As Shona Pallas, parent/child program leader at Paul Sadler Swimland notes, often the only exposure to the water that children have during winter is via their regular swimming lessons. She says that these months are vitally important to enabling safer swimmers during the summer.
“While many parents and carers believe that swimming during the cold months can make their children sick, the reality is that a virus makes children sick as opposed to swimming,” says Shona.
“Our pools are heated to 32 degrees year-round and our decks are 27 degrees, making the water and the environment on deck toasty warm for winter swimming.
“We regularly see that in children who stop swimming during the cold months – their skills do not stand still – most often they regress. This means when they start lessons again it’s from a lower base than where they previously finished lessons.”
According to the American Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, participation in formal swimming lessons is associated with an 88 per cent reduction in the risk of drowning.
“With drowning still the leading cause of accidental death of children aged under five years, teaching children skills to swim safer and build on these skills year round is incredibly important.”
Paul Sadler Swimland gives year-round swimming lessons with a focus on survival skills at every level. Lessons start from four months old and go all the way through to adults.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Four- and five-month-old babies swim free in the Paul Sadler program.
Paul Sadler Swimland operates in Melbourne’s west in Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Braybrook, Essendon, Parkwood Green, Melton and Bacchus Marsh. For more information visit www.paulsadlerswimland.com
