Swimming is a fundamental skill for children. Not only is this a pleasant activity and a great workout, but knowing how to swim can save your child's life. With the right approach, he will soon feel comfortable in the water and learn the basic techniques for swimming safely.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Before You Begin
Step 1. Know when to start
Even if your child will not become a proficient swimmer until he is a few years of age, you can start taking him to the pool when he is only a few months old. 6 to 12 months is considered a good time to get him in contact with water, as this is the age at which he will learn the fastest. If you are gentle and gradually bring it closer to water, you can start as early as 6 months.
Step 2. Assess your child's health
Regardless of his age, make sure he is healthy enough to start swimming. If you have any health problems, you should consult your pediatrician before starting swimming lessons.
Step 3. Learn to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on babies
If you have a young child who is learning to swim, you should know the simpler first aid techniques. With CPR, you can save your child's life.
Step 4. Put your baby in a special swimming diaper
If she still uses diapers, put a waterproof one on her to prevent leakage and protect the health of other swimmers.
Step 5. Avoid air filled floats
Inflatables such as armrests are widely used, but are not recommended by pediatricians. If they get punctured while your child is swimming, they could sink. These life jackets can even slip off your arms. Instead, use a life jacket. You should find them in most sports and pool stores.
When buying a life jacket, make sure it is tested and reliable. For small children, they should have ties that fasten under their legs to prevent them from slipping over their heads
Step 6. Prevent access to all gates, doors and stairs to the pool
If you have a swimming pool in your home, make sure your child can't reach it. By learning to swim he may feel overconfident in his abilities and attempt to get in the water when you can't see him. Avoid accidents by completely blocking access to the pool when you are not using it.
Part 2 of 4: Introducing Children Under Two to Swimming
Step 1. Check the water temperature
Children should swim in warm water, possibly between 29, 5 and 33 degrees. If you don't have a heated pool, you can try using a solar cover, which absorbs the sun's energy and heats the pool water.
Step 2. Enter the water slowly while holding your child
You should add it to the water gradually. Many people, adults and children, drown because they panic. By introducing your child to water slowly, you help them overcome this fear. This will allow him to remain calm as he learns more advanced swimming techniques.
Step 3. Make the experience fun
A pleasant first approach to water will teach your child the joy of swimming. Play together, teach him how to splash the water, sing and give him your attention to make sure he has a good time.
Step 4. Introduce your child to the swimming movement
Have him wrap his arms around your neck as he faces you and slowly start walking backwards.
Step 5. Use your hands to guide his feet in a kick-like motion
With a little practice, your child will learn how to move their legs in the water on their own.
Step 6. Help your child learn to float
The best way to do this is to put him still lying on his back on the surface of the water, but for now you have to support him. The most important aspect of teaching him this technique is to make him relax.
Step 7. Play superheroes to show him that he can float in water
By holding your baby by the belly and making sure not to dip his head in, you can pretend he is a flying superhero.
Step 8. Describe and demonstrate the act of floating
Show your child that you can float and he will understand that it is possible. You should briefly explain to him that some parts of the body float better than others. With deep breaths it is possible to make the lungs float more, while the legs usually sink.
Step 9. Teach the principle of buoyancy with balls and balloons
Now that your child understands buoyancy a little better, show him how some objects float differently. Have him push toys and other floating objects under the water, then laugh with him at the bubbles and splashes.
Step 10. Have him practice the back float technique on firm ground
Babies usually feel uncomfortable with the feeling of lack of support that comes from floating on their back in water. A common reflex is to raise the head and bend over at the waist, but this causes sinking.
Step 11. Try to float together
By placing your child's head on his shoulder and holding him carefully, you can do this exercise. By singing a relaxing song together you can calm him down, as well as the other positive effects of contact between your skin and that of your child.
Step 12. Take your child under your arms with both hands when you are in the water
He should always be in front of you, so you can avoid problems if he panics. Count to three, lightly blowing his face when you get to three. This signal tells him that you are about to turn him on his back and helps him not to get scared.
Step 13. Turn your child onto his back slowly as you exhale
Use your non-dominant hand to support his head, holding it above the water. Use the other to touch him reassuringly and offer him the necessary support. He may fidget when you put him in this position. Keep supporting him with your hands until he calms down.
When he is calm, he slowly begins to take his hand out from under his body without leaving his head. Make it float by itself
Step 14. React appropriately if your child panics
If you allow yourself to be dominated by emotions, you may give him reason to believe that his fear is justified. Use positive affirmations to calm him down, saying things like "It's okay, I'm here. You have nothing to be afraid of." Smile and laugh to let him know that everything is fine.
Step 15. Immerse your baby's head in the water carefully
This gets him used to being underwater and helps him overcome fear.
