So you have decided that it is time to enroll your child in a swim program and you know which programs are age appropriate and available to your child. What else do you need to know to prepare and prepare your child?
1. You can “swim” a lot in the bathtub (especially with young children). It can start even before they get to their first lesson !!
to. Practice blowing bubbles in the water. If your child does not want to put his mouth in the water, use a straw. Blowing is something children do when dealing with birthday candles, and at the age of young children, they often don’t do it very well. Blowing bubbles (proper breathing) is an essential element for proper swimming, regardless of whether there is no water getting into the nose and mouth.
B. Put a few inches of water in the tub and ask them to lie on their stomach and on their back (with their ears under the water). This will be the position they will use when learning to float.
vs. DO NOT make an effort to keep the water off your face when you are in the bathtub. Having water in your eyes is not a big deal. If you rush to get a washcloth every time water is on your child’s face, you are teaching him that water on his face is a bad thing. You don’t need to pour buckets of water on your child, but splash around and play fun games where some water splashes on their face and they’ll soon see it’s not too bad.
2. There may be some crying in the first class. Remember, this is a new environment for your child. The pool itself may be unfamiliar; the teacher will be new like most, if not all other students. Just know this; Crying is harder for you than it is for your child !! A good teacher will know how to calm and calm your child in his introductory class. As difficult as it may be to sit down and not get involved, it is in the best interest of your child and the teacher. It is important that your child and the teacher begin to build a relationship of trust and affection, and the sooner it begins to take effect, the better. Students also need to know that in the pool the teacher is in charge and that you support that.
3. There may also be some crying in the second and third class. In my experience, the tears continue more because they know what is going to happen in the class than the new environment and the new teacher. Your child will get through this phase with your love and support and the skill of the teacher. When a student realizes that doing the skill (i.e. floating backwards) is necessary for them to cry or not, they will quickly realize that crying is not worth the effort and that is when the fun begins.
4. DO NOT bring your swimmer to swimming lessons with goggles for the first time. All children MUST learn to be comfortable putting their face in the water and opening their eyes without glasses. Children who accidentally fall into the pool do not usually do so with goggles. If your child is dependent on glasses and is not present in a crisis, they will most likely panic and just focus on not wearing the glasses rather than reacting with the life saving skills that they should be taught. It is best to let your child’s swim teacher decide when would be the appropriate time for your child to start wearing goggles.
5. Tubes in your child’s ears and long hair can be distracting. If your child has ear tubes, ask your doctor whether or not to wear earplugs. Also ask if there are any other concerns with tubing and being in the water. If you can use earplugs, practice using them first in the bathtub so your child gets used to how you feel. If your child doesn’t need to wear earplugs, practice the floats in the back of the tub to get him used to how it feels to have water on his ears.
If your daughter has long hair, make sure she doesn’t go to swimming lessons without a good headband. Even better would be for your child to wear a shower cap. That will keep hair out of their eyes and block the water a bit … a shower cap DOES NOT keep a child’s hair dry J
6. Don’t be your child’s teacher. Parents often come to me and say, “We went to the pool on the weekend and our daughter wouldn’t do any of the things she does for you for us.” Let your child’s teacher TEACH and you can spend time PLAYING. When you go to the pool, let your child explore, play and have fun without purpose. If they want to show you things they’ve been working on in their lessons, you can cheer them on. If you don’t want … don’t worry. Having fun in the pool but away from swimming lessons is a good thing. Instead of worrying about teaching, you can focus on having fun, too.
7. Swim in the “Off” season. Many families only start thinking about swimming lessons in the spring in preparation for summer. Children are not going to learn to swim independently and safely in 8 or 10 swimming lessons. Therefore, start your child in a program in September and have him swim consistently until May or June. You will have a very different summer experience with 9 months of lessons on your child’s belt than just 1 or 2 months.
8. Be consistent. Children learn by repetition. You are doing your child no favors by enrolling him in a lesson bundle, letting him complete it, and then not enrolling him in another class for a few months. Allow them the opportunity to be successful by being consistent.
9. Keep the same instructor. If you are satisfied with your child’s instructor, don’t be afraid to request that your child be placed in the same instructor class at the next session that they will be enrolled in. Your child will perform better and excel more quickly under the instruction of one person. I encourage you to be consistent with a good instructor.
10. Be VERY proud of your little swimmer. Be sure to tell your child after each lesson how proud you are of him … even after one of those not-so-good days. J Pick one or two things you saw they did really well and reflect on them. Your praise will be the best reward your child will receive.