Water skills to keep your kids safe

Winter is flying by and summer will be here in no time! It’s time to start preparing…

• Sunscreen – check!
• Bug spray – check!
• Helmets and kneepads – check, check!

As parents, we have an entire toolkit of things to keep our kiddos safe because as we all know, there is nothing more important to us than the safety of our children. From the minute they are born, it’s a daily cycle of worry, trying to think ahead, and doing everything in our power to keep them safe. There is however another tool we have at our disposal, and it’s the power to equip them with the skills they need to protect themselves – teaching them how to swim.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death in children ages 1 to 14, and many of these tragedies are preventable with the proper instruction and learned techniques. Living in a place like Virginia Beach where there is such an abundance of access to waterways, it’s a vital skill that every child should know.

Luckily, our seven area recreation centers have tons of classes and an awesome team of experienced instructors to teach your littles what they need to know. From Tiny Bobbers for the tiniest of tots, to Paddlers and American Red Cross Learn to Swim level classes for ages 3 and up, little swimmers will learn lifelong skills including:

• Water acclimation and developing positive attitudes toward the water
• Basic safety skills and safe water practices
• Stroke technique, development, improvement, and refinement

Empowered and armed with their own tool belt of skills, they’ll be on their way to a fun-filled summer, and all of us moms and dads will be adding some additional peace of mind to ours. What’s better than that?

For more about available classes and schedules, visit VBgov.com/Swim.