Tips for swimming with toddlers

[cath~]

I used to take L to a class when she was a baby but we ended up missing quite a few sessions (hol, colds..) so I stopped.

However, I want to start taking her more on my own again now.

Does anyone have any suggestions for fun games to play that will help her on the way to learning to swim?  What are the important things she will need to get the hang of?

Thanks

[michaeljacknnugg]

Making it fun is the most important thing, and giving her confidence! A woggle is a good investment - the teacher uses it through their legs and they bounce around on 'horses' as well as floating around on it normally.

If she is happy jumping in off the sides and getting splashed, it's great to encourage that too.

[Hedgehog17]

We've been going swimming weekly recently, after a long break.

DS just asked me to go swimming randomly one day so I said yes 

He's now tall enough to get his toes to the bottom of the training pool, so I think that has helped a lot  The other thing that is working is armbands! I can let go of him and get him to drift towards the pool edge, or hold his hands and pull him along, and his head stays out of the water 

We always take a bath toy (a squirty whale) which he can throw and chase or kick.

He will now confidently go down the small slide by himself, I catch him at the bottom, and will sit on the side and throw himself forward into the pool while I hold his hands. We play 'whirlpools' going around in circles holding hands.

I do lots of encouraging 'kicky feet and splashy hands' to get him to start moving in the water, and move his arms for him in a sort of doggy paddle. Sometime I can move his legs but he tends to twist around and get a mouthful of water 

He will also let me swim on my back (I just use my legs) while I tow him along, which is great as I'm getting some fitness out of it finally  It's also good for him to see Mama swimming as then hopefully he knows why I'm asking him to do kicky feet 

The main thing to encourge is confidence in the water, allowing them to enjoy the sensation of floating and moving around. Once he's older I'll send him to swimming classes and they can teach him the proper swimming strokes. I could do that myself but he'd play up for me whereas he would obey a teacher 

That's been our recent experience, so hopefully some of this is helpful!

Enjoy your swimming 

[*Liz*]

Both my kids hate armbands. I tried DS (who is 4 and quite nervous in water) in a swim jacket and he did much better. Finally managed to get him to let go of me and paddle around  .

DD is therefore also has a swim jacket. She just will not put armbands on!! But with the jacket on again she is now swimming all over the place. Paddling about  . This is a recent thing though.

But basically - just going - follow there lead - and a bit of splashing seems to be the way to go.

Both my kids loved playing on steps as younger toddlers as well.

[creations]

I used to take L to a class when she was a baby but we ended up missing quite a few sessions (hol, colds..) so I stopped.

However, I want to start taking her more on my own again now.

This is exactly us!  I keep putting it off because it is so cold out that I just don't want to go and both come home with wet hair but as Spring is on it's way I really hope we will go.  I worry thought because DS hates to get his head/hair wet in the bath, major problem.  I hope he has a different reaction in the pool, he used to enjoy the classes but they were well over a year ago.

I like the idea of playing on the steps.  I think DS will like that.

At class we used to do Humpty Dumpty sat on the edge then help them 'fall' in. This is one of DS's fav nursery rhymes right now too.  We also did The Wheels on the Bus, mummy stands still with one arm out supporting LO and turns on the spot, in effect dragging LO around.  It bring their legs up into a more horizontal position in the water.

Enjoy getting back in the water!

[cath~]

thanks for the suggestions every one!

L has some arm bands and she is happy in the water with them on floating by herself.  She tends to stay upright though and I have read (somewhere...) that swimming vests are better for getting them in a horizontal position for 'swimming'.

A woggle is a great plan - L used to love these in the lessons.  Will get one of those to add to our kit  

Gonna take her swimming on Friday.  Really looking forward to it

[anna*]

Wool is a miracle for wet hair. We all walk to our local pool every week, can't be bothered trying to dry four heads of hair with their pathetic driers, but we all have woolly hats (made of WOOL, not acrylic), and they keep your head warm even with wet hair.

[cath~]

Liz - is this the kind of "swim jacket" you meant?

http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_2619_10751_-1_14552_136641_10001_

[michaeljacknnugg]

Ooh, we have a similar one - shopped around a bit and found one that has a set pattern of floats that come out in order as lo learns to swim.

