Learning how to swim is a milestone in every child’s life. It can be fun, exciting, and scary all at the same time. My Pool Pal designed our flotation swimsuits specifically for new and young swimmers to help them learn how to float and balance in the water by enhancing buoyancy and stability. Also, the My Pool Pal flotation swimsuit helps new swimmers develop the muscles, coordination, and endurance needed to become a strong swimmer.

While the My Pool Pal flotation swimsuit is a great tool when learning how to swim, there are many other things to consider to make learning to swim enjoyable and successful.

Tips for teaching younger children how to swim:

• Provide a warm water environment – 83° F and above.
• Enter the pool slowly, immersing the child to chest high.
• Standing still, use a “hug hold” and gently rock child.
• Using the “hug hold,” move around the pool slowly.
• Gently move child away from you, establish eye contact.
• With the water chest high, use a gentle left-to-right “swishing” to move the child.
• Smile and encourage the child as you slowly increase the size of the “swish.”
• Allow the water to touch the side of the child’s face.

Learning to swim for older children:

• Leave it up to the child to set the pace for entering the water.
• Stand nearby, in the water, offering aid and encouragement.
• Allow water time with My Pool Pal to be directed by the child.
• Encourage the child to keep water movements slow and fluid.
• Suggest the child maintain a chest-in-the-water position for moving.

A word to parents – relax. Small children sense the tension of a nervous adult in the water. The calmer you are, the better their learning experience. Be patient, communicate in a reassuring tone, and allow each child to progress at his or her own pace.

The My Pool Pal Flotation Swimsuit is NOT a U.S. Coast Guard approved life preserver and cannot be represented as such. My Pool Pal Flotation Swimsuits must be used with adult supervision at all times. Assistance must be provided for small children learning to balance in the water. To get more information on how to keep your children safe in the water please contact us.

Why all kids should learn to swim…

• Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)).
• More than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14 (Source: CDC).
• Drowning is also a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time (Source: Present P. Child Drowning study).
• Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children aged one to four years. (Source: Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2009)
• Seventy percent of African-American and sixty percent of Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim. See below. (Source: National research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis)
• African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers. (Source: CDC)
• If a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that a child in that household will learn how to swim. (Source: National research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis)

RESEARCH CORNER

A recent study commissioned by the USA Swimming Foundation and conducted by the University of Memphis found that nearly 70% of African American children and nearly 60% of Hispanic children have low or no swim ability, compared to 40% of Caucasians, putting them at risk for drowning. The 2010 study is a follow up to the 2008 groundbreaking research study (Phase I) that identified the predominant barriers inhibiting swimming participation among urban minority groups in the United States. The 2010 study (Phase II) identifies children’s true swimming ability and which factors most impact whether or not a child learns to swim. For full results please click on the link below.

RELATED ARTICLES

1. 2010 Research Study Results  2. Introduction to the 2010 Diversity Research Study  3. 2010 Diversity Research Qualitative Report  4. 2008 Research Results  5. Diversity Study EmailsÂ

 

WHY USE MY POOL PAL

– Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of childhood accidental death
– Ten people drown each day in the U.S.
– Seven out of ten African-American children cannot swim
– Six out of ten Hispanic children cannot swim
– 40% of Caucasian children have low or no swimming ability
– Children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to beat-risk of drowning
– Participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.

IN NUMEROUS CASES FORMAL SWIMMING LESSONS ARE NEVER ATTEMPTED OR GIVEN UP EARLY DUE TO THE CHILD’S FEAR AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE WATER. TEACHERS SPEND VALUABLE TIME JUST HELPING THE CHILD RELAX ENOUGH TO STAY IN THE WATER.

MY POOL PAL FLOTATION SWIMSUITS patented design gives natural balance, enhancing stability and freedom of movement. The unique design allows a child to develop strong fundamental swim skills and confidence while having fun in the water.

MY POOL PAL DOES NO TAKE THE PLACE OF FORMAL SWIMMING LESSONS –

IT’S PURPOSE IS TO GIVE A CHILD THE CONFIDENCE NEEDED TO LEARN AND THE ENDURANCE TO DEVELOP STRONG SWIMMING TECHNIQUES TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONALS.