How to help child to swim

[Nuggetnugget]

Have booked dc lessons over the next few weeks. Due to lockdown we haven't been for a year (except a few trips for fun)

Are there any you tube videos or general advice recommended to push them along (early primary age)

Thank You

goggles
head down & face in water helps keep body flat

Thanks Teens will do that

Definitely practice getting face in the water, wearing googles, not be phased by a splash up the nose. It's physically very difficult to swing your arms round if your neck is craning up so if they can be OK with head down, it's the no1 thing for quick improvement. Blowing bubbles is a good way to practise in the bath.

My DD(7) had never been anywhere near a pool when she started lessons, and I was so worried that she'd struggle. At first she hated the water in her face but 9ish months later she's doing really well! Having a good teacher and as small a class as possible really helps.

Goggles on, face in. Mine never worried too much about form. They taught themselves to swim really young as we spent a lot of time at the open air village pool.

I found the kids who taught themselves couldn’t really do proper strokes for some time, but were very good at just keeping themselves afloat. Where as the kids who learned to swim at swimming lessons had much better style, but weren’t so good at keeping themselves afloat when they weren’t doing a specific stroke.

I’d advise lots of free time in the water along side lessons to build their confidence.

Lots of free time is something I'm hoping to do now the pools have opened up here.

Let the swim teachers teach him the swimming the best you can do is get him water confident. Jumping in from the side, using a pool noodle under the armpits to move around out of his depth. Face in blowing bubbles. Collect dive sticks from the bottom of the pool do it in the shallow end first.

I found dive hoops and sticks really good for getting their faces into the water.
Mine are also rather competitive, so a bit of 'who can get to the other side quickest/get their dive hoop first/sit on the bottom the longest' works well with them. Obviously only setting challenges that are appropriate to their level of confidence and ability.
Once they got a bit better I have been known to bribe them occasionally to do things I felt confident they could do, but they didn't believe was possible. Nothing huge, something like 10p for their piggy bank or a hot chocolate when we got home. Once they'd done it once, they would happily carry on with the skill.

Lessons will teach them technique, but family swims should be fun and about gaining a love of swimming, whilst unknowingly getting some practice in and building stamina IMO. We will generally spend 5-10mins practicing a particular skill they have been struggling with in lessons, but after that we do whatever they want.