I have always worked with children but prior to becoming a preschool teacher I was a Lifeguard and water safety instructor to both children and adults.
I strongly believe teaching water safety to our young children is important: Making sure your child knows not to run on a pool deck; or dive into shallow water; how to properly move their body in the water to avoid over-exhaustion; and most importantly, to turn onto a back-float when they get tired or out of breath.
As parents we want to see our children thrive and succeed at every aspect of life and while doing that we want them to stay SAFE! So as a mother I want my children to feel confident when they have to swim during school, summer camp or even at their friend’s pool party. I want to ensure that my children have the skills to stay safe in or around the water.
Although it is NEVER too late to learn how to swim; it’s never too early to start! (Well actually, to be honest, I would personally wait until your baby is at least 4-6 months old because of their sensitive skin.)
Preventing your child from building a fear of the water is very easily done by building up their love of being in the water. Bringing your infant into the water and pool as often as possible and making it fun! Reassuring them that you are there with them and enjoying your time just as much as they are. Many places offer “mommy and me” swim classes where they teach you different songs andwater games and provide different props and equipment.
I personally like Waterworks Aquatics which provide “mommy and me classes” but also swim classes for all other age groups. It is one of my top picks because it is an ongoing class with the instructor of your choice versus other swim centers that have you sign up for sessions that have a new teacher and classmates for each new session. Keeping one swim instructor over a long period offers an opportunity for your child to create a bond and build trust with their swim instructor. This is very important because if your child feels comfortable and trusts that they are safe they will learn much quicker.And have much more fun! Another positive from having the same teacher is that the teacher will get to know your child and know what skills they need to work on. Conversely, if they had different teachers for each session each teacher would have to reassess what skills your child already has.
Summer’s nearly here! See you in the water!