Step 16. Place your dominant hand on your child's back and the other on their chest
Count to three and gently dip his head. Get him back out right now.
- Use smooth movements. If you are too abrupt you could hurt his neck.
- Let it rest before trying again.
Step 17. Keep calm
If you are visibly nervous or scared, your child will think he must be afraid of water. At this stage, you need to be positive and show him that he has nothing to fear when he is in the pool.
Step 18. Always keep an eye on your child
So small, he can't swim alone. You should always be in the water with him.
Part 3 of 4: Teaching Children ages 2 to 4
Step 1. Introduce your child to the water if you have never had pool experiences before
You can do this with the same method used for children under the age of two. Help him overcome his initial fear and make him feel comfortable in the water. Once it's clear, you can move on to more advanced lessons.
Step 2. Teach your child the pool rules
At this age, he should be able to understand what he is not allowed to do in the water. The most common pool rules include:
- Nothing ran
- No jokes or fights
- No diving
- Always swim with someone
- Stay away from drains and filters
Step 3. Make it clear to your child that they need to ask for your permission before going to the pool
Almost all cases of under-five drowning result from lack of supervision.
Step 4. Clearly explain the swimming movements before the exercises
At this age, your child can understand the description of the techniques he must use. If he is ready to learn something new, it will be easier for him to absorb the lesson if he receives the instructions in advance.
Shows the movements of swimming out of the water. You could describe the new sensations he will experience, such as chest buoyancy, pressure in his ears, or muffled sounds heard underwater
Step 5. Blow bubbles into the water
Ask your child to only dip their lips in water and make bubbles. This helps him control his breathing and not swallow water when he learns to dive.
If your child hesitates, be the first to demonstrate what they should do. When you come out of the water with your mouth, be sure to smile. This will help your child understand that there is nothing to be afraid of
Step 6. Play bubbles
Ask your child to talk to the fish, make a noise like a tractor, or make as many bubbles in the water as possible. This makes the lesson fun as your child learns a useful swimming skill.
Step 7. Teach your child to swim with leg movement
Stand in front of him, keeping his arms outstretched. Start walking backwards, asking him to move his legs as he moves. You can repeat the order "legs, legs, legs, legs" to help them remember to kick.
Step 8. Teach your child to swim with their arms
This is a simplified version of the freestyle which involves only the use of the arms. Ask him to start by sitting on a pool step or ladder so that the water reaches about chest height.
Step 9. Have it begin with both hands under the water, on your hips
He should extend one arm forward into the water and bring it over his head.
Step 10. Tell him to keep his arm outstretched above his head
He should bring him back into the water in a downward slap-like motion, making sure to keep his fingers together as he breaks the surface of the water with his hand and brings it back.
Step 11. Tell him to bring his hand back to his side when the arm returns to the water
Then he will have to repeat the same movement with the other arm. Teach him to use his arms as if he were actually swimming.
Step 12. Get him to practice this type of swimming by playing "Catch Goldfish" with him
Tell him to imagine using the circular motion of his arm to catch a fish and carry it into a basket that he holds by his side. Make sure he keeps his fingers together so the fish doesn't escape.
Step 13. Guide your child up the steps or ladder
Standing about half a meter from the edge of the pool, hold your child with one hand on his chest and the other on his waist. Count to three and slide it into the water towards the steps or ladder.
As you do this, ask him to blow, kick his legs, and use his arms to swim. This will help him to use all the movements necessary to swim alone
Step 14. Encourage your child to help themselves with the poolside
Holding the edge is a great way to get back to the area where the bottom is highest and to learn how to move on your own in the water. You will show him that there is a safe place he can use to stay afloat if he falls into the water, feels tired or scared.
Step 15. Take your child underwater
Instead of dipping its head for just a brief moment, you can hold it under for a few seconds. This way he will learn to hold his breath in the water. Make sure you tell him to close his eyes, his mouth and not to breathe.
- Remember to explain to your child what you are about to do so that he doesn't get scared.
- Never immerse your child when they don't expect it. So you would scare him and you could make him afraid of the water.
Step 16. Count to three and submerge it in water in one smooth motion
After two or three seconds, bring it back out. You can increase the immersion time as your child gets used to it.
- If he seems hesitant, try counting to two or three to let him know he will be under water for a very short time.
- Your child may feel more comfortable if you dive first. Remember to smile and laugh when you surface so that she knows she has nothing to fear.
Step 17. Allow your child to start swimming on their own with a life vest
At this point, he knows all the basic techniques to try swimming, he just has to practice and learn how to use them together. With a vest he will have the freedom he needs to combine the techniques he has learned and swim on his own.
