Why Jumping is an Important Skill for your Little Swimmer

If your child is in swim lessons and struggling to jump in, they are certainly not alone. Jumping into the pool is one of the more common skills that kids struggle with. However, it is important to stick with it because jumping (and submerging) are important skills to have for water safety.

If your child can’t or won’t submerge, they are not a good swimmer.

No matter how strong of a swimmer you think your child is, no matter how long they can doggie paddle without a break, no matter how fast or “comfortable” they are in the water, a child who can’t or won’t submerge is not a good swimmer, and is not safe.

Most water emergencies start with submersion. A young child falling into the water. A non-swimmer slipping into water over their heads. A little one jumping in when their life jacket is off. Being able to stay calm and recover from this submersion is the first step in a self-rescue sequence of skills.

***Want to learn more about the different types of self-rescue skills? Read about them here.

Practicing skills is the key to being prepared to use them in an emergency, and jumping in is no different. So while hesitation is normal when learning to jump, keep encouraging your little one, and soon they will be confident jumpers.