The cooler months are starting to come now in Woolgoolga. It is not unusual that many people think that their children do not need to be doing swimming lessons during winter. However doing swimming lessons during will have many benefits for your child.
As Woolgoolga is in a coastal area a lot of our summer activities are based around many of our beautiful beaches and waterways. As so many activities in summer are based around being in or near the water children have additional practice. Therefore you see a rapid improvement in your child during their swimming lessons.
During the cooler months many of these additional activities stop. Therefore it is important to continue attending swimming lessons during winter. Otherwise your child may not be swimming for between 3 and 6 months. When it gets back to the warmer months your will have lot of catching up to do in their swimming lessons.
There are many reasons why your child should continue swimming over winter. There also some ways to make it more appealing to you and your children.
Safety
When winter is finished and the weather warms up, it is likely that your child will want to be back in to all the water activities that they were doing. But if the child is returning to these activities after an extended break, their survival skills will have regressed. By continuing swimming lessons during winter your child will be much better prepared for all the water activities that they will want to be involved in during the warmer months.
Progress and Consistency
Like any, skill, the more you practice swimming, the better you become. Conversely the less you practice the faster you lose the swimming skills that you once had. This is true for all children, especially the younger children – repetition helps them to learn and remember. It only takes two or three missed lessons before there is a noticeable regression in a child. By continuing swimming lessons during winter, you are ensuring that you child’s swimming skills will be maintained.
Temperature
Even though at Woolgoolga Swim our learn to swim pool is heated to 32 degrees and our lap pool 28 degrees, it is important that your child is warm and dry when they finish their swim lesson. After swimming lessons make sure your child is completely dry and warmly dressed before you leave. Do not leave the swimming school in wet swimmers and/or in a wet towel.
Illness
There is a common misconception that children who attend swimming lessons during winter are more prone to colds and the flu. In fact, regular exercise, such as swimming lessons can actually help to boost your child’s immunity, as well as improve their fitness levels. Children don’t catch colds by swimming in winter – so long as you maintain their body warmth when leaving the swimming school, you will actually be doing their bodies a favour by swimming during the cooler months.
