A Guardian's Attitude Towards Swim Lessons

Most people know that a young child’s attitude mirrors a parent. If the parent is sad, the infant will cry. If the parent is happy and playful, the imfant will follow suit. This is exactly the case when introducing an infant to the water.

Yes, the first few times a child is brought into a pool to begin swim lessons it is terrifying, especially for first time parents. There is no way to not feel the way they feel. The trick is to not let it show through during the swim lesson. Over and over parents shelter their babies from getting their head wet, and worrying with terrified faces when they do. In the moment they do not think about the way that looks to the baby. The truth is when they see their parent’s horrified face they start to think that the water is a horrible place to be. They start realizing that swim lessons are not a good thing, but a thing they should be scared of. When they get their head wet and their parent’s immediately take them out of the water and dry them off, ending the swim lesson abruptly, they start thinking that it is not healthy to get their head wet. That it is scary and they will not be okay. This is what begins the fear of the water.

This fear of getting their head wet follows most into adulthood. They will always opt out of swim parties with their friends, finding excuses not to go. They will not have fun at the beach or lake, rummaging for reasons to stay on shore. In adulthood many will not teach their own children how to swim, they will decide not to give them swim lessons, which perpetuates their fear into them. All of his could have been stopped as a child. Once the fear seeps into adulthood it will never fully fade away, and the adult will always be afraid of swimming.

When a new baby comes into the world the parents should almost immediately introduce them to the water. This does not mean starting swim lessons at week one, but always promoting a happy place while in and around the water. During bath time in a baby bath the parents should start getting their face wet, and the first time in the pool should be spent putting their face under a few times. You, as a parent, need to knwo what it is that makes your child afreaid of swim lessons, what perpetuates their fear and makes it almost impossible for them to become water safe.