Get the Most from Childrens Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons are essential for kids. I've treated swimming as an equal partner with schooling for my children. It is a life skill that will come in handy many times over the years.

As I was watching my youngest children attending swim lessons at our local pool I was again surprised at the simple things you can do to make this a positive experience for both the child and the teacher.

The Basics:

v Make sure your child's hair is short enough to not be in their eyes when it is wet, or put up in pony tails or braids.

v We have an outdoor pool, I tend to choose early morning lessons and have found it's best for the children to eat before leaving. If they haven't eaten their teeth are chattering much of the time.

Before Class:

v Let each child have their own carry bag for a towel and clothes. Get these ready the night before.

v Help them choose clothes that are easy to put on when damp. Skin tight shirts are difficult. Light t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops work best. Don't forget the undies!

On The Way:

v Talk about swim class in the car.

v Set your expectations early.

v Let them know that they need to listen to their teacher and try to do everything the teacher asks them to do. After all, they want to become SUPER Swimmers!

v Remind them that when you get to the locker room their shoes will go into the bag.

At Class:

v Try to sit in the same area for each class.

v Walk your child to their teacher and have them sit on the side until the teacher indicates it's time for them to get in.

v If you have a child that is disruptive to class IE: refuses to get in the water, screams and cries during the class, give the teacher 5 minutes to resolve the issue. If she is unable to, collect your child and take them into the locker room for a private discussion.

v Suggests two choices for children 4 years old and up to make:

o Have fun and participate in class.

o Sit on the side of the pool quietly for the entire class time.

v Try the class again with the child. If your child is still disruptive you should consider that he or she is not quite ready for swim class and wait several months until they are ready.

Parent Responsibility:

v As a parent, you have a responsibility to make sure that you children behave in a responsible manner. If they are not capable of attending a 30-60 minute swim class you should consider the other alternatives.

o Wait until the child is older.

o Private Lessons

For the Successful Child:

v You've found yourself nearing the middle or end of the local Park and Recreation offerings of classes. What do you do? Consider joining a Swim Team.

Joining your local swim team can be a great alternative to swimming lessons. Our local team was about the same cost as lessons on a monthly basis. Our daughter was a member for a year. Although the team does participate in meets, the daily coaching during the weekly practices made my daughter a very strong swimmer in a way that she would never have achieved through regular classes.

Some of the other benefits of the Swim Team is that it is much more family oriented than most sports that our children have been involved in. The local swim meets that we've attended usually had a large community room where all the families gathered. Many of the families brought sleeping bags and games to put on the floors. Food was often cooked and sold for very reasonable prices. Brothers and Sisters of the swimmers all had a great time playing in the community room, and parents as well as extended family enjoyed the visit.

The coaches of our local swim team also encouraged the children to take other sports while swimming.

As a parent of children who have participated in many sports, I would encourage you to seriously investigate swimming. Although Basketball, Baseball, Softball and Soccer can be fun, Swimming is a life skill and should be learned by everyone at some point in their life.