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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: tashamjoy on May 22, 2014, 08:16:29 pm
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I strongly believe that basic survival swimming is a life skill. I believe it is something like learning to walk, ride a bike a part of life. I hear on the news of people drowning and feel strongly that this is preventable. When i was a child i was put in swim lessons and am grateful that i am able to swim as i am 22 years old and many of my close friends cannot swim at all!!! Basically they stand in the child section and thats it!! People please try to teach your children to swim it could save their lives. I understand that many people do not have time or money to invest in this and feels like an activity but just may help you when you get into a life threatening situation
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I believe in this too! I was self taught to swim at an early age of 4 or 5 yrs old. My son who is now 7, never took lessons and I am not around a pool enough to even know if he can jump in without freaking out. He was learning for a little while one summer 2 yrs ago but then we stopped going because it was my sisters house and now she moved too far away. I think I will sign him up this summer for lessons just to be on the safe side. Now, when you say like riding a bike...lol...I am ashamed to say if I got on a bike today, i would fall over and swimming in the deep end freaks me out! I used to be so good at both.
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Swimming is actually a great workout activity too. Because the water helps support your weight, it isn't as hard on the joints as other activities like running. Also, the water helps cool you off, so you don't overheat and tire yourself out as quickly. Finally swimming exercises many different muscles, not just leg muscles as when you run.
Because it is gentle on your joints, many people will continue to swim even after they've started to age and have trouble just walking. In college, I used to lifeguard as a part of my work-study and we'd tend to get a lot of elderly people from the community come in to swim laps. They might hobble walking over to the pool, but once they got in, they swam much more gracefully and could go for long periods of time.
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I agree, I think it's very important to learn at least basic swimming skills.
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I can't swim, but I made sure my kids learned when they were young.
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i have never learned how to swim and its unlikely that my son will either simply because he has eczema so bad that we have to limit his showers to once or twice and week and he cant even take baths so nope to the pool.
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I strongly believe that basic survival swimming is a life skill. I believe it is something like learning to walk, ride a bike a part of life. I hear on the news of people drowning and feel strongly that this is preventable. When i was a child i was put in swim lessons and am grateful that i am able to swim as i am 22 years old and many of my close friends cannot swim at all!!! Basically they stand in the child section and thats it!! People please try to teach your children to swim it could save their lives. I understand that many people do not have time or money to invest in this and feels like an activity but just may help you when you get into a life threatening situation
I agree. Kids need to learn how to swim just so they won't drown. They also need to not be afraid of the water. Most kids who can't swim are afraid of the water. It isa survival skill no one should be without.
BMaston12
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I've thinking about it for a while. This summer my daughter is definitely going to learn how to swim.
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I wish I was taught to swim when I was a kid. Unfortunately I'll probably never know how to swim now.
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It's very important for kids to learn to swim as it can cost them their life if they don't know how to swim. Even adults should learn how to swim if they didn't learn as children. They probably won't be very good at it but it might save their life sometime.
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I too agree it is a life skill all should learn. Many accidents can and could be prevented but there are those few events where even the best of swimmers can't take on some currents - or those cases when they're out drinking with friends and accidents happen. My oldest sister taught me basic swim skills when I was about 6 years old. She worked with me every summer. When I had my own children I enrolled them in swim class. While coaching gymnastics one summer through a local park district I paid one of the older kids to watch my 2. She took them to the park district pool regularly. On a day off I nearly gasped when I realized they were both going down a water slide and swimming to the ladder. I didn't know she had continued to work with them and there swim skill progressed that far. Now my youngest hasn't been exposed to swim lesson's or water of much depth at all for that matter. You make a good point- it's pricy but it's one of those things I need to invest in for her.
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I wish I had learned to swim as a kid :(
As an adult I find going near pools very frightening. I even had private swim lessons as an adult and I had to give that up because my fear was inhibiting my progress to learn. ::)
Maybe one day I'll get brave and take lessons again.
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I agree. I took lessons every summer when I was a child through the city park services, so the price to learn was really cheap (and still is). One good thing my parents did. :)
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I paid the pool's lifeguard to teach them. They took the lessons yearly, until they could pass the test. They were cute, scared, and cold but well worth it, it was $50.00 each and each year yup it took a couple. :highfive:
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I had semi private lessons when I was little, so I instilled this policy of learning to swim at a young age as well when I had my daughter. It's surprising sometimes how many people do not know how to swim at my age and younger. I use to think this was a requirement in school, but doesn't seem to always be the case. I think it's an important skill.
