This will out me so I have namechanged.
Now, I am not an eloquent debater like some on here, but here are my thoughts.
Swimming is a life saving skill. That is, if you child falls into a dam/river/lake/pool/off a boat/et al, then they are able to either swim to safety or hold themselves up long enough for help to be forthcoming in the shape of a lifeguard/parent/etc.
The first few seconds reactions can make the difference between drowning and surviving. If the first thought your child has is 'oh my goodness, water is getting in my eyes, I dont have my goggles' then they are necessarily NOT thinking about swimming. They are freaking out about goggles instead.
Once they are competent enough to swim to safety, say a distance of, dunno, 50 metres? (which would be more than sufficient in most cases, unless in the sea/lake) then by all means, give them goggles and they can work on correcting their stroke and distance endurance or whatever. But first and foremost, I believe, that we all teach our children to swim to help them should they accidentally go into a body of water. Yes, it is fun, but it SAVES LIVES.
Swimming lessons for babies and early toddlers are about getting them used to water and feeling comfortable in water and around water. Teaching them SAFETY about water, getting in and out safely. Later, as they progress with their familiarity they start to work on back stroke and free style.
So, AIBU in thinking that we should teach them without goggles first and how to potentially save their life THEN with goggles? Because how many people walk around, even sail around, with a set of goggle strapped on in case they fall in. In fact I dont think I have ever seen a pre-emptive goggle wearer!
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AIBU?
To think that children should learn to swim without goggles first?
59 replies
GoggleEyed · 29/06/2011 22:19
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yearningforthesun ·
29/06/2011 22:25
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yearningforthesun ·
29/06/2011 22:32
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BluddyMoFo ·
29/06/2011 22:37
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