July 27, 2022, 4:01 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
The swimming season is in full swing. For most children, there’s nothing more delightful on hot days than splashing around in the pool or lake. However, the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG) has been warning for years that fewer and fewer children can swim. This situation has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The later they start, the longer it takes to learn. In some cases, it’s a matter of survival! Therefore, it’s crucial to introduce children to swimming as early as possible.
Overview
COVID-19 leads to even more non-swimmer children
Closed indoor and outdoor pools, canceled swimming courses–since 2020, parents often had no chance for months to introduce their children to water, let alone send them to swimming lessons. As a result, COVID-19 has ensured that even fewer children have learned to swim than was already the case.
Now that pools are open again, it doesn’t mean the situation regarding learning to swim has improved. For example, the German Lifesaving Association in Bad Nenndorf reported at the end of 2021 that the demand for children’s swimming courses has exploded. However, they can hardly keep up with it. As a result, parents often have to wait a long time for a spot in a swimming course for their children.
To achieve significantly more safe swimmers among children, swimming lessons in schools would need to be held nationwide again. This requires more swimming pools and qualified staff in schools. Additionally, more water facilities for clubs are needed so they can train more preschool-aged children, according to the DLRG.
Apart from the COVID-19 situation, many parents have fundamental questions: At what age should my child learn to swim? Should we start with baby swimming, and is a first swimming course in toddlerhood sufficient? And what should be considered when choosing a course?
Also interesting: 5 scientifically proven reasons why swimming is so healthy
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Levels of swimming ability
- Water acclimation
- Basic skills
- Foundation level
- Safe swimming1
What does baby swimming offer?
According to the DLRG, baby swimming is not a necessity: “But it helps children get used to water early on, preventing the development of fears. It also conveys that water is a great experience.” Alternatively, parents can provide this experience in the home bathtub or paddling pool. From an educational perspective, the early, playful interaction with water is absolutely sensible, according to the DLRG.
If the timing was missed, it helps if parents spend time with their slightly older children at the pool. A DLRG tip: a parent sits with the child at the pool’s edge and encourages them to splash each other until they dare to submerge their heads together with mom or dad: “In this way, even older children often quickly realize that water is a great thing.”
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When is the right time for the first swimming course?
“Clearly at five years old,” says the DLRG. “Because that’s exactly the age when children can coordinate three things simultaneously, namely breathing, arm, and leg movements. The first swimming course should therefore be completed before starting school. It usually concludes with the Seepferdchen badge and a certificate.”
“However, the Seepferdchen badge doesn’t mean my child can suddenly swim; it only means they can move 25 meters in the water. Parents should be aware of this, as these skills are far from sufficient for unsupervised swimming in a lake.” Only the Freischwimmer, or Bronze badge, certifies safe movement in the water, according to experts. “Children should achieve this by the age of eight or nine.”
Also interesting: What you need to know for the swimming badge
What should parents consider when choosing a swimming course?
With swimming courses offered by the DLRG or the German Swimming Association, you’re on the safe side. They are not only comparatively inexpensive but also ensure well-trained instructors who are always pedagogically and didactically well-prepared, advises the DLRG. They are also certified lifeguards capable of intervening decisively in dangerous situations.
Another DLRG tip for parents: “Don’t stay at the pool’s edge during training sessions, as it only distracts children and trainers. Instead, enjoy a coffee break. The child can learn to swim without mom or dad watching.”
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Swimming lessons in school
By elementary school at the latest, swimming lessons are on the agenda for children. According to a Bundestag document: All students are required to participate in initial swimming lessons unless explicitly exempted by a medical certificate. It is aimed that every student masters safe swimming and the associated skills by the age of 10 to 12. Building on the first level (water acclimation), students gradually learn the basic skills necessary for mastering safe swimming: breathing, diving, jumping, gliding, and moving forward.”
That’s the theory. In practice, however, swimming lessons are often canceled–and this was the case even before COVID-19.3 Another reason why parents should consider enrolling their children in swimming courses, if possible, to ensure they learn safe swimming.
Sources
- 1. Working Group on School Swimming of the Sports Commission of the KMK in collaboration with the DGUV, DVS, and BFS. The four levels of developing safe swimming skills. bildungsserver.berlin-brandenburg.de (accessed on 7/27/2022)
- 2. German Bundestag. Swimming lessons for children. (accessed on 7/27/2022)
- 3. Erhardt C. (2019). Swimming lessons: What to do about cancellations? Kommunal. (accessed on 7/27/2022)
- With material from dpa