Introducing Your Children to Swimming

Many children like to go swimming especially when on trips overseas. Being a parent, you may have probably heard your child/children asking whether the hotel at the travel destination will have a swimming pool. Hopefully, staying in a hotel that has a swimming pool is within your travel budget. Now is a good opportunity to teach your children how to swim. Anyway, it is better to start your children to learn swimming at an early age since they may view the idea of splashing about in a large pool of water as a whole lot of fun!

Firstly you need to go to a swimming pool. Besides the obvious, show your children that one must shower first before entering the pool not only to clean one's self but also to acclimatize one's body to the water temperature inside the pool. It is better that way. Now, you can start off by only allowing your child to wade about in the children's pool. At most, you can take your child over to the adult pool but only at the shallow end. When doing so, make sure that your child is wearing a secured flotation device & is consistently under adult supervision.

Starting Your Children Swimming Part I

When you think that your child is ready to swim, begin by bringing your child into the shallow end of the swimming pool. You should know when your child thinks that the children's pool is yesterday's news & your child now wants to swim in the bigger pool. First you should hold your child in your arms & swim with him. It will encourage your child to swim without using a flotation device. Seeing your child happily going with you & making cheerful sounds with no hint of complaint then you will know that your child is ready to learn to swim. Perhaps you may want to spend the next few trips to the pool in a similar way. Anyway; there is no sense in rushing things.

Unless of course your child is eager to swim alone then by all means, tell your child that you will let go & that the direction your child will go is underwater. Show your child how to hold from breathing & how to blow air out of the nose or mouth or better yet, both so your child will not consume some of the pool water while being underwater. Without question, you should instill a sense of conformity to your child that you shall, in an instant be there for help. Now you are ready to let go & your child sinks. Immediately, pull your child up! The child may become scared of the experience. Then in such an event, you should wait a bit before trying the activity again. Perhaps your child likes the experience & wants to do more. Then by all means, let go again!

Starting Your Children Swimming Part II

Now you have repeated the 'letting go' activity with your child over & over again. Your child likes the activity & is more confident in sinking or better yet; is having fun trying to stay afloat. You may notice your child trashing about, hands & legs trashing wildly in all directions (probably from having previously used the flotation device). Well, it is only natural as your child should know by now that it is impossible to breath underwater.

Show your child how to swim underwater. Remind your child about holding a breath underwater & kick with the arms & legs to start swimming. Also tell your child that going up for air is more than welcomed. More so, you shall be right beside your child for help. Once your child has the knack for swimming underwater & bobbing the head up for air then your child can move on to treading.

Show your child how to move the arms & legs, much like walking in order to stay afloat. The combination of swimming underwater & treading will provide a good foundation for your child to start swimming on top of water naturally. Your child will see you or others swimming on top of the water & will naturally imitate the activity. However your child is progressing; always praise a job well done to your child. Swimming is fun & it will be more fun to continue trying to swim better. Happy Swimming!