June and the children’s holiday season have started and we have already enjoyed several warm days and the scorching sun. The first dives into the natural waters have already been done, and at the latest now is a good time to enjoy the wonderful beaches and inland swimming pools of the city of Helsinki, where you will find a great setting for fun summer trips. But what if bathing is less and a little more exciting, how to get started. There was no swimming school place for the child and now they are so to speak on their own skills. Already at this point I want to say that you will succeed together with lifeguard course near me.
A few basic ideas for learning to swim
Each child is unique and is also seen in learning to swim. Some run straight to the deep end while others want to come into the water in peace exploring and feeling. It also has a big effect on how much the child has been allowed to be in the water. If water is a familiar element, it is more natural for the child to move there. Remember that your own example and behavior matters because many times a child looks at the way others act.
Always proceed on the terms of the child. If he needs time, give him time. It’s great if you can make the moments pressure-free, showing the joy of learning and experimenting. It all starts with trust in the water and that the water carries. With confidence comes relaxation that facilitates bathing movements. If the body is very tense, the breathing will be superficial, the legs will sink to the bottom and the movements will be sudden. The stronger the relationship the child creates in the water, the easier it is to bathe.
A short syllabus for learning to swim
The first step is getting used to the water. Good ways to get used to it are to move differently, try water on different parts of the body, and play water war, for example.
After getting used to the water, you can try blowing into the water, watering your ears and see what it looks like underwater. You can take turns counting your fingers under water or whatever your imagination comes to mind. The underwater world is fascinating and once diving is learned, the child often enjoys it so well that he can do nothing but dive. And what is better than the pleasure of exercise and a child!
Next, let’s move on to floating. How does it feel to float like a water lily leaf? Some like to start with floating while others find it easier to try floating on their backs. The stutter is a great aid and if there is no stutter, the parent can keep their hands under the back of the child.
After floating, you get to glide like rockets. The hands form a beak and the wall or bottom is strained into a spectacular slide. Even when the legs are started as an outboard motor, the child can move forward a few meters nicely. There are still long digging hands and Voila – the child is swimming! Oh the joy of success!
Learning takes time and learning new motor skills requires repetition and practice. Therefore, it is important to let the child move at his or her own pace. There are different stages to learning, some things take more time than others. And if you feel like you can’t get ahead with your own lessons, you can always try swimming school or swimming with a family of friends. It is also a pleasure for the group that the child sees how other children work in the water and with it gets new patterns of action. The most important thing is the child’s own interest and will to learn. When it’s okay, learning to swim and swimming becomes a top addition to your daily routine!
