VIDEOS: Dive into the Benefits of Swimming

If your kid is anxious about staying afloat, these tips will ease him/her into action.

Lagooz Swimming Facility, Lagos.

Before your child can join the fun with family and friends or at day camp this summer,

He or she may need extra help learning to feel comfortable in the water. Experts recommend that it’s important for school-age kids to know how to swi0m for safety reasons.

Plus, the older a kid gets, the harder it can be for him or her to shake memory of feeling apprehensive at the pool. “Kids this age have the ability to listen and follow directions, so, working with a skilled instructor – or a patient parent – can really increase a child’s confidence in the water,” says Lana Whitehead, founder of SwimKids USA, in Phoenix. Experts weigh in on the best tactics for conquering your child’s water worries now.

Your child can have real fears about buoyancy and breathing, so it’s crucial to take a gradual and loving approach. “He or she can begin by sitting on the edge of the pool with his or her feet dangling in,” suggests Whitehead. Soon, he or she’ll want to get into the water where he or she can stand. Next, gradually trickle some water over him, and encourage him or her to submerge his or her face. Then it’s on to blowing bubbles. “Get in close with him or her and do a big inhales and exhales at the surface of the water,” suggests Whitehead. Practice these skills in the bathtub to reinforce what he learned.

Take the Plunge

 

Inevitably, some kids will cry about going in the water even after weeks of sitting poolside. “It’s hard for parents to see their child work through that kind of fear,” explains Emmalee Morse, an aquatics supervisor for Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Go ahead and carry your child into shallow water – even if she’s kicking and screaming. Hold him or her in front of you with your arms around her. Take a toy with you, sing songs, and do anything you can to distract him/her an help him or her feel safe, Morse says.


Forget the Floaties
You may have bought your child floaties (also called water wings) for his/her arms to make him/her feel more comfortable, but experts advise against them. Not only can they give him/her a false sense of security, but they discourage proper form because they force his or her body to be vertical instead of horizontal in the water. If your child is used to floaties, taking them away might be tough. "Let him/her know that he or she's only allowed to sit in the pool steps and watch until he/she learns to swim without them." Whitehead says. Once he/she know how to swim on his/her own, he/she can use blow-up rings or pool noodles for fun.

Learn the Basics
You can either teach your kid yourself or hire a swim instructor. "In lessons, kids focus on proper technique, and then Mom and Dad can focus on play," Moore says. If you pay for instruction, make sure there is a lifeguard on duty as well as safety equipment like a reaching pole and a ring buoy. Look for a swimming teacher who is certified by the Red Cross or another reputable program and is also trained in CPR. If you decide to teach your child yourself, keep the lesson time short. Matt Giovanisci, creator of Learn2Swim.org, reminds parents to make safety the top priority: If your child can't swim the length of the pool - called the deep water test - you should be within arm's reach of him/her at all times.