New guidelines: Start lessons around age 1
Hillary Joseph can’t remember not being able to swim. When your backyard is a lake, as it was for Joseph and her two sisters growing up in northern Wisconsin, and when your grandparents live on Captiva Island, Florida, with a pool, you have to learn. “While we didn’t have formal lessons, our parents gave us specific goals, such as swimming about 100 yards without stopping to and from an offshore raft,” she recalls.
Though Joseph and her husband, Bryon Thornburgh, now call landlocked Denver home, both their daughter, Sierra, 6, and 4-year-old son, Declan, were enrolled in swimming lessons before they were out of diapers. “Swimming is an essential life skill,” Joseph says.
Her maternal caution is warranted. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in U.S. children ages 1 to 4, and the third-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in kids ages 5 to 19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In its newest water safety guidelines, the AAP recommends children start swimming lessons around age 1 to help decrease risks of drowning. This is the first time the AAP has suggested children begin learning water safety skills at such a young age.
“Research has found that swim lessons are beneficial for children starting around age 1,” Linda Quan, a co-author of the policy statement, said in a AAP news release.
“Formal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent,” says Debbie Hesse, executive director of the USA Swimming Foundation.
“We have found a child can start at 6 months or when they are able to hold their head upright,” says Lindsay Mondick, senior manager of aquatics for the YMCA of the USA. Other factors to consider include health status, emotional maturity, and physical and cognitive limitations.
“Think of group swim lessons (as) the same as having your kid wear a bike helmet,” says Gina Bewersdorf, who owns three Goldfish Swim Schools in Northern Virginia. “Our goal is to get them into the water, so they aren’t fearful.”
At such a young age, kids shouldn’t be expected to do the backstroke, but they can blow bubbles, kick and eventually learn to roll over and float on their back, all building blocks to future aquatic skills.
Not every program is right for every child. You may need to dive deep into the specifics to find swim lessons that meet your needs. Start at the USA Swimming Foundation website. Its Make A Splash program has the largest network of swimming instructors in the United States, with more than 1,000 vetted partners, including Ys, recreation centers and private swim schools. Go to usaswimmingfoundation.org and type in your ZIP code or city/state under “Find Swim Lessons.”
Ask about the ratio of children to instructors; Hesse says the standard is no more than 6 to 1. How long are the lessons? At minimum, children should be in the water for 30 minutes per class, with six to eight lessons per session. Make sure the instructors are certified by a reputable organization such as the American Red Cross, YMCA or Ellis & Associates, an aquatic safety firm. Are certified lifeguards on duty during lessons to provide extra protection? Is the pool insured?
That’s one more indication it’s a professional facility.
Laura Daily specializes in consumer advocacy and travel strategies.