Raising Water Confident Children
You signed your child up for swim lessons imagining her fearlessly jumping in like a water sprite. Instead, she’s waging a poolside war, stubbornly refusing to even dip her toes in. Now what? Cari Duffin, owner and swim program manager at Midwest Aquatics in Overland Park, encourages parents to persist. “It’s not uncommon for a child to go through a phase like this,” she says.
Consistency is Crucial
Children are usually ready to learn basic skills by the age of 3. The transition to instructor-child lessons is easier, however, if you make bath-time fun and expose your child to the pool earlier through parent-child lessons and periodic family visits to the pool. Babies as young as 6 months old, with proper head control, can begin parent-child lessons. (As a rule of thumb, it’s always wise to check with your baby’s doctor first.)
Look for a program that offers lessons at least twice a week with the same instructor at each lesson. “Having the consistency of the same instructor...is critical,” says Sara Garrett, aquatics director at the Vivion Road Family YMCA in Kansas City, MO. “It makes the lesson more positive.”
Also, talk to your child about what to expect prior to each lesson and reinforce what they learn at home in the tub and at the pool.
Seek Out Role Models
Group lessons, with no more than five children per instructor, also build confidence. “Private lessons are great, but I’m a big fan of group lessons so they can watch other kids be confident in the group,” Garrett says.
If you feel anxious or nervous around the water, be careful. Children intuitively sense your tension. “Identifying someone who is confident and happy in the water to be a role model for your child is really important if the parent knows they are not confident in the water themselves,” Garrett says.
Unlike other activities, Duffin says, “swimming is a life skill. It’s important for kids to become strong, confident swimmers. Keep them in the program to make progress, especially when they are young. We promise, it will get easier!”
Christa Hines is a freelance writer who lives in Olathe.