We took it on holiday with us and the lesson after we came back he started to swim unaided!

[Fiver]

Yes, that sort of float vest!  You can get them direct from Splashabout too (http://www.splashabout.com/en/float-jacket-with-adjustable-buoyancy-bobbing-along-turquoise-with-yellow-binding/)

I'd say encouraging LO to put their face in the water and blow bubbles is a great skill to learn at a young age too so they aren't so bothered about getting their face wet later.

[cath~]

Thanks

Think I will get one of those float jackets/vests. I like the idea of gradually removing floats.

Yes, will work on the bubble-blowing too!

[*Liz*]

Yes - they are the sort of Jackets we have - can't remember the brand at the moment  . Great for a paddling toddler. Slightly less good to learn to swim from - Jacob can't even get into the right position to try and swim on his back  - but obviously that is an older child issue really. Jacob wouldn't be swimming at all without the jacket though. He just never trusted armbands or noodles etc etc.

[Hedgehog17]

We tried a float vest here, but DS couldn't orientate himself in the water in it at all and kept tipping his face into the water and spluttering!

I didn't want to go down the armbands route as they get in the way of learning to use the arms properly, but they keep his head out of the water better than the swim jacket.

DS doesn't like our cold local training pool so he tends to bring his feet up and grab me around the waist like a baby monkey  The best way to get him to put his feet out behind him is to use my arm under his tummy to gently push him up so the legs float up behind him, or under his lower back if he's on his back.

We're going to try another pool on Friday to see if it's any warmer...

Have a good swim!

[michaeljacknnugg]

Found ours:

http://www.konfidence.co.uk/acatalog/Childrens_Original_Konfidence_Jackets.html

It does get him in the right position in the water, so maybe worth a look?

[Fiver]

The removal of particular floats is how to perfect the positioning, apparently.  HH is right about armbands, but they also don't promote a good position in the water and encourage legs and bottom to sink rather than float.

What about a swim fin?  They're good too and really do promote good positioning as well as being really fun (http://www.swimfin.co.uk/)

[*Ali*]

At our swimming lessons we use balls and support the LOs in a horizontal position while they kick with their legs and push the ball along with their hands. We also flip them on their back and let them go feet first so they can kick the ball.

Getting them used to having water in their face, ears and heads in general is really helpful. We sing that song about this is the way we wash our face (scoop water over face) this is the way we brush our hair ( water over the head). A watering can to pour over their heads in ever increasing sprinkles is also handy.

Those squirty toys or the heavier Zoggs that sink are good for encouraging then to dive under the water.

As others have said bubble are good too. We first do the mouth in the water, then the mouth and nose and finally the whole face when swimming forwards.

Wheels on the bus with then supported over your knee and using their forearms to make swimming motions in circles or wiper swishes is good for encouraging the right movements.

Most swimming lessons are 30 mins long as that is the optimal time for LO to not lose interest or turn to jelly

[cath~]

So, I took L swimming yesterday for the first time since last August.

Used her armbands cos we already had them but might try a jacket in future.

She was quite wary of it at first and wanted me to carry her in the water all the time whilst she clung on to me, but by the end she had let go completely and was bobbing and spinning around with her armbands on, laughing and telling everyone "i'm swimming all by myself!"

So a great (re-)start, and she wants to go again next week (although I suspect this is partly because she loved sitting in the little noddy car in the cafe afterwards.. )

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yay, fab update! We love going to the cafe afterwards too, it makes it into a treat.

We're off for a fun swim with a new friend today - apparently the pool has rapids and I can see us being in them a long time!

[Hedgehog17]

  Yay!

Really glad she enjoyed it so much 

Keep up the good work 

[michaeljacknnugg]

Our swim was fab too - taking a friend definitely helps with confidence so if you can join forces with someone else at some point it might be worth it.

DS started jumping in and submerging himself! Amazing!

[cath~]

Wow - sounds great!

We thought we might take grandma next time (who is also learning to swim at the moment) but I'm not sure she'll be jumping in and submerging herself!