How to teach your child to swim?

Swimming lessons are an investment in child health and development. It is important to address this issue as seriously as possible. The main principle is – never leave your child unsupervised in water.

Teach your child to swim independently or with the help of a coach?

Of course, the coach will teach the child to swim much faster. Training with an experienced coach will allow the child not only learn to swim but also to apply different techniques and styles. However, you can approach the issue on your own. It depends only on your personal time, finances and the search for an experienced coach. If you decide to take the training yourself, then you can use the tips below.

When to start training?

It’s recommended to begin swimming lessons not earlier than teh age of 3-4 years. To start with, let your child get used to water. Let him splash, bathe, jump and enjoy. When the child gets used to water and will not be afraid of it, you can start training, following a certain sequence of actions.

Start with theory

Before you move on to practice, your child must learn a lot of information that will be important for safe swimming. Tell the child why some objects sink, while others stay on the water. Provide examples. You can take a lightweight plastic object, for example, an empty bottle of shampoo and put it on the water surface. Then remove the cap and fill in the bottle to make it sink. Resume, pointing out the role of weight and air inside objects in floating.

Which place is best for swimming training?

The best place to teach a child to swim is a shallow pool with warm water. In a deep pool with cold water, children will not feel comfortable and safe, thus they won’t be able to fully concentrate on the exercises. It is best to train in a pool with gradual transitions in depth. Divide the practical part of the training into several stages, gradually moving to the deeper side of the pool.

Is it good to use armlets?

Armlets contribute to safety, but putting them on, the child will not learn to swim. You can use armlets to help the child get familiar with water and save him from fear. Of all kinds of props, a swimming board is the most appropriate. Thanks to it, the child's body will be in the water in the right horizontal position with a slight inclination.

How to start practicing?

At the initial stages, you should help the child move along the pool, holding on to its edges. Then start using the swimming board. Put the child on it and let him learn to use his legs. After that, use the board only for holding on with hands, actively working with legs to move forward in such way. The next step is to teach the child to lie on the water and immerse the head in water.

How to remain afloat? 

To teach a beginner swimmer to stay on the water, use proven exercises. The most effective are the "Starfish" and “Bob”. To perform the "Starfish", the child should breathe in and lie down horizontally on his back or belly, spread his arms and legs apart. The “Bob” is performed in vertical position. The child should breathe in, clasp his knees with his hands and press his head to them, trying to stay in the water in an upright position.

How to breathe correctly during swimming?

Without proper breathing, a child won’t be able to swim quickly and for a long time. To teach the child to breathe properly during swimming, do the following exercises with him: a quick breath in through the mouth and a long exhalation through the nose, immersing the face in the water. You don’t necessarily need to practice breathing in the pool. You can do the exercise at home, using a volumetric water container. 

Unaided swimming under water

Ask the child to swim for a short distance underwater. Tell him that you will always be around, and he does not need to worry. Children quickly learn to swim under water, so even after a few lessons they can swim a considerable distance. When the child learns to swim underwater, dive and control his breathing, the question of how to teach him to swim on the surface will no loger be relevant. From some point the child should have a qualitative breakthrough. He will understand that it is almost impossible to drown.

Swim with your child, letting him dive and jump. He will gradually discover different swimming techniques and will choose the most convenient. 

If you want your child to start mastering the techniques of sports swimming, then you cannot do without experienced coaches. Also, do not miss the various swimming competitions, where a beginner swimmer can apply his skills. Register your child for the first swimming and running championship in Moldova, Sea Mile Kids Aquathlon. The competition is due on July 15, 2018, in Valea Morilor park, Ialoveni district.

The kids’ competition Sea Mile Kids Aquathlon will be held in Moldova for the first time, that is why participation in it is a great experience for young sportsmen. Beside taking part in the championship, the young swimmers will be able to apply their skills in the future, as the organizers of Sea Mile Kids Aquathlon plan to annually conduct swimming competitions in our country. The Sea Mile Kids Aquathlon event is organized by mama.md, FTRM, the public sports organization Sporter and 999.md. 

To register for Sea Mile Kids Aquathlon and learn more details, please visit https://seamile.md/ru/.