Why teaching your children to swim from an early age is important
Each year, hundreds of children's lives are lost due to drowning. Don't let your child become a statistic...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in children from the age of one until 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
It also reports that 'for every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning'.
The large number of drowning-related fatalities and injuries demonstrates the significance of teaching children to swim and the necessity of adult supervision.
Children from as early as six months old can be taught how to swim.
READ: Near-drowning lands Durban boy (3) in hospital
Another compelling reason to teach your children how to swim is that swimming is a great skill to learn. It will give you peace of mind as an adult knowing that even if your children find themselves in situations where they are around water and you are not in their presence, at least they can swim.
Experts recommend swimming for children as it helps them build their muscles.
Swimming is also a great form of exercise. Better mental wellness, more restful sleep, and disease prevention are all benefits of exercise.
Lastly, swimming can form as a confidence booster for your child. Your child can feel secure knowing that he or she can enjoy time in the water swimming when going to events with water activities or when visiting the beach.
READ: The most interesting countries and islands that you can swim between
Image courtesy of iStock/ @Serhii Sobolevskyi
