Teaching children to swim takes patience, knowledge

Teaching children to swim takes patience, knowledge

By L. Moroney

JAKARTA (JP): The prospect of teaching their child to swim is often approached by parents with trepidation.

"I can't possibly do that," they grumble, remembering their parent's tales of: "My dad just threw me in the river and there's nothing wrong with me." However, as their child gets older and still can't swim, desperation sets in and the river begins to look enticing.

Before hurling that child in, stop for a minute and think about what you are doing. You want your child to swim. Why? Because everybody else's children can and your child is the only one who can't? Because they "just should"?

Unlike walking, swimming is not instinctive. Children do not automatically feel the urge to submerge themselves in water and start swimming, as they do with crawling. As any parent will know, trying to stop a child from crawling is like trying to halt a tidal wave. However, propelling yourself through the water while simultaneously managing to breathe are skills that must be taught.

So why bother? Why not save yourself the trouble and keep your child away from the water?

With the profusion of pools and significantly sized bodies of water in Indonesia, any parent would be hard pressed to permanently keep their child away from the water.

Besides, medical studies have proven that children who succeed in physical activities, such as swimming, have greater self esteem, self confidence, coordination and can concentrate for longer periods than children who are inactive.

Swimming is a very effective low impact activity which utilizes all of the major muscle groups. It improves both aerobic and anaerobic fitness and can be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Awareness

Nevertheless, just as a child must crawl before they can walk, you must first teach children to be aware and confident in the water before you can teach them the art of swimming. Throwing the kid into a river may seem a quick, cheap method of instruction, but it's a reasonable assumption that, instead of teaching your child to swim, your well intentioned throw will induce unreasonable fear of the water.

Teaching your child water awareness and confidence shouldn't be a traumatic experience. The water, when approached with a positive attitude, can be a source of enjoyment for the whole family.

First, look at your own attitude toward water. A parent who is not comfortable in the water may have difficulty teaching their child to be comfortable. Children are very astute, they can detect even the slightest uneasiness and respond accordingly.

"If Daddy is afraid maybe there is something here that I should be afraid of!" is a normal reaction.

If you are nervous about putting your child in the water, let someone else do it. As time goes on and you become more familiar with the situation then you can play a more active role. There are a few qualified and experienced instructors in Jakarta who can teach your child while you watch from the side.

Anyway, who said swimming lessons can only occur in a swimming pool? All you need is water, whether it be in a bathtub, a shower or a big bowl, and a sense of fun and exploration. Children are naturally curious. They like to touch and play with things, and it is through this process of exploration that they learn vital life lessons.

Fill your bathtub with a couple of inches of water and then gradually add toys. Lots of toys. Toys that float, toys that sink, toys that squeak, toys that squirt, toys that can pour, toys that can be squeezed and so on. Along with the toys, you can add bubbles (a quick squirt of an inexpensive shampoo under a running faucet is enough), color (a few drops of food coloring - check that it doesn't stain else you may have a purple child) and smell (a few drops of essential oil, like lavender) to make water more interesting.

Don't forget, however, that children who are near water need to be watched constantly. A child can drown in inches of water.

Instructor

There comes a time when you have done all that you can do with your child. They enjoy the water, they can blow bubbles, put their faces in, move themselves through the water and don't start screaming hysterically every time you go near the water. At this point you need help, someone to show you what else you can do. You need a good instructor.

What should you look for in an instructor?

Firstly, check their qualifications. Are they qualified to teach water safety as well as water skills? Mere coaching experience and qualifications are not adequate when teaching young children. Neither does being a national level swimmer automatically qualify them as a good instructor. Look for someone who is qualified and has experience teaching young children.

When you have found an instructor, ask if you can watch a lesson. Ensure that water safety is included in their lesson and they follow a definite sequence.

When should you start swimming lessons with your child?

Water awareness can begin at several months old, during bathing. Try slowly pouring tepid water over your baby's arms and legs. Smile and talk to your baby about what you are doing."Look, I'm pouring water over your feet. Is that nice?"

Slowly build up to gradually pouring water over the back of their head. Constantly talk to your baby and feel positive about what you are doing. Don't feel that you have to have your child totally submerged in one session. There are no prizes to be won. Eventually you will be ready to enter a swimming pool with your baby.

Swimming can be a source of enjoyment for both the parent and the child. It is only limited by the level of enthusiasm involved. Children should be introduced to the water and to basic water and safety skills as young as six months. Pressuring or expecting a child to swim quickly or within a set time frame should be avoided as there is nothing to be gained by traumatization. Every child is different and progresses at a different rate.

Swimming aids

Swimming aids should be chosen as carefully as swimming instructors.

What swimming aids should you use?

Kickboards -- Kickboards should be durable nonslip foam. Children like to stand and lie on kickboards and hard plastic kickboards have the potential to knock out a few teeth. Kickboards shouldn't have handles. A kickboard is a swimming aid and is not designed to support a child's entire weight.

Goggles -- Some children won't swim without goggles. If this is because of heavily chlorinated pools, let them wear goggles. Buy goggles that fit well and have a good seal (check that they fit at the store). If children don't want to get their eyes wet because they are afraid, let it go again. This time, however, make sure that the goggles eventually leak by surreptitiously prizing away bits of the rubber seal. Children then become accustomed to getting their eyes wet, an important stage in water awareness, but still have the physical reassurance of goggles.

Inflatable Armbands -- A boon to busy mothers with several young children, inflatable armbands are acceptable only if used in moderation and under close supervision. Inflatable armbands give young children the experience of being supported by water as well as the independence of being able to move easily through the water unaided by an adult.

There is a downside however. Inflatable armbands hold children in an unnatural position in the water: vertically with their head raised out of the water, rather than the horizontal position usually adopted when swimming. Children wearing inflatable armbands also tend to "pedal" their feet with a flexed pumping motion as they would on a bicycle, rather than kicking with their feet extended as they would while swimming unaided.

Children also become accustomed to swimming without getting their heads wet and object strongly to swimming in any other manner. Quite often children who constantly wear armbands will develop a false sense of security about their swimming ability and will be horrified when they start to sink after jumping into the deep end without their bands on.

Last, but not least, in the worst possible case, children have been known to drown while wearing inflatable armbands. They are not infallible. A young child's head is, in comparison to the rest of their body, quite heavy, and it is not unheard of for a child to tip face first into the water while wearing armbands. Unless a child is being watched closely, this could be fatal. Used occasionally and under close supervision, however, inflatable armbands can be a convenient and effective swimming aid.

Bubbles -- A "bubble" is a piece of foam which is attached to a child's back by a strap. They can be increased or decreased in size, depending on the child's swimming ability. Bubbles give children extra buoyancy and therefore aid independent movement, but, unlike inflatable armbands, bubbles hold children in a normal horizontal swimming position. This encourages a more correct kicking and swimming motion than inflatable armbands. However, a child's head is not supported out of the water. Therefore a bubble can only be used by children that can already lift their heads out of the water and breathe. Children are not usually strong enough to do this until they are three years old.

Weighted rings -- These brightly colored rubber weighted rings are designed to sink quickly and sit in such a way that it is easy to pick them up off the bottom of a swimming pool. They are an excellent swimming aid because they encourage children to completely submerge themselves in the water. They can be used with children as young as six months old. Hold the ring slightly away from the child and they will reach to retrieve it. Gradually move the ring further away or deeper in the water and the child will slowly go deeper or reach further.