While we don't all have a swimming pool or live by the sea, teaching children to stay afloat is still important. It may happen at least once in your child's life that he or she has to practice flotation techniques to avoid drowning. To teach your child to stay afloat, organize the lessons, teach them the correct movements on dry land, and then have them repeat them in the water.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Teaching the Right Movements
Step 1. Teach your child to stay afloat even before he learns to swim, as soon as he is able to follow the directions and imitate the example of adults
Since younger children are more prone to drowning, learning flotation techniques increases their chances of survival if they accidentally fall into the water
Step 2. Rather than immediately tackling the problem of staying afloat, it is preferable to prioritize the movements to be performed with the limbs while standing on dry land
The ideal place to practice is the playground. In fact, through play, children remember better what they learn
Step 3. Make sure your child knows he needs to stay upright
If he is not upright and with his head above the water, he is technically swimming. While it is important to teach your child to swim, he should be able to stay afloat first.
Help your child stay calm and slow their breathing, both of which are important for floating
Step 4. Show your child the correct hand and arm movements while on firm ground, where he has enough room to stretch his arms
He could pretend to make his way through tall grass.
- You should show your child that he must keep his hands out and slowly move his arms back and forth, not up and down. The palms of the hands should follow the movement of the arms.
- As the baby's arms are pushed up to his back, he should rotate his hands so that their palms are facing forward. These movements should be done slowly and regularly so as not to waste your strength.
Step 5. Have your child put in a position where he can learn the correct leg movements
There are several useful for floating, but some may be more difficult based on age, coordination level or other subjective factors.
- The most important thing is that the child learns to perform at least one of the correct movements slowly and steadily, in order to be able to stay afloat. If he kicks uncontrollably he will tire quickly.
- Exercising in the park makes it easier to teach correct leg movements because your child could hang on to a horizontal bar or rings and practice with your help.
- You could show him the movements by doing them yourself or moving your child's legs until he or she is autonomous.
Step 6. Find out the different leg movements
One of the simplest to learn is the scissor kick in which the child moves his legs back and forth like the blades of a scissor.
- In the movement of the frog the child, starting with the legs together, spreads his feet outwards and then quickly brings them back, like a leaping frog.
- The most effective, but also the most difficult, leg movement is the rotational one, in which one leg performs clockwise movements, while the other performs counterclockwise movements.
- The movement of the legs must be coordinated in such a way that as the right leg moves away from neutral, the left one approaches, and vice versa.
Method 2 of 2: Practice in the water
Step 1. Let your child practice floating in a swimming pool
After he has learned to move his arms and legs, classes should be held in the water. The swimming pool is the best place as it is safer than the sea or lake.
The pool must be deep enough for your child not to touch the bottom with his feet
Step 2. For safety reasons, enter the water with your child
If he's never been in the pool before, give him some time to get used to it.
Since the baby's head could go underwater while it learns to float, make sure it doesn't panic. To do this, have him hold his breath and keep his nose blocked, while you gently push him under the water and then make him emerge
Step 3. Begin your lessons by the pool
In this way the child will feel safer by holding on to the wall with one hand and performing the movements with the free arm.
Once the child is able to float on the wall, he should be encouraged to let go and move away
Step 4. Give your child extra help if needed
If the child is afraid to move away from the wall, hold him by the waist, without impeding the movements of the arms and legs.
- The child could also wear armrests, a life jacket or a jacket that helps keep his head out of the water and allows him to move both his arms and legs.
- When both you and the baby feel safe, he should be able to stay afloat without your help and without other flotation devices.
Step 5. Encourage your child to practice staying afloat for longer and longer periods each time
It cannot be predicted how long it will have to stay afloat in an emergency. Depending on the place of the accident, help could arrive after many hours. Therefore it is preferable to try to extend the floating times from time to time. In doing so, the child will not only increase his performance but also his endurance.
