Tonight I took my wee lass Amaleigh whos 3, up to the local swimming pool where I work for a swim
We normally try to go at least twice a week for a number of reasons and have done this since she turned 12 weeks
As mone of my roles in my work(apart I actually enjoy) I'm a qualified swim teacher and have been for the last 10 years, in that time I have taught hundreds of kids to swim and my Amaleigh, for her age is up there with the best I have been in water with.
WHY? well you probably think I'm blowing my own daughters trumpet here a bit but i'm not
The reason is swimming is a vital life skill that requires a tremendous amount of time in and around water enviroments from an early age as possible to take away any fear of the water that can develop as we get older.
Some parents these days expect everything done for them and not engaging and educating them them selves. Ok, they take the kids to lessons, a 30minute class a week with another possible 9 children in the class, thats 3 minutes each child gets on average full attention in that time. It's a start but it's nowhere near enough, it's what you do with them and the time you spend with them in the water that counts, thats there practise time, make it fun and enjoyable.
I get parents that come up to me at the end of a block and say "why's wee jonny nae moved up a level" and the answer is simple, because wee jonnys probably no been swimming with his maw since his last lesson
Enocurage them to get there faces under and just make the early part as fun as possible. You don't need to be a swim teacher or come from a swimming background to teach your child these skills, it's all about having fun, building there confidence and encouraging them in the water as much as possible
Amaleigh loves being in the water, she's so confindent but then shes always know the water from such a young age, thats the difference. Shes still always learning everytime I take her in and she swam 10meters on her own tonight at the age of 3 and picked one of her toys of the pool bottom at 1.5meters, needless to say daddy was proud of his wee lass
If she doesnt choose to continue swimming after she has learned the key skills and safety awareness in and around water then thats fine, I will no she has the key knowledge and undersdtanding of the dangers of water and how to have plenty of fun and a good time in water
Water can kill, it covers a large proportion of the world we live on, the danger is always there wheter it's rivers, lochs, swimming pools or even the sea the danger is always there. Educate your children, let them have fun and learn a great life skill from the earliest age as possible
Need any tips give me a shout
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