Nowadays you may find many schools and centers that teach children how to swim, but isn’t it a great experience to teach them yourself? Benefit from the summer and start teaching your kid how to swim!
Before starting, you should know that this learning process won’t be one day long, this is why, to succeed in your mission, patience and support are the right approach!
Try to follow these steps to ensure for your child a safe and enjoyable time while learning how to swim:
Make your child feel comfortable in the water! While holding him beneath his armpits, walk him around in the water, talk to him and laugh together to demonstrate that this new place is fun and interesting.
Teach your child to kick with his legs. First let him hold the side of the pool so you can guide his legs, and afterwards hold his armpits and let him do it alone.
Blow bubbles in the water with your child as he kicks to get him used to put his face inside the water. Gradually begin dunking him down to practice holding his breath. Accompany your child underwater and play fun games to let him get used to open his eyes. You can show him your fingers under the water and let him tell you the number of fingers you were showing.
Support your child around his waist or chest and begin having him stroke with his arms. Demonstrate the motion yourself, and then guide your child’s arms. Then let him do it on his own while you support him in the water. Have him keep kicking and blowing bubbles inside the water.
Let your child swim a short distance from the wall to you. Begin at a very short distance, so that he can almost jump the span at first. Gradually increase the distance.
Demonstrate to your child how to breathe by lifting or turning his head as the distance from you to him gets far enough to necessitate this.
Teaching your child how to swim isn’t an easy process, but if you take your time with each step, you’ll enjoy every minute of this process and your child will finally be able to swim alone. Remember; never leave your child unattended near or in a pool; never take your eyes off him! This is an extremely serious issue and even children who can swim must be closely watched!