For all children,  learning to swim is vital, along the same lines as eating, breathing, and sleeping. In order to introduce this skill, infants should be exposed to pools of water around 4 months of age and children should ideally attend swim lessons year round until they are proficient swimmers (see proficiency guidelines at  https://www.swimbabes.com/news/how-do-i-know-when-my-child-is-done-with-swimming-lessons/) . Many parents tend to only enroll their children in swim school during the summer months,  OR take a full break in summer months.   In particular, it is important for all swimmers who cannot yet swim 25 yards (the length of a high school pool)  to keep continual lessons as their bodies grow so quickly and little people can lose confidence very quickly and have to re train skills all over again after an extended break.

In addition, the benefits of year round swim lessons aren’t just physical and safety oriented.
Swimming is one of the best exercises available to humankind! It can decrease anxiety and restlessness, and it’s meditative. Swimming also stimulates the brain, which fosters the growth of new brain cells and promotes child development.

Some reasons why parents choose to drop lessons in the summer are:

*my child already spends a lot of time in other pools during the summer
*my child is too busy with other extracurricular activities
*can’t justify the cost of lessons year round
*we will be on vacation for 2 weeks this summer.

Swimming Isn’t Just For the School Year

It’s true, during the summer children spend a lot of time in other pools during the summer. However, this time in other pools also gives them a chance to develop bad habits when they aren’t in lessons. Just because a child plays in other pools in the summer doesn’t guarantee that they are developing healthy swimming skills.  Similar to the preparation parents take when their child is returning to school from summer break, swimming year round helps your child stay confident with their skills and continue to grow into a better and stronger little swimmer year round.

Keep A Consistent Schedule

Like the summer, kids get extra busy in the fall and spring with other extracurricular activities. Sometimes their schedules are busier than ours!  Children thrive on routine and if you keep the swim lessons as part of the weekly routine, they will be a star swimmer in no time.

Justifying The Cost

It’s hard not to justify the cost of swimming lessons year round when thinking about all the benefits that the lessons provide. Making your child a strong and safe swimmer, staying active, promoting child development, boosting their immune system, decreasing anxiety and restlessness, and increase in confidence in swimming skills are only a few of the benefits your child will gain from year round swim lessons. We know that you will see these benefits and more when your child participates in year round swim lessons.

For more information, contact us at 503-786-6250