Coming to your first swim lesson can be a very emotional time for your child. Think back to the first day you went to school or first day on a job and remember the feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. You were going to a new place with people you did not know. So if you child is a little nervous, that is perfectly understandable. This is especially true if your child is anxious around the water or has had a bad experience in the water.
Children & Water
Many children associate the water with having their hair washed and getting soap in their eyes. They are too young to realize that it is the soap and not the water that stings their eyes. They just know that it hurts when the water gets poured on their heads and they don’t want that to happen. They see the progression as water poured over my head, water goes in my eyes and my eyes sting.
Preparing for Swimming Lessons
There are a lot of things you can do at home to prepare your child for swimming lessons. The first thing is not make a big deal over coming to swim lessons. Mention it and leave it at that. Sometimes a child can get more worked up about what they imagine than what will actually occur. Start trying to make shower and bath time fun. Play lots of games in the bath. Some of these games would include pouring or sprinkling water from a toy watering can over the head. Now all these games should happen before soap or shampoo is added to the water because we want to get away from the thought that water stings the eyes.
If your child is not too excited about water being poured over their head then let them pour water over their favorite toy. Play splash games where tiny amounts of water splash into your child’s face. If your child gets water in their eyes, and start to get upset, see if you can distract them with other activities in the bath. We find that children that shower tend to be more prepared for swimming lessons compared to children who only take baths. Try distance washing their hair from having fun in the water, by making hair washing a separate time to having a bath.
One thing that can work well with a child that is apprehensive is to get to the lessons early so they can see what is going on in a swim lesson. Many times the unknown is worse than the reality. Allow extra time to get here so you come into the facility and are not rushed and stressed. Our children pick up on things like that. Check in at our customer service desk and someone will explain our routine to you.
If you would like to walk you child out to the teacher we ask you remove your shoes on deck. When you get to the teacher it usually works better to hand the child over to the teacher like it is no big deal. We will follow your cue but the longer you remain on deck the longer it takes for the child to get used to this new experience. We have floor to ceiling glass so you can watch your child and they can feel safe knowing that you are only a short distance away. Our teachers are experienced and trained in handling children that are anxious and/or crying. We will hold a child tighter than they hold us and let them know they are safe.
We are always here to help. If you need help or advice during the lesson just ask our deck managers. Our goal and your goal are the same, which is the best possible swim lesson for your child.
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