Step 18. Continue to keep an eye on your child every time he enters the pool
Remember that even if he is capable of swimming on his own, you should never leave him unsupervised.
Part 4 of 4: Teaching Children Over Four Years Old
Step 1. Make sure your child knows all the basic techniques
If you feel comfortable in the water and are able to swim at the level described for 2-4 year olds, you can move on to lessons on more advanced techniques.
Step 2. Teach your child to Swim a Doggie
This is a fun and simple style of swimming that is often used to teach small children to swim. The ideal water level for the little dog is chest height.
Step 3. Ask your child to enter the water with their tummy and spoon-shaped hands
By making downward motions with his hands with his fingers together, he should "dig" into the water as he moves his legs, just as a dog or horse might do for swimming.
Have fun learning the little dog by looking for videos of swimming dogs on the internet
Step 4. Tell him to move his feet up and down just below the surface of the water
He will probably try to straighten his legs fully, but with short, quick movements he will get more thrust. To improve the technique, tell him to straighten his toes as he moves them.
Step 5. Tell your child that he should keep his head above the water and his chin on the surface while swimming
He may need support as he learns to coordinate arm and leg movements, but when he feels more confident, you should just keep an eye on him as he swims by himself.
Step 6. Teach him to blow his nose underwater
To swim properly with both hands, your child will not be able to plug their nostrils in the water. Compete to see who can make the most bubbles using only the air blown with your nose!
Step 7. Encourage him to practice regulating the underwater exhalation from his nose
In the beginning, your child might blow out all the air at once for fear of water getting into their nostrils. Stay close to him to help him in case he accidentally swallows some water.
If he experiences the unpleasant experience of water entering his nose, react appropriately. Encourage him with words of comfort, saying "Sometimes it happens, it's normal!"
Step 8. Have him practice moving underwater using the nose exhalation technique
At this point, your child will still not be well coordinated when submerged, but you should give them a chance to learn to move without plugging their nostrils with one hand. This will make it easier for him to switch to a more advanced swimming style.
Step 9. Teach your child to breathe from both sides between strokes while swimming freestyle
You will need to be patient during this exercise, as it is a complex technique that takes time.
Step 10. Have your child sit on the steps or ask him to stand where he touches
The water should reach him about waist or chest height. Be aware that your eyes may be sensitive to chlorine.
Step 11. Combine the arm-only swimming technique described for younger children with short, quick kicks below the surface of the water
Encourage him to practice in the lower part of the pool and get him used to the coordinated movement of his arms and legs without dipping his head. Ask him to rotate his head regularly to learn the movement it takes to get out of the water and breathe. He should alternate the side every three strokes.
Step 12. Give your child a cue when to breathe to help them find the right rhythm when swimming
You can do this by counting strokes, telling him to turn his head and take a deep breath on the third stroke. Remind him to alternate sides, so that his technique is symmetrical.
Step 13. Hold him in the water on his stomach, with his feet suspended and arms supporting him
Ask him to dip his face and give two strokes, turning to breathe after the third. With each breath, it should switch sides.
Step 14. Watch him try this movement on his own
Once he feels comfortable, he can move on to swimming in a vest and when he has mastered that technique too, to swim completely independently.
Step 15. Have your child swim to the other side of the pool
When he has enough experience, you can try letting him swim without a vest. If not, there's nothing wrong with making him wear one.
Step 16. Tell him to stand against a side of the pool and push his legs against the wall
When the inertia of the thrust is over, he should start using his legs and arms to swim to the other side.
Make sure you follow him closely, especially if he's not wearing a vest
Step 17. Teach your child to roll on their back
This will help him if he falls back into the water.
Step 18. Tell him to float on his back
Ask him to lower one shoulder towards the bottom of the pool. It should rotate with the rest of the body to follow the movement of the shoulder.
When he rolls onto his stomach, tell him to swim to the side of the pool
Step 19. Teach your child to stay afloat
This is an important skill, which can be useful if he needs to stay out of the water for long periods. He will learn to stay upright in the water, play games and interact with friends in the pool.
Step 20. Teach him to return to the ladder if he falls into the water
Have it jump off the ladder towards the center of the pool. Once in the water, he should immediately turn around and swim towards the ladder. This simple technique could save his life.
Step 21. Make sure your child always jumps towards the center of the pool
This is to teach him that he should only jump to the center, where he is safest and not to the sides, where he can get hurt.
Step 22. Teach your child more advanced styles
Now that he has more experience, he can start learning some real swimming styles. The following are among the most popular:
- Freestyle
- Frog
- Back
- Lateral
Advice
- Regardless of your child's level, you can sign him up for a swimming course as well as give him lessons at home.
- The games mentioned in this article are suggestions only. Come up with fun games to teach your child swimming skills!
