Learning to Swim is not a Luxury, it’s a Necessity
For children of all ages, learning how to swim (particularly in Southern California) is not a luxury, but rather a necessity. In addition to the numerous safety factors that are instilled in a child when they are taught how to properly swim, swimming is a gift for any child and can improve not only physical health, but cognitive/social health as well.
When children are first taught how to swim they are instructed about the rules and safety, as well as the physical process of kicking, arm movement and putting their face in the water. This type of constructive discipline increases self-discipline and encourages will-power/delayed gratification at an early age. Additionally, the confidence, skill building and turn taking that they learn during group lessons is something that will inevitably feed into their actions and reactions to various situations both at home and at school.
Before I had my daughter, I thought that all swimming lessons were the same. Now, I stand corrected. In your search for the right teacher for your little one (or not so little one), I highly recommended doing your homework.
1. Find out exactly who will be teaching your child. Many times a primary instructor is booked and you may end up with a secondary instructor with far less experience. [Not an issue at One with the Water as they only hire professional full-time instructors.]
2. Explore the possibility of group lessons or individual lessons to see which may be the best fit for your child.
3. Ask questions as to what the approach to teaching is*.
4. Look for someone who is kind, patient and have a passion for what they do. It is easy to find someone with [swim instructor or] lifeguard certification, however, it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily a good swim instructor. Find someone who does this each and every day with a variety of ages/types of children.
Most importantly, encourage your child to have a great time during their swim lessons. Although it can be intimidating and scary for some children at first, however, the benefit is something that they will have with them for the rest of their lives!
*If you are in the Los Angeles/Culver City area and are looking for swim lessons (private and/or group) for children (all children including those with special needs) I would highly recommend Kenneth Rippetoe at One with the Water (www.onewiththewater.org).
Original Post may be seen here at Reality Check Insight.
Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.