The pool is one of the most common elements of summer, especially when we are in the company of children. We have heard on several occasions the dangers of the risk of drowning (in the news last week they talked about 2000 deaths from this cause, adding the beach, the pool and the lakes, of which 150 were children) but today We will comment on the positive aspects.
What benefits can its use offer? We will review some features that They make the pool a rich experience for the child's development.
Between the pool in the garden or a public one I prefer the second one. On the one hand for reasons of logistics economy (money, energy and time) since having a private pool in perfect condition requires careful attention. On the other hand, as we have already commented on the occasion of the parks or the beach, any occasion in which we can offer our children experiences that they share with other children their age and in which we monitor what happens, will help them to develop their social competences, that is, their resources for personal relationships with others.
In the case of children aged one to three years there is an emotional circumstance that is very interesting to take into account. It is an age when they are not independent in the water and that is why they need the help of the adult to stay safe. Although it is important to facilitate the idea of autonomy and not depend on us to do everything, it is balanced that they also live the need to trust other people to do especially difficult or dangerous things (climbing, using tools, using the knife ...) as It happens in the water. This opportunity for interaction with our children in which we play a protective role, as well as facilitator of intense experiences (getting carried away by us in the water, clinging to our neck while we move ...) creates a very rewarding climate of trust for the adult and, in my opinion, important for the child.
Finally, although it is the most obvious part of the activity, at the motor level it allows a capacity for movements and energy expenditure that directly affect the physical development of the child. Not to mention what facilitates, after the bath, the moments of food and sleep.
