How to Teach a Child to Breathe While in the Water

Once a child is comfortable in the water and has learned to float, it's time to teach breathing techniques.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Swimsuits
• Swimsuits For Children
• Swimsuits

1. Get your child into the water and completely wet. Review techniques for floating, especially the facedown float (see Related eHow "Teach a Child to Float in the Water").

2. Demonstrate and practice blowing bubbles in the water. This introduces the necessity of blowing air out while underwater.

3. Hold the child under the armpits and take the child for a "motor boat" ride by pulling the child around the pool while he or she blows bubbles and breathes.

4. Teach the child to bob, bouncing up and down in the water in a steady rhythm. Bobbing help the child learn to breathe only when out of the water.

5. Hold the child's hands and bob together.

6. Demonstrate how to breathe from the facedown float, bringing your hands together in front of you and lifting your head (see Related eHow "How to Survival Float").

7. Have the child try to breathe from the facedown float. Start in the shallow end and eventually move to the deep end.

8. Be patient, as it may take a few lessons for the child to become comfortable with breathing while in the water.

Tips & Warnings

• When teaching several children, have the children hold hands and bob together.
• Never leave a child unattended near a swimming pool.

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on 6/30/2006 One of the techniques I use while teaching swim lessons, and especially while working with the little kids, is the 'talk and listen to the fishes'. This works on the crawl stroke best. Have them blow bubbles in the water, as if they are talking to the fishes and then tilt their heads to the side and listen to what the fishes have to say!
I believe this works well!