Preparing Children For Summer And Life With Swimming Lessons

Summer Swimming Lessons Safety
Recently the boys turned six and five years-old, and at their annual physical the doctor asked a series of questions including if they could swim. The answer was NO, although they are comfortable in the water (with floats) I had not taken on the challenge to either teach them myself or get them lessons. So here I am now preparing my children for summer and life with swimming lessons. Several of my friends had their babies in swimming classes early on, but the complications of two babies/toddlers and one mommy just wouldn’t work for us. So I eased the stress of being in the pool with two little ones by putting a band-aid on it or more accurately a float on it. Now that the boys are older and  quite frankly a little too big to be in Puddle Jumpers any longer it’s time to bite the bullet and get swimming lessons. 

After leaving the doctor’s office I immediately went into research mode to find the most affordable swim lessons in our area. If you are budget conscious like myself  I found that county Aquatic Centers and the Red Cross have the best prices for swim lessons. Prices averaged from $60-$80 per child for six to eight classes. 

If you are wavering on whether or not to get your little ones swim lessons her are a few facts that have me spending an hour every Mondays and Wednesday for the next six weeks poolside.  

  • Children between the ages of 1 to 3 represented 67 percent of reported fatalities and 64 percent of injuries, most at residential settings

  • African American children between the ages of 5 and 19 drown in pools at rates five times that of white and Hispanic children that age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from USA Swimming indicates that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, making them more likely to drown.

Source: Red Cross

I am convinced learning how to swim saves lives so make teaching your little one how to swim a priority today! Swim lessons are available year round. 

Have you or someone you love nearly drowned? Shockingly the answer is “Yes” for 4 out of 10 people. 

25 Comments

  1. My boys are both self taught. They get swimming lessons in school starting in 3rd grade, but I think that is pretty late to start them.

  2. I think it is important to teach kids to swim as early as possible. My son was 9 months old the first time we put him in the pool.

  3. I started our kids in swimming lessons when they were three or four to make sure they knew how to swim at least a little bit!

  4. I’m grateful that I know how to swim because I do feel confident in the water. I’d much rather be sitting poolside with a book, but I can swim. I think it’s really important that we protect our families by ensuring that they can get out of the pool safely.
    Crystal recently posted…Online Summer Learning Program + GiveawayMy Profile

  5. Swimming lessons are a must have here. We don’t have access to a pool ourselves so the past few summers my kids have taken lessons. Such a great idea, and gives me SUCH a peace of mind.

  6. Great post! I’m going to pass this along to a few friends that have kids that are learning to swim.

  7. My daughter did swim lessons this year and learned so much. I didn’t take lessons when I was little and I’m not the best swimmer so I wanted to make sure that she knows how.
    Carly Brydon recently posted…Sangria Popsicles PartyMy Profile

  8. Since moving to Florida and having easier access to swimming, I feel that it is very important for my kids to learn how to swim properly. I had a near drowning experience when I was little, and would never want that to happen to anyone.
    Jocelyn McGaffic recently posted…Finding My Mommy Blogger BalanceMy Profile

  9. We need to get our son into swim lessons; I am a horrible procrastinator, but at four he really should learn.

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