4 Safety Tips And Precautions For Your Child’s First Swimming Lesson

Enrolling your kid in a swimming class is good for them because of a few reasons. First, swimming is a good hobby for children and an excellent way of teaching them basic survival skills. Teaching your kids how to swim could also boost their self-esteem and confidence. Plus, swimming could help strengthen their immune system and enhance strength, flexibility, balance and posture. 

However, some parents often have a hard time letting other people handle their kids’ safety during swimming lessons. If you’re one of those parents and want to feel at ease, it’d help if you hire a licensed swimming instructor to ensure your child’s safety. It’s also best for you as a parent to learn basic safety and preventive measures to keep your kid safe and prepared for their first baby swimming lessons.  

Must-Know Tips For Your Kid’s Swimming Lesson 

To give your kid fun and safe experiences in the water, you can consider some safety tips and precautionary measures listed below. 

• Try Gradual Immersion 

Before enrolling your kid in a swimming class, it’s important to have them accustomed to the water. You can do that by helping them build positive emotions associated with water and following some of the tips listed below: 

• If you have an indoor pool, ask your kid if they’re ready to get in. It’s best not to force your kid to jump in the water immediately if they’re not yet ready. 
• You can also use an inflatable pool, which is relatively shallow and less intimidating.  
• As the kid is in the water, keep talking to your child, occasionally asking them how they feel. It’d help divert their unwanted fears and keep them occupied.  
• You can also prepare fun equipment during their first dips, such as colorful goggles, water wings, and a cute floatie to make them happy. Also, having them wear a flotation jacket can make them feel safer and more at ease.

• Pay Close Attention To The Kids

Allowing toddlers to swim unattended could endanger them. Hence, it’s best to have an adult watch over them and ensure that they’re safe from any risks of danger. 

Even if they’re with their swimming instructor, it’s best to keep your eyes glued to your kid to relieve your stress and fears. Or, you can also ask another reliable person to watch your child closely to ensure their safety.     

• Keep Them Away From Swimming Pool Drains

Drains and water outlets are mainly designed to keep the proper circulation of water in swimming pools and reduce contamination. However, they could also pose a significant danger to kids if not correctly handled.  

For instance, pool drains and outlets create a strong force of suction in the area directly over them. The suction created by underwater drains could have up to 500 pounds of pressure, making it difficult for a kid to swim away from.  

It’s best to keep them away from swimming pool drains and water outlets to avoid potential dangers to your kids. Or, if they’re stuck up already, it’d help to learn how to lift them off a pool drain. First, you’ll have to put your arms between your kid and the drain to break the suction. Then, you’ll need to roll them away from the drain.  

• Learn The Signs Of Drowning And CPR 

Even with the guidance of a licensed swimming instructor, there’s still a risk of drowning. Therefore, it’s essential to equip yourself with proper knowledge about the warning signs of drowning and basic CPR procedures so you can attend to your kid when unexpected things happen. 

Before that, it’s crucial to know that drowning isn’t all about thrashing and yelling for help. These may also include uncontrollable gasping, unfocused eyes, disorientation, and extreme fatigue. Learning a thing or two about the signs of drowning and CPR methods could save your child from danger. To effectively do that, you can consider the following measures: 

• Place the kid on a flat surface – It’s best to put the child on a steady surface to ensure adequate depth compressions.  
• Check for responsiveness – Tap the kid’s shoulder or arm to know if they’re conscious of their surroundings. If not, you can proceed with the following steps and call 911.  
• Give 30 chest compressions – Put two fingers at the center of the chest below the imaginary line between nipples. Keep your hands interlaced with one on top of the other. Then, push down 1/3 of the thickness of the chest at a rate of 100/minute.  
• Resuscitate – Cover the kid’s mouth and nose, seal, then give two gentle breaths. Allows the air to enter first.  

You can repeat the process until there’s already signs of life. Afterwards, you can let medical practitioners take over the situation.  

Takeaway 

Allowing your child to take swimming lessons helps boost their physical and mental health and encourages them to learn basic survival skills. But that doesn’t come without any challenges. Before and during their swimming lessons, you’ll have to ensure your kid’s safety and comfort. Aside from hiring licensed swimming instructors to help your child learn. It’d help if you yourself learn about a few things to further improve the safety of your child.