Swimming is a life skill that is not only fun but also a handy lifelong tool. While time in the pool is merely seen as entertainment, kids must learn to swim to prevent drowning. Teaching swimming to a kid is an art that requires patience. Think of it this way, learning to drive can be a tormenting experience when pushed, even for an adult. Similarly, if you want to learn how to teach a kid to swim, you should do it step-by-step to avoid creating negative experiences for the kid.
The Pre-Swim Prep
Teaching the essentials of swimming starts with a meticulous prep. It ensures that the kid feels comfortable in the waters with a receptive mode instead of getting scared and hesitant.
- Introduce them to water from an early age. 6-12 months is considered a good time to start playing with water. Getting a small inflatable pool or attending weekly swimming classes will help your kid become confident in the water.
- Take your kid’s health into consideration. It is always best to consult your doctor before starting the swimming lessons.
- Get familiar with basic first aid. Knowing how to perform CPR or carrying out basic first aid is a necessity, especially with a kid learning to swim.
- Check the water. Kids require warm, clean water. It is important to be mindful of the quality and temperature of the water before allowing your kid to swim in it.
- Is your kid ready? Considering your kid’s emotional stability, comfort level, physical limitations, and developmental capabilities before teaching them to swim is essential.
The Step-by-Step Guide – How to Teach a Kid to Swim
Setting up a timetable for the swimming lessons is one of the smart ways to induce your kid with the idea of swimming. Too much to learn in a single day can confuse the kids. They will feel overwhelmed, forget what they learned, and make silly mistakes. Henceforth, planning short half-hour sessions are enough to keep the kids engaged and deliver the lessons with a better retention rate.
1. Kickoff With Kicking
Usually, the first instinct when we get in the water is to kick. And kids love to kick. Why not incorporate that into their swimming lesson to make it more fun?
First Stage: Sit with your kid on the pool’s highest step and let them kick the water as it touches their feet. Once they are comfortable, show them to straighten their legs as much as possible with a pointed toe and continue kicking in the water. Introduce the scissoring motion by alternately moving both feet for ten reps.
Second Stage: Many kids let their legs sink, so the next stage is to teach the kid to stay afloat. Have your kid lie on their tummy on the pool step, and kick their legs as straight and pointed as possible. Ask your kid to hold onto the step above or the side railing while you gently move them up and down, holding just above the ankle. Third Stage: Get into the water just a step deeper, hold your kid’s hands and let them try to keep themselves afloat and kick in the water. In most cases, the kids will draw themselves closer to you instead of keeping their arms straight. But that’s fine. As long as they continue to kick, balance, and stay afloat, you can continue to practice.
2. Blow The Bubbles
Have your kid submerge just their lips in the water and blow bubbles. Making tractor sounds or blowing as many bubbles as they can in one breath, is an excellent breath control exercise. Once comfortable, help them to submerge their nose too and blow bubbles alternately between their mouth and nose. In between, come up to take a breath and repeat the exercise a few more times.
Blowing bubbles in the water can be flustering for the kids. Firstly, get them goggles. Kids feel so cool wearing them, and it will also help them see underwater. Secondly, blow the bubble with them. The kids will feel alarmed if they see that they are the only ones doing this “dangerous stunt.”
3. Get To Paddling
Kids have limited arm strength; therefore, dog-paddle is the most suitable paddling technique for kids. Teaching them to paddle will need warm-up and practice outside water first.
First Stage: Ask your kids to walk around the pool carefully and make big circles with their arms back and forth with their fingers sticking together. After a round, the kids can get back in the water and try swinging their arms standing.
Second Stage: Have your kid lie down on their tummy on the step and practice pulling the water with their arms extended. You can also keep the kid afloat while they learn to circle their arms in the water. Ideally, their arms should make a complete circle by keeping them straight, pulling back to their hip underwater, and then going back into the air. Third Stage: Teach your kid how to multitask. Balance your kid on the water by holding their waist. Now ask them to paddle their arms and kick their legs together. It may be tricky to catch the rhythm. With continuous practice, they will learn to keep both their arms and legs moving, and manage to keep their body at the surface.
4. Blend It All
The last and probably the toughest part of swimming is to incorporate everything together. Kicking, paddling, and breathing can be too much to handle, especially for young folks. Assuming that by now your kid knows how to stay afloat, kick, and paddle, show them to breathe by slightly lifting and tilting their heads out of the water.
As the kid learns to lift their head, remind them to keep moving. The actions of swimming should be in momentum. Slowly, they will begin to master each trait and gain their independence. After a while, the kids will be swimming without much of your help. With time, their skills will become sharper and cohesive.
Take Away
By teaching your kid how to swim, you will be giving them an essential tool for their survival kit. However, learning how to swim is not a single-day activity. It will take time, energy, and patience from your end.
Make up your mind first, and stay consistent with the lessons. Preparing for the swimming lessons will give you time to keep things in control. Always remember to follow your kid’s pace. Pressuring or traumatizing will create more significant hurdles and develop a fear of water. Enjoy the process and take all the necessary safety precautions to ensure your and the kid’s safety before anything else.
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