It’s easy to encourage young swimmers to keep improving just as they jump out of the pool after swim lessons, but how can you continue that encouragement at home when you don’t have a pool?
Confidence, sense of accomplishment, sense of freedom and relaxation and the social interaction they experience during lessons are each important feelings to continue after lessons end.
With the beginning swimmer, this is especially important since having the confidence to submerge and breathe properly supports everything else they learn.
We’ve shared a few here but your children’s instructors can undoubtedly suggest more activities for strengthening muscles and perfecting movements – and encouraging their continuous improvement.
Submerging
This is actually quite simple to reinforce in the bath tub by pouring a cup of water over their heads.
Never do this without first cuing the child using something like, “Ready, Go” or 1, 2, 3, Go”. It’s good to include each child’s name in the cue…
Note the cue used during your children’s lessons be sure to use the same one so that you’re reinforcing the cues they’re already using. Just be sure that there is no soap or shampoo in the water.
Breathing
To reinforce breath control and bubble blowing, use a straw and milk. Using milk produces bubbles that hold their shape for long enough that the children see their success.
Kicking
Strong kickers make powerful swimmers so it is important to reinforce the proper way to kick and kick with force. You can reinforce proper kicking in the tub – but you don’t have to. This skill is simple to reinforce without water. Have the child lay tummy down on the floor and encourage an up and down kicking motion. Toes should be turned (or pronated) slightly inward. Fast little kicks are the best for practice for children.
If our children have a strong kick they will be powerful swimmers. Sometimes 30 minutes a week isn’t long enough for instructors to cement their strokes. As a parent, you can help your child at home by manipulating their legs. Get the children to lie on the ground, bed or ottoman.
Big Arms
It’s very easy to reinforce making big movements with their arms with your children as they just walk around the house. Broad movements that start at the shoulder help prepare children for doing strokes.
Breathing
You can use the floor – or even the dining room table – to reinforce the way the head should be turned to the side to breathe.
Stroke Movements
As children begin to learn strokes, such the breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly, you can encourage improvement of movements and timing by having them stand in front of a mirror and do the movement for dolphin kick with their arms at the correct time. Or having them lay down and do their breaststroke kick – making sure that their feet are turned out as they kick.
Watch and Learn
It’s important for the parent to watch and learn at swim lessons so that techniques used in the lesson can be mimicked at home.
Copying Siblings
There are some things that you may not even need to “teach.” A little sister who isn’t quite ready for big arms can start to learn about them by simply imitating her big brother as he practices them. Her attentiveness will put her a little ahead when her time comes.
Positive Approach
Give them encouragement and positive reinforcement – even if you need to correct their motions – as they work on their swim skills.
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