One of the longest lists on Earth is probably that of the worries that a parent has for their child, especially the worries that they have during the toddler years.
This list is so long it would put Santa and his little helpers to shame. Things like nutrition, mental and physical well-being, playtime, best books, and so many others make up for the ingredients in this list.
At the same time, it feels that the things a parent should be worried about or at the very least pay attention to keep getting bigger and bigger.
With the most recent scientific developments, the breakthroughs in medicine, and especially in pediatrics and child psychology, there are new things popping up into existence consistently.
Then there are also the things that aren’t necessarily new, but most people are just now hearing about them. Among these are swim lessons for toddlers!
If you are wondering, ‘Wait, are swim lessons for toddlers a thing?’, then you are precisely experiencing what we just described above.
Swim lessons for toddlers are most definitely a thing, and they have been around for a long while now, with thousands of parents opting to get their toddlers swimming lessons annually.
Today we will cover everything parents need to know about swim lessons for toddlers. We will talk about why they exist, what they do, and which version of them is the right one for you and your toddler.
Why Do The World Need Swim Lessons For Toddlers?
The CDC’s drowning-related publication estimates that there are around 11 daily drowning-related deaths in the US alone.
This number is much higher on a global scale. The World Health Organization reports that during 2019 there was an estimated number of drowning-related deaths of 236,000.
This gives us a clear picture of the fact that drowning is a very major issue and something that we have to be wary of!
But for today’s purposes, we are talking about swim lessons for toddlers. While we won’t even try to insult your intelligence for theatrics sake, there is more to the connection between the two than meets the eye.
First and foremost, in the same publication from above, the CDC also reports that drowning is the second biggest cause of fatalities in children aged 1-4.
As terrifying as that number is, it somehow becomes even more terrifying when you realize that the only thing causing more fatalities is congenital disabilities.
The CDC also goes ahead and reports that for every child that dies of drowning, there are eight others who receive emergency care!
In both the CDC and the World Health Organization publications, it is very clear that the people most in danger of swimming are children, especially toddlers—1 to 4-year-olds.
Another point that is virtually the same in both publications is the prevention measure that teaches children to swim as a means of avoiding drowning.
Both institutions view ‘proper swimming’ as one of the main factors that can help avoid swimming-related fatalities in all people.
Colliding the two together and adding them up, we can clearly see how swim lessons for toddlers are a godsend necessity!
This is the first part of the equation that parents need to know. The second part is familiarizing yourself with the risks that drowning presents and knowing what to do about it.
Read: [Ways to Handle Difficult Toddler Behaviour]
What More Should a Parent Know About Swim Lessons for Toddlers?
Going down a path of “searching for things” on the internet can be quite the trip. This is such a famous and universal experience that there is a reasonable term for it ‘rabbit hole.’
Essentially, going down a rabbit hole means going down a path of searching and learning new things about a topic.
Learning about swim lessons for toddlers at first feels just like that. On top of it, all this is quite the large and deep rabbit hole.
Starting from the many different teaching styles, things taught, style of learning, group or private lessons, and many more questions that need answering.
A lot of parents may feel a sense of being lost in a sea of information. Sometimes, too much information is just as good as no information.
To try and simplify things for the sake of cohesion, we will focus only on the things that you need to know as a parent looking for swim lessons for toddlers.
Firstly, let’s start at the absolute beginning. Not the Big Bang, but when should you start your swim lessons with your toddler?
The American Pediatrics Association answers that question by claiming that the best age is 1. This is a perfect age as it is old enough for the lessons to be significantly practical.
The age recommendation earlier was 4 years old. However, due to children younger than that being at risk, the APA decided to lower the age to 1.
This should be used as a great point of reminding and showing parents that they should have realistic expectations of what swim lessons for toddlers can achieve.
Any good instructor or swim school will tell you that one of the biggest issues with swim lessons for toddlers is the unrealistic expectations that parents can put on their children!
Speaking of unrealistic expectations, there are many different types of lessons when it comes to toddlers. If you’ve done any research on this topic, you may have heard of ISR swimming.
ISR stands for Infant Survival Reflex. These lessons are specifically designed to train and use the infant survival reflexes to avoid drowning if a baby or toddler falls into the pool.
While programs like that are great, and sometimes they can show great results, you don’t necessarily need them for your toddler.
The reason why we feel comfortable saying this is because ISR classes can be very expensive, and regular swim lessons for toddlers can be just as effective.
Keep in mind that when it comes to toddlers, the goal for swim lessons is to prevent drowning more than to teach swimming.
That is to say, after a few lessons, a toddler won’t turn into Michael Phelps, which is probably for the best. It would be challenging to raise a toddler who can swim at a neck-breaking pace.
The Best Swim Lessons For Toddlers
Having gone through all of this, what can we conclude about swim lessons for toddlers? What is the best type of lesson that you can get for your toddler?
Well, first you want to find a swim school that has a good reputation—especially a good reputation for swim lessons for toddlers.
They need to have the right instructors to provide the right lessons! A lot goes into these lessons, and the more aspects that you can get to perfect, the better.
You will also have to decide one major thing, whether you want to go for private swim lessons or group swim lessons for toddlers.
As you probably already read in the title, we prefer and advise that you go for private swim lessons for toddlers.
The beautiful thing about private swim lessons, in general, is that they provide a much higher value than group lessons ever could. This is something that occurs by virtue of the design of the lessons.
If you have a swim instructor who can put in all the time of your lesson trying to teach you, the chances that you’ll learn increase by a lot.
You also have to take into account that private swim lessons allow the instructor to develop a specific swim learning technique that best fits your needs.
The attention, care, and overall quality of the lessons that can be received from private swim lessons are far greater than what group lessons can provide.
It is only the price that sometimes makes people wonder if private swim lessons are worth it. Private swim lessons tend to be more expensive at first glance.
However, what most people miss about private lessons is that you will most likely need fewer lessons than you would need if you were to go with group lessons.
There are many points that clearly show why private lessons are totally worth it and downright superior to their alternatives.
As a parent looking for swim lessons for toddlers, the main takeaway should be that private swim lessons for toddlers will provide the best bang for your buck while also being the alternative that gives the proper care to your toddler.
As a closing remark, we hope that now you know more about swim lessons for toddlers, and we would also like to encourage you to learn how to swim!
Being able to swim is an amazing tool in the prevention of calamities, but it is also a fantastic experience that more people need to enjoy and cherish!
