4 Ways to prepare your child for swimming lessons
4 Ways to prepare your child for swimming lessons
Do you remember your first day as a parent? Chances are, it wasn’t long before you realised your transformation into a jack-of-all-trades. From “Executive Nappy Changer” to chauffeur. But we bet you didn’t know that there was one more title to add to your CV: Chief Swimming Instructor.
That’s right. From the day home from the hospital, you play a big role in developing your child’s comfort with the water. From evening bath time to dips in the pool, parents are responsible for their children’s approach to the water. To ensure your children are comfortable with and respect the water before and after lessons, keep these things in mind:
- Your child takes a lot of cues from you.If you appear visibly nervous when approaching the water, your child will pick up on that – and quickly. If you can’t shake the fear, consider asking your partner or a friend to take the lead on supervising water activities.
- No one enjoys extreme water temperatures, especially children.Were you ever coaxed into sticking your feet into the freezing cold ocean, only to run away the minute you touched the water? From infancy on, you should always bathe your child in warm water. A terrifying water temperature experience can be the catalyst for fear of the water. At Hilton Brown Swimming, we keep the temperature of our pools at 32 degrees, which is a comfortable and inviting setting for beginners.
- Swimming lessons begin in the bath!You don’t need an Olympic-size swimming pool at home. We encourage the parents of our younger students to practice at home in the bath. Our instructors suggest gently pouring warm cups of water over your child’s body or if your child is confident enough encouraging them to put their face in the water.
- If your child is demonstrating advanced swimming proficiency, a lifejacket is not always necessary.This one can be tough for parents to let go of, and we still suggest wearing a lifejacket in certain situations, like while on a boat. However, if you’re playing with your child in the shallow waters of the beach, allow him some independence in the water under close supervision. Some trust could be just the right boost of confidence for your child to continue improving their strokes and techniques.
Let us be clear. It’s more than just getting your child comfortable in the water and teaching him how to swim; it’s also learning how to stay safe. At Hilton Brown Swimming we’re committed to providing our students and their parents with the very best in safety tips and techniques every single day.
Thinking about booking swimming classes at Hilton Brown Swimming? If you’re not sure where to start, get all the details on our swim lesson levels here.