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Building kids’ confidence in the water while having fun

Weekly swimming lessons for kids are awesome. It’s great for their routine and learning new skills in the water, but if you’re keen to take the kids’ skills in the pool up a notch or improve their confidence around water, a School Holiday Intensive Program is a crackin’ idea.

Why? The online media outlet, The Fold Southern Highlands, spoke to the Aquabliss Frensham team to find out.

1 // Keeps kids busy and active

It’s sooooo tempting to resort to the world of video games and devices to give the kids some downtime in the hols, we get it (confession time, we’ve also done it). And while screens have their place and time, there’s a truckload of research that points towards the positive benefits of getting kids active – and not just physical benefits. Regular activity in kids also have psychosocial and cognitive health effects. Cool, right? Imagine how well they’ll sleep after participating in the Intensive Program?

2 // Builds confidence in the water

Intensive swimming programs are great for building a child’s confidence in the water. There is something about knowing your kid is capable in the water that makes a parent breathe a little easier, right? Plus, these sorts of programs reinforce swim safety awareness in and around water. Perfect when the weather is still warm enough to head off to the beach or pool parties. But no matter what time of year, kids are always in and around water which is why regular swimming lessons and intensive programs are important to keep your little one water-wise and confident in and out of the water all year round.

3 // Builds muscle memory

Back-to-back days of practice builds muscle memory in kids. What’s muscle memory? Let’s get technical – it’s consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. Which means your child is more likely to remember how to frog kick, or dive or do a tumble turn….whatever it is they may be learning…..if they do it regularly. They can spend a bit more time on mastering specific skills, rather than trying to squeeze learning that particular skill into a 30 – 60 minute lesson, and then try and remember it a week later (a week is a long time in a child’s life!) The best bit about daily back-to-back lessons is children easily pick up from where they left off the day before.

4 // Make new friends

Cos’ friends and fun are life, right? Developing social skills are a fabulous side-effect of a School Holiday Intensive Program as kids meet and mix with new friends.

5 // Fast track your child’s progress

Who has a mini-Thorpie in their midst? Or a child who Just. Really. Loves. Swimming? Or has your child’s swimming skills plateaued a bit? An intensive program is a way to reboot or kickstart their growth and ability in the water with one month’s worth of lessons in one week.

6 // Peace of mind for parents

We mentioned it quickly at the top, but when your child is confident, skilled and safety-aware in and around the water, as a parent you can definitely relax a little bit more (of course, never taking your eye off the supervising ball!).

Highlanders are no different to anyone else. They love getting outdoors and that usually means being around water in some form. When it’s still warm enough to enjoy a pool party, hang out at the beach, go fishing or boating……..being confident of your child’s abilities to manage themselves in the water makes that time much more enjoyable for everyone! And even in the cooler months, rugged up and cycling by the river, wandering along the pier or fishing, whatever and wherever near water, greater peace of mind leads to greater enjoyment.

To find out the latest program dates and more information, please click here.

There is a free lesson on offer for each week! So don’t miss out. Find out more and contact our friendly Customer Care Team today to book your little one into our School Holiday Intensive Programs.

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In summer kids have ample time in the water to practice. And in winter kids aren’t going to be in the water as much. So we find that some parents think there’s no need to continue with swimming lessons, right? Wrong!

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The water can be a scary place for a child. That’s why having a safe, positive experience is paramount when you’re getting your water legs. To equip your child with the skills they need to be water-wise and unlock a lifelong love of swimming, you need to know that the right people are teaching your kids the right way. A quality swim centre is more than just a schmick logo on some snazzy swimmers; lookout for these five signs that can help you determine the accredited and successful swim centres from the ones that are making a big splash with no substance.

It’s About People

At our super swim school, your child will be taught by a highly qualified teacher who’ll give them a positive experience in the pool.

All our instructors are AustSwim or Swim Australia qualified. Having undergone 20-hours of training in the Aquabliss teaching methodology, our team is all on the same page when it comes to our pool program. Each of our staff members has also had their Working With Children Check verified, as well as being CPR certified, so your kids are in qualified, safe hands. Aquabliss is also accredited with the peak industry body, Swim Australia, and to ensure we keep up with new ripples across the industry, we conduct regular refresher training with our staff.

Beyond their qualifications, we choose each teacher based on their ability to inspire and educate with kindness and patience. A great swimming experience is created by instructors who are invested in each child, and an environment that supports them. As we believe consistency and continuity are crucial, each team member is across both the detail and big-picture outcomes for each child.

It’s About Programs

At our super swim school, your child will have access to a consistent program that delivers consistent results.

Our program accommodates age-appropriate skill sets. Working towards defined outcomes, each skill we teach is achievable in terms of stages of development, so we can organically build every child’s swim confidence and competency. To ensure a positive experience in the pool, we place your child at an appropriate level; carefully assessing their ability and readiness. To strengthen our approach, we continually reassess our methodology based on continued testing, team meetings, and feedback.

It’s About Safety

At our super swim school, your child will be supported by a program that assures water safety as a prime priority.

To us, learning to swim should be fun, but it’s about much more than playing in the pool. To support the message of safety, our lessons are built on the bedrock of basics, such as floating, entering and exiting the pool safely, as well as increasing stamina and strength.

