Common Questions Parents Ask Instructors About Children’s Swimming Lessons
In the 7 years that I have been teaching children to swim I have run into the same questions over and over again from parents. I have compiled this frequently asked questions guide specifically for parents that are looking for answers and don’t know where to find them. Everyone down to your mother has their opinions and myths about swimming lessons and finding correct answers may prove to be difficult. Here are the questions that parents most frequently have asked me about swimming lessons as well as a couple of myth breakers.
What skills will my child gain?
Learning to swim greatly increases a child’s ability to grow and develop. Swimming lessons help encourage motor, language, and social skills. Since your child will most likely be interacting with other children, so lessons will also help improve their emotional development. Swimming lessons also provide your child with a new challenging environment and helps enhance the child parent relationship. Your child will also start to develop his or her self image and confidence through swimming. Swimming lessons also provide satisfaction of accomplishment and fun for both you and your child.
What will my child learn?
Unfortunately, this is a tough question to answer because different teachers and facilities use different methods. But in my experience of teaching young children to swim teenagers and adults learn well in larger groups while young children (infants, toddlers, and preschool) do much better with personalized and individual attention. If your child is under five years of age you should really consider signing him or her up for private lessons. If you have your own pool many instructors may come right to your home.
Generally speaking each instructor individualizes lessons for each child and usually they plan a course overview. Ask your instructor if they can give you a copy to follow along with. The overall plan should be personalized for each student sometime shortly after the first or second lesson. This plan outlines the long and short term goals for your child. Not only will they gain aquatic skills but your children will learn how to mimic, copy, and model helping them to grow and learn. If your instructor cannot provide you with these things you should probably hire someone else.
What does my child need for class?
What your child needs is highly dependent on the facility that you choose and the teacher. Other than a bathing suit and a towel your child will generally use the following equipment but it is often supplied for you.
� Washcloths
� Plastic rings and coins
� Floatation devices
� Balls
� Kickboards
� Noodles or other pool floaters
� Life Jackets
� Diving sticks
� Rubber Toys
Considering that you child needs to hear, breath, and see properly most swimming instructors will tell you not to send your child to lessons with goggles and ear or nose plugs. Sometimes ear plugs are allowed if your child has reoccurring ear infections or upper respiratory problems but you should ask your teacher first.
The reason instructors don’t want students wearing nose plugs, and goggles are that it hinders the learning process. If you child can’t see properly they are not going to be able to mimic the instructor, and if they are wearing nose plugs they will not learn how to breathe while swimming. All of these swimming tools should be used only to help develop your child’s skills. If you notice that you or your children are becoming dependent on the equipment start using it less and less until you don’t need it anymore.
Will lessons “drown-proof” my child?
No matter what anyone tells you, no single person is “drown-proof”. Even the best swimmer on the Olympic team could drown if something went wrong. Although children may be able to propel themselves though the water after only a few lessons they are still not able to rescue themselves if they accidentally fall into a pool or are swimming unsupervised. Be wary of programs that advertise “drown proofing” as a part of their swimming lessons and make sure your children are always supervised when swimming.
How many lessons is it going to take for my child to start swimming?
As stated before, some children may be able to propel themselves through the water after only a few lessons but children can vary widely when it comes to skill and learning. Some students learn very quickly while it takes other 3 or 4 times to get the idea right. The main factors that will determine how quickly your child will learn how to swim have a lot to do with age but also previous experience, home environment, level of development, and individual attitude.
Children younger than five generally cannot swim unassisted. As your child gets older he or she will start to retain memory from previous movements and skills learned – a mentality that younger children do not have yet. Children younger than five just don’t have the skills yet to remember how to put the strokes in an order that makes sense. For most skills there are simple pre-requisites and lead up like blowing bubbles and bobs that help children get comfortable going under the water. For example a child that usually is afraid to put their face in water may have no problems when playing “treasure hunt” looking for rubber coins on the bottom of the pool.
What if my child can’t keep up?
Although there are different skill levels, and it is most likely your child will be evaluated and placed at the correct level, they should not be compared to the ability of the other students in the class. If your teacher does this you should consider hiring someone else or using a different facility.
Younger children are generally separated into three groups: infant, toddler, and preschool. It is not rare for a toddler to only be at the infant level or even at the preschool level. Ability can vary greatly from child to child but most instructors will adapt and adjust the different skills so that your child can learn at his or her own pace. Since children acquire different skills at different times you simply have to be patient and wait it out until your child progresses. If you fear your child is far behind and not learning because of it speak privately with your teacher about changing his or her class level.
Why do you play instead of work?
Usually this question is asked by the parent that doesn’t actually participate in the swimming lessons. Play is an important part of learning for children and it also helps then stay interested and provides an opportunity for practice and learning. The fun should be kept within the realm of the basic fundamentals. Through play your child will gain considerable knowledge and skill development. Playing also helps your child’s mind organize information and also makes them more comfortable in the water so they can progress naturally and easily without even thinking about it.
Why do you repeat the same activity over and over again?
Repetition is the key to learning for most young children. As long as the activity is still fun and helpful you will keep doing it. The minute the children become bored with the game or skill they will move onto the next. The repeated games and skills give the children something to look forward to at the end of the lesson and keep it interesting. When a child has been trying over and over again to get a skill, when they finally get it they will be so excited and you will be happy too.
Why does my child cry at his/her swimming lessons?
Each new student brings a new challenge and when dealing with young children, especially infants, it is not unusual to see and hear tears. Babies to toddlers and school aged children all cry when they are hungry, sick, cold, angry, teething, or there is another child crying. Generally the child is just scared, confused, and unsure about what is happening. Other times your child may be crying because they feel powerless and it is the only way for them to express some independence. Occasionally one or two students are genuinely afraid of the water, but it is fleeting and rare.
What causes this fear?
There are lots of reasons why all people are scared of water and it usually has something to do with the parents or a traumatic incident. Some of the more common causes of early fear of water have to do with the way the children relate to the parents in and around the water. Simply being reared by parents that are afraid of large bodies of water can be enough to scare the pants off a 2 year old. Prohibiting water play when your child is young will also create a fear for some children and adults later on. Being forced into the water before being fully prepared and also being carelessly handled in the water are two more reasons children can be scared of swimming. Sometimes just being involved or witness to a traumatic water accident is enough to keep someone from the water for years.
What helps prevent this fear?
Most of all it takes time and patience. Although you and your child will get frustrated it is important that you do not upset them while still in the water. To help prevent this fear start water activities with your children at a young age (when they are babies) even if it is just the bathtub. Work up from a kiddie sized pool, to a slightly larger pool, to the largest one you can find to get your child acclimated to being in a large body of water and feeling safe.
Be aware of your facial expressions and body language in and around the pool, as well as the sound of your voice and choice of words. You don’t want to do anything to alarm your child while in or near the water. Respect the fact that your child is scared and be sympathetic. Go in the water with them and show them other children having fun splashing around and they will be more likely to trust that everything will be fine. Be as patient as possible and don’t force your child into or under the water before they are ready because they may never go near it again if you do.
What can I do?
The best thing you can do is practice and play with your child on a weekly or daily basis if you can. Attend class on a regular basis and get involved. If your instructor invites you to swim with your child or instructs you that you must than please do. Work with your instructor to develop a plan specialized for your child.
When will my child pass?
A lot of parents don’t realize that learning how to swim is a never ending process. There is no passing or failing grade, evaluations, or testing. There are specified levels for ages and ability but it really depends on what motor and coordination skills your child already has. Readiness really has more to do with progression of skill levels than age, but until about age five most children will not be able to retain all the information needed to process swimming in a logical order.
