Any tips on teaching a toddler to swim?

[beckygatt]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on how to teach a toddler how to swim? My DD is 15months and absolutely loves the water, but can't quite keep herself up in armbands yet. She won't tolerate a tyre as it doesn't give her enough freedom. We live in Malta so we have all summer to practise, and I'd love to get her a bit safer in the water so she can play without getting frustrated.

Thanks!

[rach321]

We do swim lessons so its a bit different for us but if your LO is comfortable in the water then here's a few things to try!
Teach her how to hold on to the side of the pool and move along the side of the pool holding on with both hands and feet on the wall - that way if the worst happens and she falls in and you can't get there quickly then at least she will know how to hold on.
Get a float, either a flat one or a long tube one (we call them woggles but I'm sure they have a proper name!!) If you have a flat float then you can put it under her tummy and she can get the hang of moving her arms and legs - practice big reaching movements with arms (to eventually progress to front crawl) and lots of kicking with legs.
If you can get a woggle you can make it it into a u-shape and put it under her tummy and practice the arms and legs as above - it will give her a lot more freedom in the water.  If you can't get a woggle you can use your arm - its a bit difficult to describe but you will be walking backwards with your arm stretched out and LO's chest will be against your arm with her arms stretched out in front and legs kicking behind.
It depends a lot on what she can currently do - my LO hates any kind of inflatable ring too.  I think the important thing is to make it loads of fun.  Sitting on the side with feet dangling in the water is great fun to practice kicking - see which one of you can make the biggest splash!!

[anna*]

Here are some things of the safety points that we covered with our swim class

Learning to wait and NOT go get in the pool until an adult is in first and ready to lift you in
Holding on to the side supporting all of their own body weight
Jumping/falling in off the side, then immediately turning to hold on to the side
Holding on to the side and 'walk' hands along to get to steps
Holding breath when under water
Floating on back

The 'swimming' related ones are
Sitting on the side or step kick kick kicking (then when you're helping them swim along, saying 'kick kick kick!' to encourage that leg kicking)
Splashing with hands (we sing 'wheels on the bus' and do that round and round wheels motion to encourage his hands to paddle).
Throwing a toy and 'swimming' with help to get it to encourage that flat on top of the water body position.

I'd suggest that if her armbands aren't keeping her afloat, she needs the next size up which are more bouyant. I've heard that it's not physically possible for a little one so young to be able to keep their head above water for themselves - their arms and legs don't have the strength relative to the large size of their head.

[firsttimemummy]

My friend used to be a swimming teacher and suggested not using armbands etc and just to always hold them etc.  We take DS swimming now and again and are getting him used to going under water (as even now I hate it and it means I am a rubbish swimmer!!) - we used to blow on his face but found he smiled, rather than held his breath ... now we just tell him to close his mouth and that he is going to look under the water and dunk him under (literally just in and out) ... so far, so good ...

What pp said about teaching them to hold onto side is good - I looked into baby lessons but was too expensive but it seemed that was the main thing they taught them ....

[anna*]

Re the armbands thing, we had the same advice BUT Stan is sooooo heavy and was sooooo keen to be independent, it really wasn't working for us. We figured that th emain thing we needed to do was have him be happy and confident in the water, and that wasn't happening with us holding him.

We usually do 10 mins at the beginning with no armbands, then 10-20 mins with armbands on, and then take them off again for the last 10 mins.

[beckygatt]

I will definitely try all these things. I'm not sure my LO will understand certain things, like walking along the wall and holding breath to duck under, but maybe I'm underestimating her? She is sometimes so enthusiastic that she doesn't really 'stop and listen'. Perhaps she'll calm down once I take her a bit more. She is very petite and weighs around 8kg max, which is why I went for the smallest armbands. I do sometimes just take her in in my arms but she just wants to escape!

[~*Nicole*~]

I am following along as I have the same questions. DD LOVES the water, but wants me to "let go. put me down!" and of course she has no idea how to swim so I can't!

Like the tips so far. I am too terrified to dunk her under water though.

[beckygatt]

Do they still have that reflex that prevents swallowing water at that age? Nicola's mum, how old is yours?

[anna*]

You can start to teach 'holding breath when water is on your face' by just scooping up a handful of water and pouring it over her face. Make sure she sees your smiling happy face when she looks at you, if you look worried she will be scared! You can always say the same words before she gets water on her face, then she'll learn to hold her breath when she hears them, and you can let her go under breifly ie when she jumps in.

Re walking hands along the wall, you hold her hands and 'walk' them along. We do it with a rhyme: Monkey monkey monkey, climb along the wall, Monkey monkey monkey, don't you go and fall. Now when we say 'monkey monkey', he starts to use his hands to pull himself along the wall. Like with all these things, it is loads of practice and consistency, we've been doing this since Stan was 3 months old.

[~*Nicole*~]

Mine is nearly 2.

[Lissybits]

Hi Becky!

Here's a link to my post from 2 years ago!

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=126821.0;wap2
(hope the link works - it looks a bit wierd!)

DS is now 4 and swimming very confidently without armband etc
Confidence, lots of practise and make it fun!!!!
Good luck!

[firsttimemummy]

DS was between 1 and 1.5 when we last ducked him under water and he automatically held his breath but I think this is past the age where they have the reflex .... it's not as scary as you think dunking them, just make sure you make it seem an enjoyable thing to do and don't let them see if you are worried