Health and Safety
At Little Otter Swim School, we’re committed to teaching children in a way that respects their complete development, physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Staying healthy is always a concern for parents of young children, below are the more common health-related questions we receive about your time with us. If you have new questions or would like more detail we welcome a conversation.
Do Your Pools Contain Chlorine? If So, Why?
Yes, our pools do have chlorine. This complies with a state law that requires either chlorine or bromine to be used in all public pools. However, as an indoor facility, we’re able to keep our chlorine levels lower than most public pools. We also run all water through state-of-the-art pool sanitation and UV filtration systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means your child can swim year-round in a sparkling clean pool without the typical side effects of swimming in chlorine-heavy environments, such as red eyes, itchy skin, and green hair.
Does Swimming Cause Ear Infections In Babies Or Toddlers?
- A lot of parents are concerned about a condition known as swimmer’s ear in their baby, toddler, or older child. It’s important to first understand that there are two types of ear infections that affect either the inner ear or the outer ear. While there is no known link between inner ear infections and swimming, outer ear infections, or swimmer’s ear, in children can sometimes occur.
- Swimmer’s ear is caused by excess water left in the ear after any aquatic activity, including bathing. If the water is left in the ear, it can promote the growth of bacteria and potentially cause infection. To prevent swimmer’s ear, you can get ear drops containing alcohol or boric acid at any pharmacy to speed up the evaporation of water in the ear canal.
Will Swimming In Winter Make A Child Sick?
- Staying active during the winter months is the most beneficial for your child's development and health. Ask your pediatrician! Swimming is also one of the best exercises for the mind and body.
- You should always bundle up for that walk to the car with wet hair, just remember that viruses are the enemy and the root cause of sickness, not winter.
Are There Health Benefits To Swim Lessons?
Yes! There are so many ways that swimming classes benefit children of all ages. Teaching little ones to swim introduces them to a low-impact, heart-healthy physical activity they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Swimming also promotes flexibility and coordination and helps develop strong bones and muscles. It can help older children burn off excess energy. And in an emergency situation, being able to swim can even save a child’s life.
Do You Adapt Lessons To Children’s Development Levels?
We believe children learn best when we target swimming lessons to their specific physical, cognitive, emotional, and social stages. That’s why we always strive to teach in ways that are sensitive to a student’s specific age and skill level.
