7 Tips to Teach Kids to Swim
It’s vital to teach kids to swim. Not only is swimming fun, but it will prepare them for emergency situations in the water. It also has great physical and intellectual benefits for children’s development.
7 Tips to Teach Kids to Swim from an Early Age
Many kids naturally go in the water, while others are more afraid. With some simple tips, you can teach your children to be excellent swimmers.
1. Make Them Comfortable So They Aren’t Afraid
For children to feel comfortable, you can add some supports. Using floaties or inflatables will help them adjust to the water. This will help them get accustomed to this new environment, which is completely different from land.
2. Start Where the Water Doesn’t Go Over Their Heads
Make sure to start where your child can stand. This makes him feel safe. The main problem for children learning how to swim is their fear of drowning.
If your child starts crying and doesn’t want to go in the pool, don’t make him. You can encourage him to go in if you’re in the water. However, if your child keeps crying, don’t force him until he’s ready.
3. Teach Them to Make Bubbles in the Bathtub
To teach kids to swim, you can practice breathing in the bathtub. Have them breathe in, then breathe out through their mouth in the water. This will show them how to make bubbles. While this is a fun game to play, it’s actually an exercise to learn to swim.
4. Put Their Head in the Water
After they’re familiar with the bubbles, ask your children to put their face in the water when making bubbles. The first time, they might be surprised or nervous. Once they see the bubbles and that nothing bad happens, their fear will go away. If they’re afraid of seeing bubbles come out of their nose, have them look to the side.
5. Learn to Move Their Legs
Hold them by the stomach gently. Help them stay horizontal while moving their legs. At first, children tend to let their body and legs sink. When it’s a good time, you can remove your hands from their stomach without them noticing.
“If they start crying and don’t want to go in the pool, don’t make them. Wait until they’re ready.”
6. Breathing and Legs at the Same Time
Now, it’s time to coordinate the two exercises. They can move their legs and make bubbles. Hold them by the underarms and ask them to do both things at the same time.
7. Try It On Their Own
When they’ve mastered both exercises simultaneously, you can let go for a few seconds. This way, your children can see it’s easy to do it alone.
However, you need to be patient while they’re learning. They won’t learn to swim overnight.
Benefits of Teaching Your Children to Swim Early
There are many benefits to teaching kids to swim. Obviously, the main one is that it can save their life in a dangerous situation.
Swimming also helps them exercise, develop, and strengthen almost all muscles of the body, increase lung capacity, and stimulate blood circulation.
In addition, it promotes coordination, motor skills, and body reflexes. Without a doubt, swimming helps your child grow and develop in a healthy way.
Precautions for When Your Child Learns to Swim
Once your child knows how to swim, you should teach him certain precautions to keep in mind. For example, teach him to always swim under the supervision of a responsible adult.
He shouldn’t swim if there are storms, or if he’s next to boats or skis. He also shouldn’t dive head-first or swim alone.
Matroswimming: Training for Babies
This is a pool activity between the baby and his or her parent, as well as a tutor. The goal is to stimulate the baby’s aquatic development through games. In general, it’s recommended to start once the baby is four months old. At this point, his immune system is already developed.
These classes can take between 30 and 40 minutes. It will all depend on the baby’s resistance and reflexes. You can use some materials like tables or balls. The instructor can help with this. With this method, the baby can learn aquatic motor skills when he’s old enough to swim.
Swimming is recommended when children are 4 years old. At this age, their locomotor system is sufficiently developed.
When you teach kids to swim it should be an unforgettable experience. In addition to being beneficial for your child, it also helps create a family bond.