4 Tips to a Good Swimmer--Beginner's Edition

1. One thing I can not stress enough is if you're child is under 5 years of age, when you're in the pool or bathtub, do not let them see you wipe the water off your face because this gives them the idea that it's bad for it to be there.  I can't tell you how hard it is to get a child to overcome this and in my experience it accounts for probably 95% of the reasons why they don't put their face under water.  
2. A tip to help them get into blowing bubbles: invest in a few ping pong balls, and some plastic straws and have them BLOW through the straw into the water to move the ping pong balls around.  They'll love this!  And how do you get them to blow out their nose while under water?  Have them hum, just have them go under and hum to themselves. You can even give them a melody you "want to hear" and once the connection is made that the water won't be going up their nose any more, VOILA you've solved the plugging their nose habit.
3. When it comes to practicing kicking....remind them to keep their feet and legs straight.  I usually encourage them to use those "beautiful ballerina legs" or "strong soldier legs" and they usually will start singing or chanting out commands back--depending on their preference.  (My husband was in the Army and my daughter is a 5 year old Captain America fan, so she would be one I'd use the soldier legs with and you see this intense look come over her face as if she's actually a soldier.  Lol, love it!)
4.  Get them comfortable with the front and back float.  Reinforce that, when that exhaustion has set in, in any situation-swimming laps or heaven forbid they get into trouble somewhere, they can ALWAYS roll to their back and get rest a second until they feel like they can continue.

• Back float: if we are at an indoor pool I will have them concentrate on what's on the ceiling, if they're at that age where their imagination is running wild, this is where I encourage then to tell me what they imagine above them...brace yourself, some responses will be hilarious!  If outside I have them be on the lookout for anything that flies, birds, planes, helicopters, dragonflies, balloons, etc. I also have them push their stomach out towards the ceiling/sky while stretching their neck out like a tall giraffe.  This action, as well as encouraging them to concentrate on what's above them, will get them to the point where they can float by themselves.  I stroll around the pool with their hair on my shoulder and my hands on their back, one on the stomach too, if they're really nervous.

• Front float: depending on their comfort level, I will either have them put their face under and blow bubbles until they want to come up, or give them a kick board or flotation device to hold out in front of them for them to get the idea of how floating feels.

Here's our little man swimming this past summer!

I started with Lillie when she was 6 weeks old.  She's definitely a water baby!

I encourage you to take at least one parent/tot class if you're eager to get your infant in the water and start them early! This was her first time going completely under.  She did great! Another bonus tip? If you blow softly in their face before they go under, they will inhale the air and when they get into the water they won't inhale water. When they come up 90% of the time they won't be coughing...surprised maybe, but they just spend 9 months in a fluid environment and did great. But in all my years of teaching parent/tot classes, this can be the hardest emotional thing the parents do with their children but the ones who do get the courage up to do it, are thankful when it's done. I'm not saying to hold your children under or anything like that, I'm saying a light dip is fine. But absolutely NO LONGER THAN A SPLIT SECOND!!!!!!!! Once again, I strongly encourage you to take at least one parent/tot class if you're eager to get your infant in the water and start them early!

And it's back-story time ;)

When I was 15 I became a certified lifeguard upon completion of the Lifeguard and First Aid classes with the American Red Cross.  And also took the WSI (Water Safety Instructor) aide class to teach swimming lessons.  I also taught water aerobics classes, while I was pregnant with my daughter (not to toot my own horn or anything right ;) Anyway, I have had about 9+ years of experience teaching swim lessons.  I've taught at the local pool in my home town, a hot springs about 40 minutes from my home, a YMCA while residing in Wisconsin, two recreational centers in the Denver/Metro area, and a private neighborhood pool doing private lessons.  I've taught students that were over 60 years of age and just had to show themselves that "you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks" and started as early as six weeks old with parent/tot classes.

<3 Timmie


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