How do I teach my children to swim?

[lyssie29]

Has anyone taught their kids to swim without swimming lessons? I've tried my eldest who is 7 with 2 lots of swimming lessons. Once when she was 5 and then again a year later at 6/7 years old. She never took to it. She loved the lessons but after almost a whole term she still didn't want to get water on her face or put her face underwater. She was one of the few kids still needing to use a float because she was afraid. So I've decided I'll just take her myself. It won't be any cheaper since I'll have to pay for myself but I can't see the point in her doing proper lessons and this way we can have more fun and go whenever we like. Has anyone managed to teach their kids to swim? Is it best just to let them play while showing them the basics?

Face in the water is an absolute must, otherwise the body will be too upright.
So - goggles, jumping in and going under, counting fish at the bottom of the pool etc.
Then a noodle not arm bands.
Also learning to float in a star shape on their back, because then they know if they ever need to they can just roll over and float.

I bribed my dd to put her head under. There was a particular toy she wanted which I said I would buy if she went completely under the water - it's probably not the done thing to do that, but it worked and once she'd done it the once there was no stopping her.

I'm 49, did all of the above from the age of 5 including school lessons, private lessons, my parents trying to teach me, friends trying to teach. I still can't swim! I took my now adult sons to lessons as soon as they'd had their vaccinations so at about six months, they're like fish now and have absolutely no fear of the water. They think I'm weird because I can't even float 😂