Scared? How To Get Your Child In The Water

When you are invested in making sure that your child knows how to swim, you’ll find that there are many things that you need to keep in mind. The first is that not all children are going to automatically think that swimming is fun. While some children will take to it like ducks to water, other children find the prospect of going underwater or even in over their heads a little creepy. What can you do to make the experience better for them?

Respect Their Fear

Whenever your child is afraid of something, it is important to respect that fear even as you teach them to control it. Never ridicule them for being afraid. Instead, praise them for overcoming their fear. If they are afraid to enter the water, remind them of another time when they were afraid and how they overcame that fear. Fear is a challenge to be overcome, and when you present it this way, you’ll find that they become much more receptive.

Emphasize the Fun

When you love the idea of getting your child in the water, emphasize the fun parts. Tell them about pool games that they can play and also tell them how much fun it is to let the water carry their weight. If they love space, tell them that they can think about the weightlessness of the water as being something like the gravity free training that astronauts go through. Swimming is a great deal of fun, and this is something that you can emphasize to help them jump in.

Let Them Know Everything That You Are Doing

When you are trying to coax a child into the water, do not surprise them. Surprises are not a great way to deal with a situation that induces fear. If you are going to let go of them and try to let them float, make sure that you tell them how you are going to proceed. Another thing for you to consider doing is to show them how you are doing things. Show them how you can put your face under water and tell them how easy it is. If they have it demonstrated to them that swimming is not scary or alarming, they will be much more apt to jump in.

Hire a Professional

Sometimes, it is simply best to hire a professional instructor. SwimJim.com, for example is an excellent choice when you want your child to learn to swim in a safe and controlled environment.

Even children who are scared of water can eventually be coaxed in, so take your time and proceed with care and consideration.

For more safety tips go to http://www.abcpoolsafety.org/Pool_Drowning_Facts.379.0.html