You may think that swimming lessons are just for your child, but your involvement is crucial to your child’s success. Parents play an integral role in infant swimming lessons.
Infants and Toddlers
When young children first start swimming lessons, we require parents to participate. That’s because you’ll need to be able to physically hold or reach your child. In fact, it’s important to always be within arm’s reach of anyone who is not yet a strong swimmer.
Your involvement helps your baby or toddler feel more secure, and you’ll feel good knowing that you’re right there to help keep your child safe. It also allows the entire group of children to be safer, since an adult is with each child.
In Introduction to Teddy, the first swim level for infant swimming lessons, you’ll help your child learn to blow bubbles, kick, paddle, and float. At the Water Adjustment level, you’ll assist your child with floating, paddling, and using his or her elbows and tummy to pull up and exit the pool.
At home, don’t forget to make water time fun. Playing in the bath, splashing in wading pools, and walking along the beach are all great ways to teach your child to love water.
School-Age Children
As children get older and master more skills, they won’t need you to be in the pool with them during lessons, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a role to play!
In our levels 2-5, your child will learn a variety of swim strokes, along with the very important skill of being able to perform a tummy exit after falling or jumping into the water.
You can reinforce those skills at home or during family swim time and provide support to your child. If your children ever feel nervous, you can reassure them and spend some time having fun in the water outside of lessons.
Games are a great way to help children practice their skills without them even realizing that’s what they’re doing. They’ll just be having fun!
More Advanced Swimmers
Even when children become more advanced, they still need parental involvement. We offer Competitive Strokes and Competitive Advantage for children who want to learn about competitive swimming or just want to advance their skills.
You may think that by then, your child is ready to be independent, but it’s still essential to stay involved. Your support will help them continue to love swimming and give them the confidence they need to succeed.
All Ages And Levels
Remember that your children look to you as a role model. Swimming is one of the most important skills your children can learn–it might even save their lives one day! If you model a love for swimming and demonstrate how to be safe around the water, your children will follow suit. This is the best way to start with infant swimming lessons.
Encourage your children to practice their skills, and make swimming a fun family activity. However, you or another adult must always supervise your children while they are swimming. Make sure the designated water watcher is free from distractions, including cell phones. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can look away. Drowning can happen very quickly!
That brings us to another benefit of being involved with swimming lessons–you might just learn some new things, too! Many of us were not given formal swimming lessons when we were children, and that means we may not have been taught some very important safety information that our children should know. The good news is, when you are involved in your child’s lessons, parents and children learn together. And that’s important for keeping everybody safe.
Parents play an integral role in swimming lessons, regardless of how old your children are. Whether you’re helping your infant first enjoy blowing bubbles in the water, supporting your toddler as they learn to float, encouraging your school-aged child to practice the skills they learn during lessons or cheering on your competitive swimmer, your involvement is important. And it makes all the difference to your child.