MESA, Ariz. — As excited parents cheer from the water, a 4-month-old baby paddles across the pool on their back. In the other corner of the pool, a group of toddlers is learning how to climb up out of a pool all on their own. Babies, toddlers and young children are here at Aqua-Tots to learn how to swim — and they’re loving it.
On average, 17 kids die every year from drowning in the Valley, according to the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona. Just this year alone, three children under 5 years old have drowned and died in Maricopa County. One of the most effective ways to prevent drowning is as simple as teaching young children to swim. Getting a child under 5 years old into swim classes can make all the difference in the world.
Austin Hermes is one father who wasn’t sure if his 7-month-old son would take it well.
“He hasn't really cried or screamed at all. We were kind of worried about that, that it'd be miserable for him. But he really seems to enjoy the water,” he said.
“They're learning how to float on their backs. They're learning how to hold their breath when they go under. They're learning how to find the edge of the pool.”
Kids can start swimming lessons as young as 4 months old at Aqua-Tots. As swim trainer Alyssia Alsas puts it, “Never underestimate the abilities of a baby.”
Infants can reflexively move themselves through water and slow their breathing in response to being submerged. While babies aren’t born with the ability to swim, their primitive reflexes can help keep them afloat long enough for an adult to help. And with the right training, kids only get stronger from there.
“By being in swim lessons younger, they're able to grow and understand that confidence in the water as well. And it prepares them for when they get older,” Alsas explained. “By the time they get to that 2-and-a-half-year-old age, they're grabbing that poolside, they're able to climb out of the pool, and able to make sure that they know how to safely jump back in with their parents”
Still, swimming lessons are just one piece of the puzzle that is drowning prevention. Barriers and adult supervision are also needed to keep kids safe.
“Whether they're at a party, or water at your house, or at a friend's or family, it's very important that the child knows what to do. Parents are always the first line of defense," Alsas said. "But if they're not there, we want our children to know how to have that safety and confidence in the water."
For dads like Hermes, skills learned today make for a tomorrow without tragedy.
“In Arizona, there's a lot of accidents with young kids and pools, especially,” he said. “And we know that we don't want that to happen to us. So we thought it was really important to make sure that he learns the skills that he needs to be as safe as possible.”
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