As you surely saw in our video, during these 20 years of experience in swimming classes that Club Cañada has accumulated, we have found 5 fundamental steps to learn to swim with lifeguard rectification.
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Here we talk about each one:
1. Overcome the fear of water.
To overcome the fear of water, it is very important that children feel that their parents or the adults in charge are calm and make them feel safe. Although swimming pools must have strict rules (such as never swimming alone); It is also important that children understand that, as long as they are careful, the pool can also be a fun space.
It is important that the child always enters the water with a trusted adult ; and that that adult remain close or in physical contact with the child (if the child is very afraid, it is recommended that the adult is holding the child at all times). As the child gains confidence, the distance between him and the adult can grow.
It is highly recommended that you take the child's fear as something natural that we can all feel. Do not make fun of him or do not expose him in front of other people ; because his resistance to learning to swim might increase. Explain to him that little by little the fear will give way and he will learn to move in the water.
2. Get used to feeling the water on your face and ears.
If a child can't stand water on their face or ears, they won't be able to swim!
Getting used to the feeling of water on your face or ears is very important , especially when it comes to babies or children; And it's so simple that you can even do it from home. When you bathe your baby you can start by wetting his head several times so that he becomes familiar with the environment. Here we have a video (link) that can help you learn how to do it; At Club Cañada, we call this action “conditioning”.
If, even with careful conditioning, your little one gets scared or cries, you can incorporate games or songs to help them relax and begin to enjoy the activity .
3. Reach the floor.
Learning to swim in a pool where you can touch the ground is a very good way to remove the fear of sinking. We know that sometimes the pool where we want to teach our children to swim does not meet these conditions, but we have other options:
You can use some type of platform that rests on the floor of the pool and that acts as a floor closer to the surface so that the little one can touch the floor and feel safe. If you do this, it is very important that you always stand at least an arm's length away from the child; because he could step off the platform and suddenly sink, which would certainly scare him with lifeguard recertification usa.
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If you don't have a platform that you can put in the pool, you can also use your own bent leg so that your child rests his feet or bottom on your thigh and feels "firm ground." Although after a few minutes this position could become tiring.
4. Learn the propulsion in the water (that is, to move).
It is important that children learn to move their bodies in the water, move their arms and legs to move from one point to another in the water. It is also important to learn to move the limbs to keep the head above water while the rest of the body is submerged.
The easiest way involves kicking your feet and pushing the water down with your hands . But it is highly recommended that children have time to experience the sensation of floating in the water by moving their limbs as they feel comfortable.
5. Learn to float from Estrellita.
When the child already has the confidence to enter the water and submerge his head. The next thing is to learn to float in dorsal or star position. This can be achieved by placing the body in a horizontal position and keeping the face out of the water by raising the feet and hips as much as possible.
Here's a little secret: if the lungs are full of air, there's no way they can collapse ; That is why it is very important that you learn to control your breathing.
Finally, we recommend you practice moving in the water. The little ones, with their faces under the water, can push themselves from a fence to go forward or in a dorsal position. The important thing is that they can move forwards or backwards in the water. You can wait for them in front so that they feel much safer, and gradually move away when they no longer feel.
Also Read About: Swimming in the pool for a long time