6 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Swim Lessons
No matter how big of a part swimming plays in your family's day to day life, swim lessons are just as important for kids as learning the ABCs and 123s. The safety skills that children learn during swim lessons are meant to stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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Prepare for Swim Lessons |
With drowning being the number-one cause of injury-related death for kids between the ages of one and four years, swim lessons have proven to reduce the risk of drowning by a whopping 88 per cent. But safety is far from the only good reason to get your child started early with swim lessons.
The Benefits of Swim Lessons for Children
First-time swim lessons provide a new and mutually beneficial experience for the child and parent. In addition to teaching essential safety skills, swim lessons:- Provide physical exercise
- Builds muscle and strengthens lung capacity
- Improves endurance
- Aids in cardiovascular health
- Aids indigestion
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Increases energy and improves sleep
- Develops motor skills
- Improves concentration and supports academic performance
- Builds character and confidence
Getting your child into swim lessons early also provides you with a fun and healthy bonding activity that will get you feeling closer to your child. When you’re ready to take the next step and enrol in a swim class, make sure you and your child are prepared for it by following the tips below.
6 Tips on Preparing for the First Swim Lesson
Taking that first swim lesson with your child can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. To help you both feel a little less overwhelmed by this new experience, we’ve compiled a list of six super helpful tips for preparing for the first swim lesson.
Talk to Your Child Ahead of Time
About three weeks ahead of time, start explaining what swim lessons are and get them excited to attend the upcoming class. You can talk about swimming and water every day in as much detail as you can. Knowing what to expect will help put your child at ease as they look forward to having this new experience with you.
Get Excited with Them
Whenever you talk about swimming or get in the bath, be enthusiastic about your upcoming swim lesson. Children take cues from their parents, so if your child sees that you have a positive attitude toward swim lessons, they’re likely to share the excitement with you. On the other hand, if you appear nervous or uneasy about them, your child will likely pick up on those cues and get nervous themselves.
Turn Bath Time into Practice Time
Let your child know that water can be fun. Slowly introduce water to their head and faces by slowly pouring some on them while you’re having fun. Blow bubbles. These are all good ideas to practice in the bath to prepare them for going underwater. You can also teach them to float on their back in the tub.
Show Up Early
When it’s finally time for the first lesson, be prepared. Show up early with your child already in a swimsuit. Getting your child dressed in their swimsuit before entering the facility where the classes are going to take place will help prepare them mentally and physically. Arriving at least 10-15 minutes before the lesson is set to begin ensures that you’ll have enough time to park, check in, and be waiting by the pool when the instructor arrives. Rushing into a late lesson gives off stressful energy in a situation your child might already be feeling a little stressed about.
Be Encouraging
Go into the water with them for the first few lessons. Once they’re comfortable enough to take the classes without you, sit and watch from the sidelines. As soon as the lesson is over, welcome your child with a smile, a towel, and lots of encouraging feedback. When you give them feedback, be specific so that they know you were paying attention.
Stick with the Lessons
Don’t get discouraged if your child doesn’t love the lessons or the instructor right off the bat. It can take a little while to get comfortable with the water and a new person guiding them. It’s not uncommon for a child to have a tough first lesson, but it will get better in time. The most important thing is that you stay committed long enough for your child to have a fair chance of warming up to the new experience.
Swim lessons provide a fun way for kids of any age to stay physically fit while learning good habits and essential safety skills. When you take those first lessons with your infant or toddler, it can be a bonding experience like no other. Once you find a program to enrol in, follow the tips above to make the most of this new experience.
Author Bio:
With experience as a competitive swimmer and coach, Haley Woods is passionate about helping businesses get the most out of their class management software. As part of the Jackrabbit Marketing Team, she spends her time connecting with clients and showing future clients how Jackrabbit can change their business for the better. Outside of work hours you can find Haley out on the boat, on the search for the best brunch food, or cheering on the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Jackrabbit Swim helps swim school owners save time and money, increase revenue and enrollment and improve communication and retention using cloud-based swim school management software that offers online registration, skills tracking, a branded mobile app, flexible absence and makeup schedule, staff and parent portals, employee payroll, automated tuition posting, ePayment processing and free support. Discover more about Jackrabbit Swim!
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