GuestPost: The importance of teaching your kids to swim from Splish Splosh Swimming School

Here at Splish Splosh Swimming School we are committed to ensuring that all our students learn the life saving skill of swimming from as early an age as possible – that’s why we take babies from 15lbs as not only do they look magical in the water (as our underwater photography sessions show) but the sooner you introduce a child to the water the sooner you can have confidence that your child will be less likely to come into difficulty when out playing with friends or on holiday.

As an island nation it is of particular importance that we emphasise the need for children to take up swimming, as many holidays are spent at the seaside and children take great pleasure in visiting the leisure centre with friends. It mustn’t be forgotten that swimming has many health benefits, and as we are now officially the unhealthiest nation in Europe, swimming can play a key role encouraging a child to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

It was therefore extremely disconcerting to discover that the ASA (the English national governing body for all things swimming) had discovered through its latest research that whereas seven out of ten children under five could play a video game, only two out of ten could swim with confidence.
Jon Glenn, the ASA’s Head of Learn to Swim, added this: “This new research is worrying because we urge parents to get their children in the water from six months old. Two to five years is the ideal age for children to learn to be confident and have fun in the pool.
Drowning is also the third most common cause of accidental death for children in the UK and although most children learn to swim at primary school, this could be too late.”
As parents reading this blog I’m sure that you all have your children’s best interests at heart and the computer does offer a little respite when the arguments break out amongst children, but the team at Splish Splosh encourage you to reconsider spending £40 on a video game and invest in swimming lessons. Time spent in the water can encourage your child to socialise whilst having fun in the water with other children, learning an essential skill; something that you can continue on holiday and during the school break in your own time.

For more information about Splish Splosh Swimming School and to follow our new ambassador, Olympian Kate Haywood, please visit the website.

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