Tips on Teaching Children How to Swim

Apart from safety, one of the most important things about teaching your child to swim is to make sure that he enjoys it. Swimming is not only great exercise for children, but can also promote good coordination, help build stamina and prevent accidental death by drowning.

Significance

According to USA Swimming, an organization that offers swimming-related programs and promotes swimming education, in many areas of the United States, swimming is the number one cause of death for children 1 and 4 years of age. For this reason alone, it is essential to teach your child how to swim at as early an age as possible so she will grow into a confident and competent swimmer and will be aware of water safety.

Consider your Child's Age

According to the website for "Parents" magazine, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends that parents do not teach children how to swim until after their fourth birthday. By this time, your child will have developed the skills to be able to remain afloat in the water. If you want to get your child in the water sooner, "Parents" suggests enrolling in a parent-child class that involves playing water games and getting your child used to being in the water.

Your Child's First Lessons

When your child is 4 years old or older, he will have developed the coordination skills necessary to float, and he is ready to begin to learn to swim all by himself. This is a good time to enroll him in swimming lessons. Look for a class that features qualified instructors and that has no more than six students per instructor. You may consider participating in his first few lessons so he feels safe and confident. In the shallow end of the pool, he should be able to float without assistance, stay underwater for five to 10 seconds, coordinate his arm and leg kicking movements, push himself through the water and shift from a standing position to a swimming position unaided.

Teaching Your Child Yourself
Enrolling your child in swimming lessons with a trained instructor is preferable; however, if you intend to teach her yourself, the most important things to remember are to stay safe and be patient. Until your child can swim unassisted, you should stay in the shallow end of the pool, close to the steps. Always stay near to your child. Your child should wear water wings or a rubber ring. Encourage your child to get her face wet and, when she is confident, to hold her breath under water. Next, teach her how to kick while holding on to the side of the pool. When she has mastered this, you can shown her how to combine kicking with arm strokes.


[via: http://www.livestrong.com/article/363998-tips-on-teaching-children-to-swim/#ixzz1yLiDlBW5]