Cincinnati-area families may not be thinking too much about beach and pool season during the chilly and snowy winter days ahead, but the fact is that this is the time of year to dig out those swimsuits and get your kiddos in the pool! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional drowning accidents annually in the United States — about ten deaths per day. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal injuries. Moreover, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for kids under age five. These statistics are very sobering, but there are steps you can take to make sure that your child is safe in and around the water.
This may surprise you but winter is actually the best time to think about swim and water safety. The American Red Cross says that the number one thing parents can do to prevent accidental drowning in enroll kids in weekly swim lessons to ensure that they have the basic safety skills they need to be safe in the water. Use this time to work on building up critical swim skills so that your family is ready to SAFELY hit the beach and pool when summer returns!
So why swim this winter?
1. Swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning. You read the stats above, right? Swimming is an essential life skill and you want to be confident that your child has mastered it. Kids are around water all of the time. Arm your child with the skills they need to be water-safe — now and in the future. Getting swim-ready for spring break and summer vacation starts in the winter months. Indoor swimming is also a great cold-weather activity! Year-round lessons are the best way for kids to learn how to swim because they are able to retain what they learn with regular practice. Plus, each child learns new skills differently and at their own pace so starting in the winter is the best way to ensure progress by summer.
2. Goldfish Swim School makes learning to swim FUN! Not all swim lessons are created equal. Goldfish Swim School West Chester is 100% devoted to teaching kids how to swim. Our learn-to-swim curriculum is the very best one out there and we know how to get even the most reluctant swimmers comfortable in the water. Our program is different because of our warm, welcoming facility, highly trained instructors, small class sizes and shiver-free 90-degree pools. We also know that convenience counts. We offer every level of swim lessons at times that are convenient for you and your child moves up to the next level when he or she is ready (and you keep the same time slot!). Families with kids of different ages and skill levels can have all of their swimmers in the pool during at the same time and you can always schedule a makeup lesson if you need to miss a class. We want to make the learn-to-swim process as easy as possible for families with young children!
3. Strength in numbers + consistency! Often times, younger swimmers are nervous about getting into the water without mom or dad for the first time. Swim safety experts find that young kids do better when they are with other kids their same age. Goldfish offers small group swim lessons (4:1 max student to teacher ratio). This ratio ensures that little swimmers get the individual attention they need while also benefitting from the presence of peers. If swimmers see their peers participating in a skill taught by their instructor, they are often more likely to join in. Ongoing, consistent, week-to-week instruction helps kids to make real progress in lessons.
As an added bonus, indoor swimming during the winter months is a great way for kids to expend a ton of energy! Joining us for lessons or family swim is the perfect way to pass the time on a chilly winter day! We’d love to see you in our pool this winter! Please visit our website or or call 513/857-1700 for more information about lessons!
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Mandy Yackey is the owner of Goldfish Swim School West Chester. Conveniently located at 7058 Ridgetop Drive in West Chester, Goldfish Swim School provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), shiver-free 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish Swim School West Chester also offers weekly family swims (for both members and non-members) and birthday party packages. For more information or to register for lessons, visit the website or call 513/857-1700.
