At What Age Should My Child Start Swim Lessons?

Warmer temperatures turn our attention toward spring and summer. Many coastal states experience high fatalities due to drowning, especially children of a very young age. While Missouri has many beautiful lakes, children drown every year in backyard pools, ponds, and bathtubs. Quickly, a summer fun activity can turn into a tragedy.

Due to the high rates of drowning, we ask, “At what age should you teach your child to swim?” The American Academy of Pediatrics now indicates that children as young as one year can start taking swim lessons. In years before, the academy had recommended that parents wait until children were four years of age, but that number has changed due to the number of drowning deaths among children increasing. Experts now say the sooner the better, according to KYTX.

In St. Louis, there are a number of places where you can enroll your small child in swim lessons; there is no need to wait until summer. And while the likelihood that they will be competent swimmers by June is not high, their awareness of the water and its importance may increase. St. Louis’ Little Fishes Swim School offers lessons for children beginning at 6 months and teaches swim lessons in a saltwater pool. Many other resources can be found online, including the YMCR, and ISR-Infant. Calling and talking with a child swim specialist is important and taking your child to swim lessons gives them the opportunity to learn about water safety and pool safety more than just the three months of the summer.

Parents of young children have the constant nightmare that they might look away for just mere seconds and their child will drown in the bathtub or backyard.

In addition to taking swim lessons, it is important to “child-proof” your pool area. Setting up a defense system is more effective than just installing one lock. This attorney blogged previously about safety tips I have discovered and implemented at my home. However, after my first summer with a pool and small children, I am ever concerned about pool safety and keeping all children safe around pools.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of someone else’s negligence that resulted in an injury, call Zane T. Cagle at The Cagle Law Firm for a free consultation to determine if you could benefit from having a personal injury lawyer.