Nowadays, there are parents who teach children to swim right from the cradle. If this example is not about you, then think about how important it is for a child to be able to swim.
How to teach a child to swim
And it’s best to start teaching this at 6-7 years old. At this age, the child is already able to carefully perform movements in the water and listen to his mentor. So, look for where you can swim and forward, for success.
Most importantly, a swimming coach for a child must be patient and calm. If you decide to personally teach your baby to swim, be indulgent, because not everything at once. Show patience, a small child is not able to immediately trust instincts and swim like a fish in water. Explain, repeat, support, for this you are next to the little student.
Praise your child for successful attempts, and praise unsuccessful attempts too. The child should not become bored and ignorant. For the same reason, do not delay your first lessons. Conduct lessons no longer than 10 minutes. Otherwise, a little swimmer may lose all interest in this activity, but this should not be allowed.
If the weather is not yet suitable for swimming in open water, start exercising in the bath. While swimming, teach your child to hold their breath underwater and dive headfirst into the water. These are very useful exercises for the lungs, there will definitely be no harm from them. Yes, and a kid who loves to swim will be happy to dive and learn the skills of real submariners. Present it as a game, and you will see how quickly the child will achieve an excellent result for him.
You can also teach your child to exhale air directly into the water. This is what experienced swimmers do, and the child will also like to imitate them. Let him first exhale at the very surface of the water, creating bubbles, then let him try to do it deeper and deeper. And, finally, be able to do this when immersed in water with his head. This will be a big victory for the little student, be sure to praise and encourage him. Believe me, for him it was not at all as easy as you think.
Do not get carried away with inflatable products, they will not teach the child to swim, but only move this moment away from you. This is the same device as a walker for children who cannot walk. These all kinds of circles and sleeves only prevent children from learning to swim, so do without them, just keep a good eye on your child and do not stray far from him. This way you can let him learn to swim on his own, and not wallow in a useless inflatable life jacket.
Also teach your baby to lie on the water. Let him be aware of the fact that the water itself holds, you just need to relax and lie down on it correctly. In a horizontal position, in a relaxed state, he can simply lie down without making any body movements. Teach your child this, this magic will delight him. He should not be afraid of water, and after such a lesson, he will see that water can indeed be friendly to those who know how to deal with it.
Teach your child to swim by example. After all, dry coaching terms will quickly become uninteresting to him, and he will get bored without having time to get carried away with swimming. Show yourself. how to hold your back, how to move your arms, how to row your legs. the baby is much more interested in watching his parents “in action”, and then repeating your movements himself. You can talk about the types and techniques of swimming a little later.
How to teach a child to swim
And don’t be too hard on this technique. Let your baby first learn to swim, and then, at his own request, you may begin to hone his skill, or just take the child to the swimming section, where an experienced trainer will teach your baby everything that you cannot, and by all the rules.
Remember the main thing, do not put pressure on the child and scare him. So the process of training in swimming can be markedly dragged. And you should not experiment and teach the child to swim by the method of our ancestors. Throwing the baby into the water according to the principle: he wants, he will float. It is very cruel and can forever beat off the child’s desire to go into the water altogether. Remember, your baby is in front of you, and he needs your help and wisdom. So don’t deceive his expectations. Help your child, and then the process of swimming will bring him only joy.