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I can't swim, but I made sure my kids learned when they were young.
I can't swim also but I did make sure my son took swimming lessons. I can however doggy paddle and stay afloat without going under.
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I can't swim. People have tried to teach me, but I just haven't been able to pick my feet up off of the bottom.
I avoid pools or any large body of water like they're the plague. Unless it's a dock I can fish off of. I won't be able to relax, but I will be fishing. :)
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good idea teach them early so they will enjoy swimming
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I couldn't agree more, swimming is a fantastic exercise. It is also an important survival skill in life. My parents started getting me used to the water early when I was still a toddler. So to me, swimming is about as natural as walking. I think it's a good idea to start kids early with swimming, and swimming lessons are never a bad idea.
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I tried to teach my kids how to swim, but I never have the time. When I go on vacation I will take time.
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I can't swim so I find it definitely necessary for my child to learn.
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Lol I can't swim
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I don't have kids. Thank You!
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I took swimming lessons when I was a kid and I just did not get it. I cannot swim but do not feel too threatened because I don't go around water. I don't like being in a bathing suit in front of people. If I go to a water park (done once) I wore a suit but wore a tee over it. Surprisingly a lot of people done the same thing. lol
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I agree, I wish my parents had taught me how to swim. My kids know how to swim because their father taught them.
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We just had 1 drowning and 1 almost drowning on the news this past weekend. It's awful and sad. The mom walked inside to get some swim trunks for another kid and the child drowned.
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I strongly believe that basic survival swimming is a life skill. I believe it is something like learning to walk, ride a bike a part of life. I hear on the news of people drowning and feel strongly that this is preventable. When i was a child i was put in swim lessons and am grateful that i am able to swim as i am 22 years old and many of my close friends cannot swim at all!!! Basically they stand in the child section and thats it!! People please try to teach your children to swim it could save their lives. I understand that many people do not have time or money to invest in this and feels like an activity but just may help you when you get into a life threatening situation
i learned to swim when i was 5 yrs old
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I agree. I was at a party last week and there was a little girl (maybe 4 years old) who fell in the pool. Luckily she had been taking swimming classes so she was able to keep her head above the water. It was still scary though. And the poor little girl was freaking out. It is very important to learn to swim.
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We have always had swimming pools in our back yards...so it was a fact that all my kids learned to swim at a very early age. Now the grandkids, they are all learning or have learned at a very young age too. I just didn't want to worry about them getting in the backyard by accident....so they all swim! I think it is one of those things everyone should learn and the younger the better. It is as others have already said a great exercise, for life, no matter the age.
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I taught my daughter and I'm divorced
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We just had 1 drowning and 1 almost drowning on the news this past weekend. It's awful and sad. The mom walked inside to get some swim trunks for another kid and the child drowned.
Being able to swim does not mean you will not drown. There have been several over the past couple of years in my area where the person COULD swim but still ended up drowning. All were in the lake. Anything can happen.
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I am always amazed when people say they never learned to swim. It is a survival skill and I think life would be scary with out knowing how. Teach the kids to swim when they learn to walk. It may keep them from drowning in an accident and will make them more confident people even if nothing bad every requires it.
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I am already a pretty good, strong swimmer and so are my children, they are 8 and 10. There was an occasion in my life when I had to jump in to deep water and safe a life and I felt strongly that, as you never know when you might need to be a strong swimmer, you should learn anyway so I signed my kids up when they were 4+. I heard on the weather report once that if a child has not learnt to swim by the 4th grade, the chances are they likely never will. I thought this was a horrific statistic. So I say, start 'em early and they will learn to enjoy the water and not be afraid of it.
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I am also a believer in this Idea. All of my boys are able to swim now but they are never alone in the swimming pool. My wife and I are always there when they do so. I think swimming is a survival skill and it is necessary in fact it is a requirement in the scouting program.
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I think that swimming is a necessary skill to have.. Just in case something goes wrong in larger bodies of water... To bad school education system doesn't mandated it.... I guess they don't have the funding for it
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Seems like I can always remember swimming. My mother took me to the YMCA to learn to swim when I was very young. She never learned to swim and is afraid of the water. I taught my daughter to swim she was 1 1/2 years old. My husband never learned to swim.
