Passing on our
hard-earned knowledge to our children is one of the greatest parts of being a
parent or a caregiver. For many, teaching the skill of swimming is one of the
most challenging and rewarding of those tasks. One of the best ways to prevent
drowning is to simply ensure that children have basic swimming skills and
knowledge, though it’s certainly not the only water safety measure required.
Here are ten things
to keep in mind when you’re teaching children to swim:
- Be
Patient – One of the best
ways to ensure that a child has an aversion to the water and never wants
to swim again is to become frustrated at them during the teaching process.
Swimming should be fun and exciting, not stressful.
- Don’t
Push Scared Kids – Some
kids are more comfortable in the water than others; those that aren’t big
fans may take longer to learn than their more enthusiastic counterparts.
Don’t push nervous little ones to learn faster or punish them for showing
signs of fear.
- One
Thing at a Time – Whether
kids are toddlers or school-aged, it’s best to focus on one task at a
time. Blow bubbles until that skill is mastered, then move on to kicking
while holding on to something stationary. When they have one step down,
then – and only then – it is time to move on to the next.
- Keep
Lessons Short – During a
day at the pool, try to break lessons down into one or two half-hour
increments, while the rest of the time is devoted to play. Throwing too
much instructional information at them can be overwhelming, and they may
not retain anything.
- Make
Sure That Lessons Are Age-Appropriate – A two-year-old might have more trouble mastering the
back-float than a first-grader, so try to keep your child’s age and
physical development level in mind when you’re teaching.
- Avoid
Unrealistic Expectations –
It’s quite unlikely that your little one is going to emerge from their
first lesson as an Olympic medalist, so keep your expectations at a
realistic level. Some kids may pick up quickly and others may need more
time; it’s important to avoid shaming comparisons.
- Tailor
Your Approach to Your Child’s Individual Needs – A kid with no fear of the water and a strong sense of
athleticism and independence will require a very different teaching method
than her timid, less-developed sibling. Tailoring your methods to each of
their individual needs will work best for everyone.
- Floaties
or No Floaties? – Some
parents believe that inflatable “floaties” will help their child to become
acclimated to the water, while others believe that they create a false
sense of security and prevent kids from learning proper form. When making
your decision, it’s also important to remember that a child who is
accustomed to floaties will have to be weaned from them, similar to
training wheels on a bicycle. Kids who never use them won’t have that
dependency to break.
- Remember
That Putting Your Face in the Water is Scary – Especially for very young children, submerging completely,
or even putting their face into the water, can be downright terrifying at
first. This aversion is usually overcome in a relatively short amount of
time, but being prepared for it can help to stave off parental
frustration.
- Start
Acclimating Early – Even
if you’re only playing games and swaying in the water, an infant who is
used to being exposed to the water is likely to transition into swimming
lessons much more easily than kids with no prior experience.
While we all want to
teach our children the skills necessary for survival, swimming lessons can be
difficult for some parents and caregivers. Don’t be ashamed if you find that
it’s best to turn the task over to a professional in formal classes; the
waiting list for them is proof that you’re not alone.
Even if a child is
an avid swimmer, parents and caregivers should be careful not to have a false
sense of security. When young children are in and around water, touch
supervision is essential to ensuring safety.
Contacts and sources:
Emma Roberts
No comments:
Post a Comment