prompter: What's a the safest way to teach my young kids how to swim ?

assistant: The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend holding off on enrolling young kids in swimming lessons until after their first birthday and even then, children under 3 years old should not be fully submerged in water. Make sure to follow appropriate safety precautions for your child, including providing attentive adult supervision at all times. Here are some tips for improving your child's comfort and safety around water at all ages.

From 1-2 years old, you can introduce your child to water and improve their comfort (as opposed to teaching them to swim) by holding them in your arms while in a pool, teaching them to splash, and playing gentle games together.

From 2-3 years old, you can encourage them to use their arms with games and show them how to blow bubbles so that they learn how to get their face wet without swallowing water.

Around 4-5 years old, your child may develop enough coordination to begin swimming on their own. At this point you can enroll them in formal swimming lessons. In shallow water, your child should learn how to float independently, submerge their head under the water for five to 10 seconds, go from a standing to a swimming position without assistance, glide through the water, reach an exit point, and use coordinated kicking and arm movements. Their swimming class should focus on both water and safety skills. You may ask to participate in their first lesson to help them become comfortable and to evaluate the class.

At 6 years and older, many kids at this age can learn to jump into the water and resurface on their own. They can start developing all swimming strokes, including the breast- and backstroke. Their greater endurance will allow them to swim longer distances. However, note that while some 6-year-olds are swimming independently, others may take to a bit longer to master this skill.

prompter: Thanks!

assistant: The safest way to teach young children how to swim is to enroll them in formal swim lessons taught by a certified instructor. The instructor will have the necessary training and experience to provide proper guidance and ensure your child's safety in the water. Additionally, it's important to supervise children at all times while they are in the water and ensure that they follow pool rules and regulations. You may also consider using floatation devices for added safety, especially for very young children.

prompter: At what age it's ok to teach kid to swim?

assistant: Most kids are not developmentally ready to swim independently until after their 4th birthday. That being said, you can start swim lessons for kids between the ages of 1 and 4. Even though toddlers that age are not ready to learn complex swim strokes or swim proficiently on their own, classes for kids under 4 should help build good safety habits and swimming readiness skills.

Swimming lessons for babies younger than 1 are not recommended as they haven't developed  the breathing skills required for swimming yet, though you can consider parent-child programs that focus on water games and safety in and around the pool. These can help mitigate the fear of water and give an opportunity to get acclimated to being in the water.

Please discuss the topic of swim lessons with your pediatrician. They can give you a better idea of where your child is developmentally, emotionally and physically. Based on this assessment, your pediatrician can recommend a suitable program in your area.

assistant: It is common to start swimming lesson between the ages of 4 and 6. However, some advocate for starting as early as 6 months old. It can be helpful to consult with a pediatrician or a swim instructor to determine the best time to start teaching a child to swim.

prompter: Are the drawbacks of teaching a child to swim too late?

assistant: The decision of when to teach a kid to swim should ultimately left up to when their parents feel comfortable.  However, it is common for parents to initially enroll children in beginner swimming classes between the ages of 1 and 4.  Such classes range in difficulty and variability, with infant classes focused on helping protect against drowning.  Depending on the course, some programs will even accept infants as young as 10 months old.

assistant: Swim lessons can start as early as 6 months for infants to start acclimating to water, and can generally begin learning swimming basics at the age of 4

assistant: The safest way to teach your young kids how to swim would be to do so in a controlled environment. Consider taking them to a shallow pool or water feature, and having them get in the water while wearing flotation devices. From there, tell them how to correctly make swimming strokes with their arms and legs.

prompter: When should I take away the flotation device to allow them to swim on their own?