It’s About Communication

At our super swim school, we’ll keep you in the loop about your child’s progress so you can ask the ‘why’s’ and the ‘how’s.’

There’s nothing worse than watching a process without understanding the principles behind it. We believe it’s important to share the aims of our methodology, so we offer regular feedback around how your child’s progressing, and how you can play a part in moving them forward. We also have a Supervisor on deck to assist with any questions you might have.

It’s About Maintenance

At our super swim school, your child will learn to love swimming in a safe, secure and clean place with regular checks.

At Aquabliss, we’re highly vigilant. All our centres undergo frequent checks to confirm everything’s running according to optimum standards. If we discover any anomalies, we act immediately, so you or your child is never at risk. We’re all about attention to detail, even down to the water levels; our centres are a safe place for your kids to learn and build a love for swimming.

To avoid finding yourself in deep water, follow these indicators to select a super swim school. All our Aquabliss centres tick all these boxes, so contact us to book in your little swimmer to be part of our super swim school today!

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Every parent needs to know these water safety tips.

Australian’s love the outdoors and it’s not surprising considering our long summers and gorgeous beaches. But while lounging by the pool or at the beach can be relaxing, water safety is incredibly important, especially if you have children and even if those children know how to swim.

Pools and beaches should bring joy to children, so we’ve compiled the best tips to help you create a safe environment for the entire family and give you peace of mind this summer.

Fence It

Statistics show that in children under five, 81 per cent of drownings occur due to children falling into the water. The majority of these can be prevented with adequate pool fencing. The NSW Government has strict laws regarding pool fencing. Requirements for all pools/spas with a depth of 30cm or greater include*:

  • be at least 1.2m high (as measured from the finished ground level)
  • not leave a gap at the bottom bigger than 10cm from the finished ground level
  • not have gaps of more than 10cm between any vertical bars in the fence
  • if containing horizontal climbable bars, have these spaced at least 90cm apart.
  • have a clear area (300mm) where no nearby horizontal surfaces can be used as holds for climbing

*Accurate at the time of publishing. Please check the latest requirements with the relevant authorities.

Start Swimming Lessons Young

Want to give your kids the tools to protect themselves and others? Invest in swimming lessons early. A study in the U.S found “participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in the 1- to 4-year-old children.”

Start with parent and bub classes when they’re a few months old and continue lessons until they’re confident swimmers – usually about 11 or 12 years old. Most swimming centres offer before and after school swimming classes.

Gate Maintenance

The City of Monash council in Victoria instigated inspection of 151 pools in the year-to-November 2016. The results showed 143 pools (that’s over 94%!) were not compliant, including having “poorly maintained gate latches”.

Pool gates are typically close to the water and exposed to hot weather, which means doors on the pool and spa barriers could shift, making them difficult to latch or close.

Replacing old, sun-warped gates/hinges with soft-close hinges will ensure that the gate closes safely behind you every time, which is especially important for families with pools.

Remove Pool Toys

Packing away pool toys in the shed or a cupboard at the end of the day means that your children aren’t going to be tempted to reach across the pool to try and catch their favourite blow-up animal or noodle. While we know this means you might need to hose off the toys each time they’re pulled out, and that’s a pain, if it saves your kids’ lives, it’s worth the hassle.

Install Alarms

You might have alarms on your front and back entrances but have you ever considered a pool alarm? If your kids are at an age that you feel comfortable leaving them alone in the yard or family room for a few minutes while you go to the bathroom or hang out laundry, you might feel that nothing can happen in five minutes – but it can.

In fact, a child can lose consciousness in less than 2 minutes unsupervised in the water. Installing an alarm on your pool’s fencing will alert you to anyone crossing the threshold. You can even install underwater alarms that will alert you if someone falls into the pool. Genius!

Learn First Aid

No matter how many precautions you take, accidents can and do happen, so set yourself and any other adults or older children in your family up with CPR training. A study examined 90 cases of bystander CPR by lay-persons (non-professional) on removal from the water – 82 survived, which is a 91% survival rate.

To keep your certificate current, you’re required to re-complete the course every year which means you’ll always feel prepared to take control in the incident of an accident.

Supervise all water-related activities

Children should always be supervised while swimming in a pool or at the beach. If it’s a social gathering, have adults take turns watching the kids and if it’s just your family, make time by the water a family activity that includes everyone.

If you have to leave the kids unattended for whatever reason, have them leave the pool area with you – you might be the uncool parent for a minute, but when they’re older they’ll be glad you cared about their water safety.

Invest in a pool cover

A rigid pool cover that blocks water access can be installed across most pools and will inhibit your child’s ability to jump in the water. Of course, this should not be a substitute for a fence, which will provide the greatest protection to your family.

Teach your kids how to enter the water safely

Finally, show your kids how to enter the water safely by using the steps installed in the pool. If they want to jump in (and what kid doesn’t?), explain to them the importance of checking the depth of the water to ensure it’s suitable for jumping into and making sure they always enter feet first, as a broken ankle is far easier to mend than a broken neck!

Interested in enrolling in swimming lessons? Reach out to us.

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