Building resilience in our children through regular swim classes

Learning to swim is more than just a fun recreational activity; it plays a crucial role in developing essential life skills and promoting overall well-being. Kapiti Learn to swim is a community focused swim school who has been passionately serving the Kapiti Coast for 30 years. Being a coastal town, we are surrounded by water, and we recognise the significance of building water confidence and awareness in children through regular, high-quality swim lessons.

In this article, we will investigate the psychological and physical benefits that stem from consistent swim lessons. From fostering emotional resilience and improved social skills to promoting physical fitness and essential life-saving abilities, we'll examine how regular swimming education can enrich your child's life.

Furthermore, we will focus on how Kapiti Learn To swim nurtures these vital skills within your child, positioning them for success both in and out of the water.

Very interestingly, the changes and trends I have noticed over the past 20 years while working with our next generation here at Kapiti Learn to swim (since modern technology increases and post covid), is the increase of  swimmers who get ‘tired’ or find their 30 minute swim lesson draining and can’t cope, sometimes asking ‘how long to go’

Building a strong teacher/student relationship is our core focus here as a child who feels safe and loved will have a higher chance of ‘pushing through’ and finding the fun in a program where repetition and structure is required to build those important swimming strokes and techniques which make our young child and adults safer swimmers….. ie/building resilience.

As a mother whose children have now graduated from Kapiti learn to swim, there have been periods of time when my children have moaned about swimming lessons prior to going. Especially when they are ‘stagnant’ at a level and finding it challenging to master a specific skill. This is a perfect opportunity to talk about mastering challenging things in life, building resilience and pushing through-so when the skill is mastered and they are promoted up a level, the sense of internal satisfaction is immense, teaching them that ‘never give up’ attitude which will weave resilience into all aspect of their adult lives.

When doing challenging tasks we use our anterior mid cingulate cortex, a region within the brain that enlarges when individuals engage in tasks we inherently do not want to do. This part of the brain is increasingly becoming a focus of interest due to its remarkable association with resilience fortitude and self-discipline.

One of the most profound psychological benefits of regular swim lessons is the development of emotional resilience in children. As they work through challenges and learn to overcome obstacles in the water, children build the necessary skills to face adversity in other aspects of life. According to a study published in the journal Health Psychology, children who participated in a 12-week swimming program exhibited significant improvements in self-esteem, self-efficacy, and coping skills. This is amazing, imagine the benefits of swimming year-round!

At Kapiti learn to swim, our experienced instructors foster an environment where children feel supported and empowered to tackle new challenges. By building up their confidence and resilience in the water, we equip your child with the skills and mindset to thrive both in and out of the pool.

Our levels dove tail into the next making their progress journey smooth and never ‘out of their ability’, a tried and tested program designed and adjust over the past 30 years.

“Resilience is about the ability to bounce back even when times get tough. But that implies it’s only about survival,” said Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, a pediatrician and the author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’s book “Building Resilience in Children and Teens.” “Resilient people not only bounce back, but also thrive in the best of times.”

Never has resilience — be it physical, mental, emotional or financial — been more important to our society than in the past 5 years, increase of social media pressures, dual working parents, post covid times, recession and the list continues,  and never have I been so determined to pass it on to my children and all the children we work with at Kapiti learn to swim. They don’t need to climb mountains to gain resilience, but if they can’t roll with the punches, their life will be very, very hard.

Thankfully, most experts say resiliency is something that can be fostered, nurtured and developed in children from a very young age. You just must build a safe foundation, find challenges and watch kids thrive.

Build a stable, safe foundation.

Creating resilience in children isn’t just chucking them into the deep end of a pool to see if they can swim, it’s about the bedrock of support you give them every day.

“Having a relationship with a caring parent is far and away the most powerful protective factor for children,” said Ann Masten, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota and a pioneer in the study of resiliency in children.

Regular swim lessons can also provide a platform for children to develop essential social skills. Group swimming classes create opportunities for students to interact with peers, learn to cooperate in group activities, and communicate effectively with instructors.

An Australian study found that preschoolers who attended structured swimming lessons displayed accelerated social and cognitive development compared to their peers who did not participate in such activities. - Study shows kids are smarter when they swim

With our heated pool to 32 degrees – Kapiti learn to swim ensures an engaging and enjoyable learning experience for children of all ages and skill levels. Our swimming programs encourage students to make lasting connections with their peers, fostering the development of social skills that contribute to a well-rounded and fulfilling life.

Swimming is an excellent form of low-impact exercise that helps build strength, flexibility, and endurance. Children who participate in regular swim lessons can reap the myriad physical benefits of this whole-body workout. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, swimming can significantly improve cardiovascular and respiratory health, muscular strength, and overall fitness.

Regular swim lessons offer an array of psychological and physical benefits to children that can impact their overall well-being. From developing emotional resilience and social skills to improving physical fitness and acquiring life-saving water safety skills, swimming education is an invaluable investment in your child's present and future success.