What’s the point of enrolling your child in swimming lessons as early as three months? What if we told you that by starting lessons early your child will be even smarter! There’s research to prove it, more on that later.
But first here are five reasons to get in the pool early.
- Your bub is already comfortable in the water. After nine months in the womb surrounded and supported by amniotic fluid, it’s a nurturing place. If you wait until they are older, your child may be fearful of getting in the water, particularly if they have to do it on their own.
- Our water babies classes are conducted with mum or dad supporting bub in the pool. You and your bub have already developed a great bond and swimming together can only strengthen it. There are songs, games and activities that everyone loves (look out for the matt …it’s fun)
- At 3 months your child’s immune system is developing and they have hopefully had their vaccinations.
- Swimming is a gentle exercise that works the whole body, encouraging your baby’s muscle, lung and heart development. With babies that start swimming early showing long term benefits in balance, catching and grasping skills.
- Swimming will help your baby to sleep longer. Need we say more!!
Starting your child young doesn’t guarantee they will be the next Cate Campbell but it will help them in so many other aspects of their life. Indeed research conducted by Australia’s Griffith University found that three to five year olds, who have been involved in structured swimming lessons are way ahead of their non swimming peers:
- 11 months ahead in verbal skills
- 6 months ahead in mathematic skills
- 2 months ahead in literacy skills
- 17 months ahead in story recall
- 20 months ahead in understanding directions
Swimming is a gateway to so many other sports and activities such as surf lifesaving, water polo, surfing, sailing, skiing the list goes on. And of course, learning to swim is the biggest step in making your child safer. Being able to swim goes hand in hand with adult supervision, pool fences and proper water awareness. These all contribute to keeping children safer.
Tragically there have been major increases in the rates of drownings after two years of swimming lessons impacted by COVID-19. Last year there was a 108% increase in drowning in children between zero and four. 68% of those had fallen into a swimming pool.
On the subject of COVID you may be wondering if our pools are safe for you and your bub. Carlile uses the world’s leading technology to treat the air and water at our pools and there has not been a single recorded case of COVID-19 being transferred within our facilities.
Further, scientific research has found COVID cannot survive in properly treated pools. It is inactivated in 30 seconds.
The research was conducted by Professor Wendy Barclay of the Imperial College London who said “The virus does not survive in swimming pool water: it was no longer infectious” find out more here.
If you want to here what some of our parents say head to our instagram @carlileswimming
If you would like to book do so here
For more about waterbabies and our water confidence classes click here.
