Opportunities to be around water are abundant in our Southern California communities and warm weather makes swimming an option most of the year. When it comes to children, these opportunities can be beneficial but also alarming to parents. Here are 4 reasons why it is important for your child to learn to swim:

1. Swimming can save their lives! Swimming is the only activity that can save your child’s life or teach them how to save someone else’s. Being comfortable in the water is almost a necessity in life, because even if kids don’t go to a pool regularly, they should be at ease near any body of water. Water’s everywhere. Did you know, drowning is the leading cause of death for children one to four years old, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14? These are scary statistics, but this can be changed.
2. It improves their social life. Rare are the times where you’ll find a kid who doesn’t enjoy a good pool party, a summer dip to cool off or a chance to just splash around. Your child shouldn’t be any different in that regard. Taking swim lessons early means that your kid will fit right in at a party or during play time without you having to worry about him or her being an outsider.
3. It’s an incredible, low-impact workout. There’s a reason why swimming is a preferred workout. It’s something you can continually do without putting stress on your joints. Swimming isn’t the easiest thing to do, but it gives people a high-intensity workout without stressing joints and muscles the same way that running or lifting weights do. It’s a workout that they can start early and never stop.
4. Confidence is key. Find a child swimming in any body of water and, chances are, they’re confident. Swimming gives kids something to do where they’re truly in charge of how quickly they improve. Kids will feel like if they can handle swimming, they can handle just about anything.

Ultimately, it’s more of a question as to why shouldn’t your child be swimming, rather than why they should. Kids greatly benefit from everything that swimming offers, and there’s no doubt that they should be involved early and often.

For more information swimming lessons in your area, visit ymcaoc.org/swim.