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.