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Yes I completely agree with you. I do believe a lot of "accidents" could be prevented if kids learned to swim. Plus, it's great exercise too!!!
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I semi-taught my nephew how to swim last summer but he can't float with his floaties. He made me a proud Nanie because he jumped into the 8 ft and scared me but when I was swimming towards him he floated up and started kicking and swam to the other side of the pool.
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As far as I'm concerned a child should learn to swim before they even walk - too many kids today drown in their own backyards!!!
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I can not swim, in fact I am terrified of water! I made sure all my kids and grandkids could swim. I wish I could swim.
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My mom was afraid of the water, but somehow she was convinced to put me in swimming lessons. She did wait though so I was ten and my classmates were five, but once I got over the initial fears I loved it. I took every level including Junior Lifesaving. I would have liked to go into synchronized swimming, but we only had a beginners class. :fish: :fish: :fish:
I agree, it's an essential, lifesaving skill and everyone should get at least some basic training. :thumbsup:
On the other hand I never did get a bicycle and to this day do not know how to ride one. Another basic skill of childhood, but not knowing how to ride two wheels won't get you killed like not knowing how to swim. :neutral:
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I know how to swim and I don't even remember how I learned it. When I was little we lived in the province which house close to the river so everyday we go and swim.
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Swimming is vital for basic survival!
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I remember learning to swim, at first I didnt think I could do it
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I love to swim! I wasn't taught by my parents though.. Instead i was taught by a stranger who happened to go by the name of wayne. He started off everyday going to the vending machine and buying us a pop.. I guess he was known for that because everyone pretty much got pops from him.. Is that weird? I thought so at first.. But.. Anyways.. He stopped giving people pops one day and told us if we wanted the money we would have to get it out of the pool.. I wasn't one for pools.. I couldn't even swim i did love putting my feet in the water tho! However.. I learned to swim by him throwing the money in the pool.. I guess i wanted that soda that bad... Idk.. Maybe it was my time to learn to swim who knows but one day i dove right in the pool to get my money.. Yes it was scary but.. when i got the money i couldn't belive i did it! Woot woot .. I love swimming NOW :).. Needless to say i do think everyone should teach their kids to swim.. Because sometimes things happen that you don't plan on happening and it can save your life.. Or someone else's..
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swimming is pretty essential. I believe everyone should have the basics. I taught my kids as well as took them to the YMCA for lessons. Unfortunately I almost had to jump and rescue my own kids while the teacher decided it was more important to talk with a friend. Good thing I can take care of my own.
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Like many others I do believe it is an important life skill to learn to swim. I was taught my my favorite uncle cus my parents didnt care to try and teach me. I love water swiming sports as it is, but you never know if u may need to use swimming to survive. I have taught myy kids all 3 at a young age. My oldest son and daughter had the privilage to learn how by the age of 2. My youngest is still learning but he knows the basics and he is still in a body suit life vest until he has mastered the basic without being scared as my other two have mastered. By the age of 3 for my daughter and the age of 4 of my oldest they mastered swimming under the water fluently and they can takle anything.. I do believe in some cases drowning is preventable, some cases like sudden tsunamis were people have drowned in maybe not so much. I also feel that as a parent I should know how to swim and I should teach my kids. If a parent cannot save themselves from drowning, how can they expect to save their children. And if ur children cant grow into an adult and save themselves how can they save their own....another thing that is preventable is yes, while my older kids have mastered swimming and only a matter of time for.my youngest, they are still too young to be unsupervised. This is one thing alot of parents make.the mistake.on is letting their young kids in the pool or lake.or.watever it is and they do not stay and watch or join in to be closer. Babies can drown in a tsp of water if ur not carful, so why leave children unattended.
On my block not one of the apartment complexes have a pool anymore. My owner and all owners on our block filled the pools with grass because.of one parents negligence and they alowed their 4year old to go outside unattended and he fell in the pool and the parents didnt realize until it was too late. Another neighbor found the child. It was a sad day and yes preventable. If parents do not know how to swim they should learn and some communities even have classes for parents and their children to learn together. Sometimes there.are.specials or in some cases.free.lessons.