The Importance of Building Your Child’s Confidence in the Water
This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Activation for Influence Central. I received products to facilitate my review.
Summer is nearly here! YAY! With four kids at home this means we will be spending a good amount of time in the pool keeping cool during the insanely HOT humid Kansas summer days. As many of you may know I am a competitive gymnastics coach, but what you may not know about me is that I teach beginner swimming lessons in the summers. I love knowing I am teaching kids how to swim and be safe in a pool.
For years I have used SwimWays products to help me teach my own kids how to be comfortable and enjoy spending time in the pool. SwimWays is a leader in helping children learn to swim while also promoting water safety. We have used several SwimWays products through the years, but one of my favorites for when my kids are still “babies” is the SwimWays Baby Spring Float! It is perfect for introducing and teaching my babies to enjoy the water for their first times!
When I am teaching swim lessons the very first thing we focus on is teaching the little ones to simply be comfortable in the water. It is so important that they are aware of the dangers of being in the water, yet relaxed while learning to swim. It is impossible to teach a child to swim who is fearful, stressed, crying and tense. Believe me I know I have tried!
So before signing your little one up for swim lessons, I first recommend spending a little time in the water with your little one. Use a SwimWays Baby Spring Float to help him/her feel comfortable and supported. Encourage your little one to try and put their face in the water and blow bubbles. Use your hand to splash water on the back of their head and try and get them comfortable lying their head backwards in the water. One thing that really freaks kids out when they first start swimming is getting water in their ears. You can practice having your little one put their head sideways in the water while sitting relaxed in their SwimWays float! In the float they can lean their head to just one side and their will be just a tiny bit of water atop the float for them to practice getting their ears wet, without being overwhelmed with feeling like their whole head is going to go under.
As a swim teacher we use several different SwimWays products to help accomplish the above mentioned steps for getting little ones comfortable in the pool! As kids progress through their swimming abilities SwimWays has a variety of products to progress up. As a swim teacher I am a huge supporter of SwimWays. I love that SwimWays has started the National Learn to Swim Day, dedicated to educating parents and children about water safety and the importance and benefits of learning to swim. SwimWays encourages parents and caregivers nationwide to celebrate in their own way. As pools open across the U.S for the summer it is important to highlight National Learn to Swim Day! It is such a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of water safety are teaching children to swim safely and comfortably.
Twitter Party:
Join us for the #SwimWays 5th Annual National Learn to Swim Day celebration via a fun and exciting Twitter Party on Thursday May 19th from 1-2 PM ET!
Additional Resources:
SwimWays at Toys “R” Us
National Learn to Swim Day
SwimWays Facebook
SwimWays Twitter
Teach Me to Swim website
