2 reasons to implement infant focused pool programs
Drowning is a very real concern for community and private pools alike. Pool management relies on trained and certified lifeguards to help protect swimmers, but ensuring safety can be more difficult in private households. An article on azfamily.com noted that infant swimming lessons have been attracting a lot of attention as the summer heat sets in.
Families that have their own pools likely don’t visit community pools often. However, public pools can cater to these groups by featuring infant water safety lessons. After all, parents may feel uncomfortable putting younger children in the pool, especially because many parents aren’t swim instructors and may not trust their abilities to recognize when children are too scared or uncomfortable to realistically enter the water.
Recognize the importance of safety
There are two ways that pool managers can incorporate infants into pool programs. They can host water safety lessons, which allow infants to familiarize themselves with the water and educate parents about safety best practices. On the other hand, they can host infant swimming lessons, which can teach infants how to position themselves in the water to breathe if they fall in. Regardless of which kind of program pool managers prefer, including infants is important, and here are two reasons why.
1. Support the community atmosphere: Public pools serve community members of all ages. Just because infants aren’t able to follow instructions as well as older children doesn’t mean that they aren’t capable of learning the basics of water safety. Allowing them to do so can ensure that they won’t panic should they enter the water.
2. Increase safety: Swimming and water safety lessons will provide peace of mind for parents. Guaranteeing overall safety is a multifaceted process that requires work from supervising adults, young swimmers and, if it’s at a public pool, members of staff. Infants can be better protected from the likelihood of water-related accidents by being actively included in these efforts.
There will be a fair amount of preparation needed before you can begin these programs. Share your plans with other members of pool management and delegate the tasks, such as finding and hiring the right instructor and figuring out the prices and time slots. Once these are in place, let the community know by posting in the local newspaper to ensure that families with their own pools will notice as well.
