(HealthDayNews) -- Be wary of programs that claim to make children safe in water or safe from drowning, advises University Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.
For any water safety or swimming class, children learn better if they're developmentally ready, properly motivated and if the experience is enjoyable.
Here are some recommendations:
- Kids are generally not developmentally ready for formal swimming lessons until after their fourth birthday.
- Don't become lax in feeling that your child is safe in the water after participation in an aquatic program.
- Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm's reach at all times.
- All water safety programs should include information on the limits of what infants and toddlers can understand and do.
