Comments on: How to Teach a Child to Swim

on 7/30/2008 Not helpful fkfischer54235! Why are these techniques bad and what do you reccommend?

on 9/26/2007 I never learned to swim properly and was even uncomfortable in the water but I wanted my 4 children to be swimmers so I took them to the YMCA most days after school. I just let them play and swim in the water and they were able to watch other kids swimming and they naturally picked it up. I could have paid for lessons, but never did and they now swim like seals! A side benefit was that I also became comfortable in the water and trimmed up!

on 3/14/2007 terrible. I wouldnt recommend any of these "techniques" to anyone.

-YMCA Swim Instructor.

on 8/6/2006 If your child is comfy in the water, but does not put their face in, try a pair of goggles. When they realize they can see underwater, they put their face in all the time.

on 7/1/2006 As kids we used "Bubbles" which were made of Styrofoam and strapped to our back. As long as the child is kicking his legs and moving his arms he will stay up. It builds confidence and technique. When the bubble is gone, kids are amazed at how well they swim.

on 6/30/2006 I used a flotation device with my 1 year old until she was 4. I purchased it at Target and it had a picture of a seal on it. The sides had a bungee cord woven through both the front and back panels. The small device was black and yellow and the larger one is green and black. What made it so great was that it had removable foam panels in the front and back. I chose this device over the swim suits with the foam inserts because it is easier to use while trying to keep her on her stomach or on her back by adding/removing front/back panels.

As my daughter became a stronger swimmer, I removed a panel from the front and/or back. Eventually we were down to 2 panels in front and back. We practiced all of the swimming procedures until she had the mechanics down (arm and leg movements and her face in the water holding her breath). Then one day she asked to try swimming without her "floaty" and she swam 10 feet on the first try with me right next to her. I held my arm out in front of her in case she needed to grab on to it. She is 4 now and can swim across our 18 foot pool in 2 breaths. She can also use a mask and snorkel (also taught with the floaty on) as well as dive for toys on the bottom. The floaty gave her the confidence and the removal of the foam pieces helped strengthen her muscles in preparation for swimming without the floaty.

Even though she can swim now, I have her use the floaty when others are in the pool. She is only 4 and she does tire easily since she can't touch the bottom of the pool. My advice? Once your child can swim, don't assume that they can swim without your 100% attention and/or assistance. Always watch your kid, and if there are any other distractions (other swimmers, visitors, etc), use a flotation device.

I am using this same technique while teaching a friend's child. I am seeing much of the same results as I saw with my daughter after just a couple of lessons.

on 6/30/2006 Teach only one child at a time, in the pool with no other distractions if possible. Having other children play and swim nearby can be a distraction to the student, as well as the instructor.

on 6/30/2006 Always teach 4-5 children together. As each one of them will see others learning and be motivated to learn faster. It should be fun for them, otherwise children will get bored.

on 6/30/2006 This is often times very difficult because children don't feel secure on their back. Begin in shallow water or on the stairs where they can touch, gradually move to deeper water close enough to the wall so that they can touch it. Move on toward the middle of the pool as they build their confidence. Keys to remember about backfloating include keeping their ears underwater, the feet lower than their belly button, and pushing their belly button to the sky as if they were trying to touch the clouds with it. Tell them to relax, and don't make a big deal about having their arms out to the side, if the child has a very muscular build with little fat, they may even need to raise their arms above their head in order to float, this helps spread their arm and legs muscles further apart so that their buoyant chest can keep them above the water.

on 6/30/2006 Have the child hum above water. Then ask them to hum when they put their face in the water. This will teach them how to blow bubbles through their nose. They should blow bubbles through their nose and not through their mouth.

on 6/30/2006 Use rubber ducks (or any other floating toy). have the child throw the toy as far as they feel comfortable swimming. As their confidence grows, so will the distance they throw the toy.

on 7/5/2007 Throw the kid into the water and see what he makes of it. Unless you're totally incompetent, he'll be alright; just grab him when he starts to go under. The body becomes a tenacious survival tool when incited; under the proper conditions, a child can learn to swim very quickly.

on 3/15/2006 Some kids find it hard to blow bubbles and are scared to wet their face. They open their mouth wide open while blowing and they tend to swallow the water. First, (dry land practice) blow a balloon up in the air or blow a piece of Styrofoam floating on the surface to get use to the right way of blowing bubbles. Then play few games relate to this skills in the water by drawing (blow) different shapes; such as their favorite cartoon characters, square, circle, trees, etc. Play "Simon Says" wet left cheek, wet forehead & so on. This way children won't even realize that they are wetting their face; next thing, you see them submerging.

on 11/22/2005 Putting the face in the water is sometimes the scariest part for new swimmers. First encourage them to do it all on their own. Assure them that the water is safe and you are there to help them if they need help. If the child won't put his or her face in the water tell them to first cup the water with their hands and put their face into their own hands. Then have them put their face in your hands. Then encourage them again to put their face in the water with no hands. After that then they can move on to blowing bubbles and holding their breath.

on 11/22/2005 Never tell a child to plug their nose. This only creates bad habits that are awful to break. The kid needs to learn to blow bubbles out of their nose so water does not go up it. A kid who learns to plug their nose under water, will be slower at learning how to swim, even be held back in a level once or twice or more times. To swim you need to use both arms and you can't do that by plugging your nose at the same time. That and it is a swim teacher's nightmare to fix the problem!