how to teach my dc to swim

[sacbina]

as neither want to start lessons. dd is 4.6 and ds 2.9
before I start googling my head off thought I'd ask mners, any helpful books, websites?

is it possible to teach them together?

[EssexMummy123]

Oh i'd like to know this to, my dd is a similar age and can manage a few strokes of doggy paddle but I've no idea how to teach her anything.

[purplemurple1]

What do you have nearby? I'd start with a paddle and play type pool, or even just a paddling pool, we also have some really good armbands (kind of foam filled) where we can leave DS (20months) floating on his own for a little while which he enjoys.

DS is scared of water and screams whenever he gets wet but even these little steps are slowy working.

I hope he will be more likley to want to swim as he sees othe kids swiming and wants to join in.

[purplemurple1]

If they are happy laying in the water, I taught my cousin to swim by lying him on my arms and walking along with him, in the water explaing how to do his arms. Backstrock is and easy started stroke but he was 7 or 8 at the time not sure if it would work with a younger child.

[sacbina]

thanks for your replies

we have an excellent local pool with small baby pool, shallow, warmish, slides and things.

they see the other kids having lessons and we sneakily copy what they are doing, but point blank refuse their own lessons and I won't push them into it.

[BlueBananas]

The first step is to get them comfortable & confident in the water, so lots of play, splashing, blowing bubbles, getting their face wet, jumping up & down in the water, floating on their backs etc etc
Then teach them the steps separately, so hold on to the side and kick their legs, see who can make the biggest splashes. Then walk along the pool doing the arm movements. Eventually it'll all come together into actual swimming

[sacbina]

thank you bluebananas, very concise

[TeenAndTween]

Noodles or floats not arm bands.
Face in water otherwise legs sink.
Teach legs and arms separately, then put together.

[manchestermummy]

Have lots of fun in the water, as others have suggested, then as seems to be the complete opposite of what the mn opinion seems to be, pay for lessons. Sorry.

Unless you have a very solid technique, although you might get them to doggy paddle, you really might struggle to get them to swim well well. Generally, to be a strong swimmer you do need a good technique.

My dd1 is 7 and her technique knocks the spots off mine. I was never taught strokes properly. She's not a fantastic swimmer by any means, but because she's being taught, is pretty good. She can swim a fair distance, has a reasonable breaststroke and excellent back stroke, a passable crawl and is learning butterfly. That's after bog standard local pool lessons, btw, nothing special.

We swim for fun regularly as a family too. Get them moving, definitely, but I'd really recommend consolidating what you do with lessons at some stage. They might even want to if their friends are: dd1 loves getting badges too.

Neither of mine wanted lessons but were made to at three. Dd1 now can't remember not being able swim

[Tomodachi]

These goggles are excellent and better than smaller ones which can help your child get used to swimming with their face in the water and let them off in the baby pool to build up confidence.