It’s something many of us may not consider as parents…but how do you know if your child needs swim lessons? Even if you think your child “knows” how to swim, or that you’re not around any bodies of water, keep your kids safer and make sure you can say YES to ALL 10 of these questions:

1. Can my child hold his or her breath underwater?

Babies ages 4 months and older can start learning how to swim at Goldfish Swim School — and one of the first steps is being comfortable with putting their face in the water. Everyone needs to be able to hold their breath underwater, whether playing in the water, swimming or staying safer.

2. Can my child get in and out of a pool safely?

Pool injuries can happen from not knowing how to properly get in and out of the water — and we want every outing by water to be a GOLDEN experience. Especially for little ones, teaching the correct method goes a long way to staying safer.

3. Can my child float on his or her back?

Kids often don’t register when they get tired: They can go from having tons of energy to suddenly having none. In the water, that can cause trouble — but knowing how to pause, float on their back, take a breath and rest can preserve their energy so they can safely get out of the water.

4. Can my child get from one side of the pool to the other?

Knowing how to swim gives children the confidence to get to the other side of the pool and makes swimming that much more fun! At Goldfish Swim School, we teach children how to swim freestyle, underwater, the breaststroke and the butterfly — even if they “know” how to swim — with some extraordinary results!

5. Can my child get to shallow water when it’s too deep?

Many water emergencies stem from panic over not knowing what to do. If your child lands in water that is over his or her head, he or she needs to know how to instinctively move to shallow water without stressing about it.

6. Can my child tread water?

If, however, there is no shallow water nearby (like on a boat, or farther out in a pool), your child should know how to stay afloat by treading water until help can arrive. That’s just one of the swimming skills we teach at Goldfish Swim School.

7. Can my child stay safe when in the water unexpectedly?

It’s simple when kids just dip their ankles in the pool or wade out to their knees at the beach, but what happens when they land in water that is deeper than they thought, or they weren’t expecting to be in the water at all? Everyone needs to be comfortable enough to not panic, and know what to do to get out of the water safely.

8. Does my child know what to do in a possible water emergency?

If your child can safely stay afloat in the water, and knows how to swim, it’s also important children know what to do in a possible emergency — the signs of drowning and what to do. Whether your child is babysitting or just hanging out with friends, it’s imperative to know how to help.

9. Does my child know when to wear a lifejacket?

As their parent, you know when to put a lifejacket on your child. But what if your child is out with other relatives or friends? Your child should know independently when a lifejacket is necessary, even if other adults beside you are around, to stay safer in and around the water.

10. Does my child know safety rules for being around water?

Sure, kids know when their parents tell them not to run — but why shouldn’t they run? Our instructors at Goldfish Swim School use integrity, compassion and trust to teach children during every lesson on how to be safer in and around the water, so it’s understandable and not just another rule to follow.

Sign up for swim lessons today!

Stop by a Goldfish Swim School location near you and sign up your little ones for swim lessons today. Our WOW! customer service is just another reason to celebrate learning how to swim with us.