for your child adjusting to a classroom and taking instructions from the teacher since they’ve learned to do that in swimming lessons.
Exercise, including swimming, is a great way for kids to expend energy and release frustration, which is good for emotional health. Improving in their swimming instruction also boosts their self-esteem as they become more comfortable in the water with the skills they’re learning in lessons. This healthy self-esteem can help your child avoid destructive behaviors and regularly interact with kids that have the same interests.
Now that you know the many benefits, contact SwimRight Academy to enroll your infant in swimming classes today!