The immediate benefits of enrolling your child in swimming lessons are pretty obvious: increased safety around water, comfort while swimming, exercise, social development and a boost in confidence, to name a few. And there are even some great potential outcomes that might come further down the road, like your little one being a competitive swimmer or eventually teaching swim lessons themselves. But beyond these benefits of lessons, can swim skills translate into other real life skills or even careers? The answer is a resounding yes! Take a look at just a few of the ways swimming today could set your child up for success and a well-rounded life for years to come.
Planting a Passion
There are seemingly endless swimming exercises and activities that young people can try in childhood, all of which require a high level of comfort in the water. If a child wants to learn to surf or wakeboard, for example, they must first know how to swim and be unafraid to fall in the water as they learn the sport. Or if a child is more interested in sea life than in adrenaline-producing activities, they might enjoy snorkeling or fishing. In both of these cases a solid foundation of swim skills is important, along with a great degree of comfort in the water.
When a little one takes swimming lessons, they have the opportunity to develop an affinity for being in the water. This can stoke passion in a child, even at a very young age. After they begin taking swim classes, you might notice your son or daughter watching Olympic swimmers with rapt attention or staring in awe at people kayaking on a lake. The love of water, and water-based activities, is a wonderful passion to plant and nurture in someone. If you help your child gain swim skills at a young age, they are far more likely to feel empowered and confident to pursue water hobbies that they’re passionate about trying.
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
When it comes to our children, it’s always fun to think about what careers they’ll choose someday. And if your kids develop a love of water in their childhood, it’s not a stretch to think they might choose a career in oceanography, marine biology, or another related field someday. If your little one feels comfortable in the water, they’re more likely to give an activity like scuba diving a try in the future. And who knows, that one experience could lead to a fascination with underwater life and, one day, your child saying they want to become a scuba instructor themselves.
There are plenty of rewarding and interesting occupations that involve water, whether it’s pools, oceans, or lakes. If you expose your child to positive experiences and the confidence boosts that come with early swim lessons, you give them the chance to fall in love with the water and maybe even start to dream of a life and career built around it.
It’s true that swimming lessons have myriad short-term benefits, but they can also instill passion in your child for years – and even decades – to come. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about our swim programs and how we can help your child learn to love the water.
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