Teaching 3 y/o to swim

[TwoBitTxn]

I have a 3 1/2 y/o daughter that I am just starting to teach to swim.

I used to teach swim lessons for bigger kids, I was a stroke coach for a swim team, and an ex-lifeguard. I have never taught a small child how to swim.

I know one key is patience and don't push it. I let her pretty much set the pace.

Any keys, ideas on what I can do, what can I do to make it more fun, etc...

Its an indoor pool, with a nice 1' max depth kiddie wading area among other things. Its a pool I do the health inspections for so I know its safe.

TwoBit

 

[Uncle Pug]

We bought a lake front home when my son was 3 and my daughter was 2.

I figured that I really needed to teach them how to swim since there was going to be no way to really keep them out of the water.... at least not without watching them every minute.

So I started with David. I told him that he didn't need to swim on top of the water... just come up for a breath now and then while he worked his way back to the dock. Then I chucked him off.

He got the hang of it real fast.

Soon he was jumping off the high dive (we had a 10' high platform at the very end of the dock) and swimming like a fish.

I didn't get a chance to teach Robin how to swim though... our Irish Setter beat me to it while I was busy doing something else.

I don't think he was actually trying to teach her how to swim but just accidently knock her into the water as he rushed by.

Robin in turn taught David water rescue.

So... I guess it was kind of a family affair with us... everyone got into the act... except for my wife who wasn't aware of all this until it was over.

 

[dsgobie]

Well I remember learning how to swim when I was a kid by falling in the pool.. I just remember fighting like hell to stay on the surface. I wouldn't recommend this to you though. Maybe you could try to get the basics rocked out in the shallow end. Like how to float etc.. Then move him over to a "paddle" board. The paddle board will teach him how to kick correctly. Making sure that he isn't doing the bicycle kick, how to turn with his legs. And that will also let him venture out in to the "deep" end with you. Building his confidence even further.

I think that after you get all that accomplished.... Let the kid be a kid and "doggie" paddle around for a year or two.. Then he can build his own self confidence with the water, and when he, and you, believe he is ready... You can then teach him some other strokes.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Pug for some reason I don't believe that your pulling my leg. I have also worked with several adults in learn to swim classes that had the same exeriences that your children had. Some can handle that...some can't.

I don't think the lifeguards would approve either...

At the moment Deirdre is not real fond of going under water, and I'm not sure she can float. If I get her to relax I'll give it a try.

TwoBit

 

[jbd]

with floating. Let her watch you float both face up and face down. She should want to mimic what you are doing. Get her to blow bubbles with her mouth just under the surface, then with her face in the water. Once she gets the hang of of all this let her surface dive to pick up objects off the bottom. Kids seem to love doing that from what I have observed.

Let her see you actually swim. The more of it you do the more she will want to do what you are doing. If you are having fun she will more than likely have fun also.

 

[Uncle Pug]

TwoBitTxn once bubbled...
Pug for some reason I don't believe that your pulling my leg.

I can't recommend having an Irish Setter teach your daughter to swim... but yes the story is true and unembellished as well.

BTW... the dog ended up being a diver too... he took to it real well.

 

[dsgobie]

jbd once bubbled...
with floating. Let her watch you float both face up and face down. She should want to mimic what you are doing. Get her to blow bubbles with her mouth just under the surface, then with her face in the water. Once she gets the hang of of all this let her surface dive to pick up objects off the bottom. Kids seem to love doing that from what I have observed.

Let her see you actually swim. The more of it you do the more she will want to do what you are doing. If you are having fun she will more than likely have fun also.

Good idea...

I too have noticed that kids love those ring things on the bottom of the pool... Before I knew what a mask was, me and my brothers used to throw spray painted rockes off the docks and go and "fetch" them.....

 

[jiveturkey]

I think just getting her used to being in the water is the most important thing. Practicing gettting water on her face, opening her eyes and ducking her head under. These are the things that adults who are uncomfortable in the water hate to do. If she can get her face wet and hold her breath underwater, she's halfway there already.

 

[Big-t-2538]

1. let her set the pace, much like you've said.

2. Get her acclimated to the water...play with her in it, show her how much fun you're having etc...remember kids love toys and have wonderufl imaginations, I can't tell you how may objects I've turned into a boat or airplane in the water to get kids off the side of the pool

3. Once she is in, and hapy about it...teach her how to float, both front and back.

4. would be blowing bubbles, & learning how to use the arms and legs effectively.

5. would be the beginning of front and back crawl for a short distance (15 feet), the rest is down hill from there.


The biggest key I've seen is getting the kids into the water, getting them to like the water, and getting them to have fun learning how to swim. Make up games, offer rewards, race them, etc. Some kids love the water, others don't. The ones that don't, usually aren't going to have a problem staying out of the pool....and that is very few children.

 

[Patience]

There's an article on teaching children to swin in a parenting magazine I recently received. I'll look the info up tomorrow.

When Claire was six months we joined a Mommy and Me Gym and Swim at the Community Center. They are just introducing the little ones to the water in the "swim" portion, although we are encouraged to swim while pushing or dragging the babies in flotation devices. Mostly, we all just splash around while singing "London Bridge" and "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Hokey Pokey".

My mother taught sailing, and we had a beach house. I was an adult before she admitted she was terrified of the water, and hated to swim. She put on a brave face because she didn't want us to be afraid, but she had a terrible fear of the water after having been taught to swim by being thrown in the deep end by her brother-in-law.