HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO SWIM
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HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO SWIM

John Smith
| April 01, 2020 Last Updated 2020-04-02T01:23:23Z


Most parents enroll their kids into some kind of extracurricular activities from a young age to engage themselves in some learning. 
While your child can choose an activity as per his own choice, you should give some importance to his fitness and put him into some sports or fitness-related activity. 
Talking of fitness, nothing can be better than making your child join a swimming class. Swimming is an activity that has great fitness values making your child well-built, strong, energetic, and builds endurance in him. 
While many of you are considering admitting your child to swimming training, it is advisable to give them some pre swimming lessons at home. 
Till their formative years are over, domestic training will not just help them overcome hydrophobia; it will build confidence and strength in him.  Most formal swimming institutes have certain age restrictions for enrolment, which may be up to the age of 7-8. 
Moreover, as parents, you can facilitate them with the same training as a swimming coach would do to their beginner students. 
But is it coming across your mind as to how to begin teaching your kids swimming? 
It is no rocket science, but simple guidelines should be followed to help your child be acquainted with water. Your child being oblivious to the idea of swimming pool and water bodies; it may be a hard task for you to get him into the water initially. 
But, please be patient and give him the time without being harsh on him. Keep your munchkin secure and safe in different types of water-based activities such as swimming and boating with a good quality life jacket.

1. Your child should love to be in the water.
The first objective should be to help your child love to be in the water and not be afraid of it. Most children, if not all, will have some fear and inhibitions of being in the water. 
He needs to be comfortable in the water, only then you can proceed with the further steps. Take him to small pools and involve him in some fun water activities. 
Do not take him to a giant pool as that will imbibe a fear of water in him from the very beginning. Let him play some ball games or catching the fish games. 
The idea is to help him overcome his fear of water and be playful in the pool.

2. Teach them breathing underwater
Breathing underwater can be a tricky task for your child. Take your child to a pool and ask him to hold his breath for as long as they can. 
Ask him to blow bubbles in the water, which will train him not to swallow any water while inside. Introduce him to swimming goggles and tell him how it is going to protect his eyes. 
Do this activity with him so that he can feel more comfortable. You can hold his hands initially to let him know that he is absolutely safe. 
Make sure that he/she is safe and is not suffocating by overdoing this breathing exercise. Holding oneself underwater for too long can make him pass out too.
 3. Help him float
Once your child is comfortable in the pool, you may choose a larger pool for him but not a giant pool, which will be unsafe for his age. Safety is the key to any swimming activity. So, now you require a pool for his age and a floatation device. 
You will have to make your child understand the importance of floating in the water as the first stage of swimming. Tell him that if he knows to float, he may save himself from drowning in an accident. 
He can start floating by holding the side of the gutter of the pool and kicking. Introduce him to a floating tube or a floating jacket or a floating vest and start training him to float in the water. 
Help him use his limbs in floating, while he enjoys and relaxes in the pool.

4. Paddle with them
After getting the grip of floating, teach him how to paddle using his hands and pulling through the water. Considering his age, doggie paddle may be the most suitable way of paddling for a kid. 
Let him do a short race while kicking and paddling with his hands and legs. This may take a number of days for him to learn it. 
To ensure his safety, let him be wearing a paddle jumper while paddling.

5. Give them safety tips
As your child learns swimming, give him an idea about the safety measures which should always be taken while swimming. 
Safety tips for a child include swimming with someone, having an adult around you, and obeying pool rules. 
They should know that pushing each other in water or running by the wet poolside may end up hurting themselves or others. He should choose a depth in which he is comfortable in swimming.

6. Maintain regularity
Regularity should be maintained in order for your child to remain in practice. This will also help him get better with each passing day. 
While teaching your kid to swim, make it more of a fun activity rather than some training in the camp. 
He should be relaxed and enjoying every bit of it, and should not be forced. Use toys, floaters, and other swimming kits and make it joyful for them. 
Organize some short races or challenges for him and his friends. This way, learning will be much easy for him. But, always remind him of the safety measures and how they are important for his life. 
Educating him about safety will bring in more awareness. Your child will thank you later for giving him such a loving experience. 
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