5 Benefits Of Infant Swim Lessons

5 Benefits of Starting Infant Swim Lessons At 6 Months

Most of us recognize that infant swim lessons and learning to swim is a great safety skill, but many parents are unaware that children can begin learning to swim at a very young age. That’s important to know because more children between the ages of 1-4 die from drowning than from any other cause except birth defects.

At Bear Paddle Swim School, our mission is to save lives by teaching children how to swim, and we believe it’s important for children to start learning as early as possible. Read on for five benefits of starting infant swim lessons at six months of age.

Reduce The Risk Of Drowning

The most obvious benefit of teaching children to swim at six months is it reduces the risk that they will drown. According to the CDC, young children most often drown in home swimming pools. However, children can be at risk anywhere there is water, including bath tubs, water parks, and natural bodies of water like oceans and lakes.

Our Teddy Bear Program teaches infants and toddlers how to survive a water emergency. Children learn comfort, confidence, propulsion, and independence. The program culminates with our Level 3 – Flip to Breathe, where children master flipping to their back to breathe and then return to swimming on their tummies. They also learn how to swim to the wall and pull themselves out of the pool, performing a Tummy Pool Exit.

Help Coordination And Balance

When babies swim, their bodies are supported by the water. That means they can focus on balancing. Kicking movements help children learn to coordinate both sides of their bodies. They can also try new things without fear of falling or crashing into hard objects.

Babies who have taken infant swim lessons often have better balance than children who don’t. In fact, one study showed that children who learned to swim as babies continued to have better balance than their peers at age five.

Improve Strength

It’s well known that swimming is good exercise for children and adults, and the same is true for your baby. It takes more strength to move arms and legs through water than it does through air. That means swimming will strengthen your baby’s joints and muscles. All that hard work will also make your baby’s heart and lungs stronger too.

Increase Appetite and Sleep

Babies who take infant swim lessons will work up an appetite just like older children will. Make sure you have a snack or milk ready when swimming lessons are done! Swimming can also help your baby sleep longer. Using up all that energy while they’re swimming will make babies sleepier later on.

Bonding And Social Skills

Children will enjoy social interaction with parents, instructors, and other children during their swim lessons. Parent participation gives you an opportunity to bond with your child one-on-one. Taking advantage of family swim times can also give you quality time with your baby.

Swimming builds confidence that your baby can take outside of the pool. He or she will be accustomed to interacting with other children and adults through the shared experience of swimming lessons. Babies who continue taking lessons develop friendships with their swim buddies as they grow. Swimming is a fun activity for children, so teaching your baby early means he or she doesn’t have to miss out later when friends are swimming.

Water safety is important, and precautions should always be observed. Drowning is a real danger, especially for children under the age of four. Starting swim lessons at six months teaches your baby to be safe and comfortable in the water. Our Teddy Bear Program educates babies and their parents on water safety and teaches children techniques to help them survive and recover from an emergency.