We were invited to the Speedo Swim Squads event last weekend and aside from the beautiful venue at The Palace Downtown Dubai (one of my favorite places in Dubai), I know I needed to take Benjamin there for a more important reason.

The invite says, “bring little ones to join Speedo for a morning of swimming! The engaging and fun filled sessions aim to inspire confidence in the water.”

Now, if there’s one thing I really want my children to be able to do, it’s to be able to swim. Swimming is a life skill. It’s something the child will retain for the entirety of his/her life.

Photo credit: Speedo Swim Squads

It’s such a pity that Benjamin’s current school do not have a swimming pool so they don’t have swimming classes. He is very interested but cannot be in the water without floating devices like arm bands. I am very impressed with the qualified and passionate instructors from Speedo Swim Squads who did a very good job in talking to the kids and making them do the basics: making bubbles, kicking in the water, etc. I couldn’t make him do the things they made him to do!

The short session was definitely fun and Benjamin wanted to do more in the end.

Benjamin’s older sister Pristine had swimming lessons at her former school since she was three years old (KG 1) and now, she is like a fish in the water. It’s second nature to her and she doesn’t fear water depth. I love looking at her swim.

I would want my other child to be able to swim too! And I may need to enrol too!

I had my first proper swimming lessons when I was already 18 and while it’s not too late, the short course did not relieve me of my fear of the water and because I am not confident, I wasn’t able to practice more and result, I think I would be helpless in the open sea or in a deep pool. What a shivering thought.

The kids (and parents!) had a really lovely and fun morning at the Speedo event. After the learning session, we had a day at the pool where the kids played and refused to get out till it’s lunch time!

Health, fun, and confidence are not the only reasons why your child should learn to swim. Learning to swim also opens up the door to a range of other activities. For example, your child can do the following sports ONLY IF they can swim: kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving and surfing, just to name a few.

But really the most important reason to learn to swim is that swimming is the only sport that can save your child’s life.

Thanks Speedo for the wonderful event and to The Palace Downtown Dubai for being such lovely hosts (as expected). Great service and food – we were served nibbles and fresh croissants and free flowing coffee!

Check out the Speedo Swim Squads on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram or visit their main website for more details about classes.