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Home › Articles › Preschoolers › In the Swim of Things

In the Swim of Things

Getting Your Preschooler to Embrace the Water

By Julia Rosien

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  • Preschool children learn differently than babies and school-age children. They need color and movement for lessons to be effective. Singing songs and playing games with balls should be used to stress water safety. Swimming programs for young children should look similar to other programs for that age group, such as Mommy and Me groups.
  • Ask questions over the telephone and drop into classes already in progress. If you sign up for the program and discover that your child isn't enjoying it, switch instructors or pools.
  • Don't leave all the learning for class time. You should supplement any swim education program. Reinforce lessons with a family trip to the pool, just for fun. Goldsmith said that her children spent a lot of time with Dad in the water learning basic rules before the lessons even began. "We started by learning to float in the shallow end and progressing out until they were ready to swim with us," she says. "When they got water up their nose we didn't panic, we just dealt with it."
  • Educate yourself about what kinds of programs are in your community. Check out these Web sites to help you discover what kind of swim program you want.
  • Choose a swim program for more than just safety. Teaching children to swim will not only make them more confident in the water, it also will make them more aware of their own bodies. A child that swims becomes more independent and is able to think for herself at an earlier age.

    • Like Bishop, who recalls with horror the first swimming session with her dad, your child will remember her lessons. Children fear or embrace the water, depending on how it is introduced.

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