Learning to swim is a lot of fun. But it also requires a lot of practice, perseverance and patience.
Luckily, you can help develop good habits in your child away from the pool. In fact, science shows that by practicing at home, your child is more likely to improve faster and become more confident in the water.
Here are some tricks and tips to practice in the comfort of your own home. This ensures your little one keeps swimming top of mind – and gives you the most value for your lessons.
1. Get them used to the water
Let your child experience getting their face wet. Start by dabbing their face with a wet cloth, then progress to running water. Once they’re comfortable with it around their eyes and mouth, they can move onto putting their face under the water. A bath or sink is perfect for this. A helpful hint is to have them dip their ears in one at a time.
And make it fun. Introduce bath time toys – rubber ducks, boats, their favourite cartoon character. If they love control, beakers, cups and jugs are great so they can pour the water and get used to splashing.
2. Using their breath
Practice at blowing bubbles in the bath or with a bowl of water. Or try blowing soap bubbles, which you can pick-up cheap from most supermarkets.
Also practice holding their breath. If they are confident in holding their breath, they will be more confident in the water. Just make sure they stay safe and comfortable, it’s not a competition.
3. Learn their entrances and exits
Practice climbing in and out. Use a small practice pool (like a clam shell or blow up) to get them used to climbing in and out of the pool. Don't have one? No problem. A bed is a nice climbing substitute, as is a sandpit.
Jumping into the water can remove the stress and anxiety of climbing into the pool. It's also a lot more fun. Try off a low ledge onto the ground if water is not available.
4. Stretching and technique
Have them stretch out their body. The best swimmers know how to stretch their body right out, to cover as much distance as they can with each stroke. It also helps keep the muscles strong. This stretching can including basic aerobic exercises. It may even be as simple as getting them to stretch while lying on their back. Try it while looking at the stars or clouds.
Give the techniques a whirl. You child can practice their Backstroke and Front Crawl standing up, while spinning those windmill arms. Lying down, like on a chair or the ground, they can practice their Breaststroke too. And don't forget to kick. Try it without bending at the knees for the best skills.
These are a few handy hints to get you started. The most important thing is to keep your child encouraged and enthusiastic about learning to swim. See you at the pool!