Swim Survival classes are controversial swim lessons targeting childhood drowning in a much more aggressive manner than traditional swim lessons. Many leader in the industry are frowning on this practice calling it too stressful to the children and unproven. One woman Emma Aspinall, is charging forward saying current swim lessons don’t prepare young children enough for a true drowning scenario. Sadly, she lost her own young child to drowning. There are strong arguments that these lessons cause stressful episodes that will be stored somewhere in the child’s brain only to resurface in the future as a fear and distrust of the water. Aspinall says it has been done in the US for a long time and doesn’t believe there are any long time ill effects.

Key Takeaways:

• Controversial children’s swim survival classes have been criticised by industry leaders who say they are ‘harmful’ and ‘distressing’ for little ones.
• Major UK bodies involved in baby swimming, including Puddle Ducks and Water Babies, have come together to speak out and warn parents about the dangers of ‘drown-proofing’ methods
• The UK’s leading baby swimming providers’ Water Babies, Puddle Ducks and Turtle Tots are also supporting the publication of the new ‘Sink or Swim’ report.

“While some may see this highly stressful, forceful method of teaching as being ‘a means to an end’, the wider baby swimming profession argue that there is an urgent need to examine if these drown-proofing techniques, which are being promoted to parents as insurance for their child’s water safety, are actually safe, acceptable and effective.”

Read more: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/controversial-swim-survival-classes-kids-13280342