Teach your child to swim. {Tips + A #SwimWays Giveaway!}

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“I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for SwimWays. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

 

There are certain skills every child must be taught. Swimming is one of them.

When Dottie was first introduced to the pool, she took to it excitedly.  Little Man was another story altogether.

He loved being in the water, held by Daddy, but refused to have his swim instructor teach him anything without Hubs holding on to him.

Thankfully he had an instructor who was patient, creative and understanding!Teach your child to swim-MommySnippets.com

Teach your child to swim. {Tips + A #SwimWays Giveaway!}

There are several tips to keep in mind when introducing your child to the pool for the first time:

1. Take things slow. Take cues from your child and don’t rush getting him into the water all at once. If your child is scared, allow him to sit at the edge and dip his toes in the water first. Splash a little water on him. Play a few water games and then slowly move to introducing him to the water.

2. Before jumping into hard core swim lessons, visit the pool a few times to get him used to being in the water. SwimWays has some fun, colorful, kid-loved Spring Floats that make those moments in the pool feel more comfortable and secure for your child.

The Baby Spring Float is the best selling swim aid in the market and I can’t wait to have Baby Girl in hers this summer. To get her oriented with her float before getting into the pool, we’ve opened her float up, deflated though, and allow her to walk around the house with the same around her waist. This way she won’t feel tied in when in the same, in the pool.

SwimWays Baby Spring Float

SwimWays’ Swim Steps line of products helps with every step of your child’s growth as a swimmer and with 40 years of teaching kids to swim experience behind them, you can be assured these are made with our kids’ safety in mind.

3. Little Man’s swim instructor had a bunch of water toys she used following what I would call the carrot approach. She would get him to practice his strokes, holding a little construction truck in front of him and when they reached the other end of the pool, would allow him to play with the same for a few minutes.

4. Above all, make it a fun learning experience. And before you know it, your unsure little one will be a confident little fish in water!

swim

National Learn To Swim Day: May 16th.

May 16th is National Learn To Swim Day and this year will be the 4th annual observation of the same. The day is set to remind parents and guardians the importance of swimming safety especially with summer coming up.

nltsdheroRemember you can never be too safe when it comes to the water. Teach your child to swim at an early age.

 

Win a SwimWays Baby Spring Float, just in time for summer.

Do your kids swim? Do you have any tips to share for first time swimmers?

Share your tips below for a chance to win a SwimWays Baby Spring Float.

To be eligible for this Mommy Snippets giveaway you must be a US resident and 18 years or older to participate. This giveaway will end on 5/20/2015. 

Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central.

 

45 Comments

  1. My boys are both self taught. They get lessons in school here, but they don’t start until the 3rd grade, which I think is really late.

  2. Swimming is such a great form of exercise, but also something that everyone should just know how to do because of the safety factor. You gave some really great tips.

  3. My children love the water and can all swim except for the youngest. I think it’s great if you can introduce hem to the water early. I’ve read it’s not good to use floaties tho. They become too reliant on them and will take longer to learn to swim on their own.

  4. My oldest taught himself and my 2nd born is learning a bit now. My tip is not to push them if they’re afraid. They’ll get it eventually.

  5. We taught all of our kids to swim early for fun and for safety. We have a lot of water down here in Georgia!

  6. I think it is so important for kids to learn how to swim! I never properly learned how to swim so I’m scared of going into a pool or the ocean. We’ve put our daughter into swim lessons so she doesn’t have the same fear.

  7. These are great tips. I think it is important to teach kids to swim as early as you can. We started to teach our son to swim when he was 9 months old.

  8. This is a great post. It’s so important for the kids to learn to swim early. They can have so much more fun and be far momre safe.

  9. My 4 year old son is learning to swim this summer. In previous years, we’ve gotten him in the water, but he’s always needed some support and assistance. Now, with help learning to blow bubbles and “reach reach reach,” he’s really getting the hang of it! I’m due with a baby this summer, and we would love to have a classic swimways float like yours!

  10. These are awesome ideas, it can be a difficult process. The float would definitely help the transition.

  11. I got my kids into swimming lessons. It’s hard to watch them struggle but if they persist they will succeed.

  12. These are great tips! I put my girls in lessons as soon as they were old enough to understand the basic commands they were given. They are super strong swimmers now.

  13. My kids love swimming. Give them water they’ll never get out. All of them are little fish. They’ve been in swimming lessons the past two summers. It’s great fun!

  14. We have this same floatie and love it! Our oldest starts swimming lessons in two weeks, we are so excited.

  15. We live on a lake and we made sure our kids knew how to swim. When they were babies we started them in swimming lessons. Knowign how to swim is so important.

  16. My little guy shows more and more interest in swimming each year. It took forever for him to finally try to float! haha.

  17. I need to teach my kids to swim. Too bad I am working today and I can’t.

  18. My girls learned a lot about swimming on vacation this year! They are ready for some swimming lessons.

  19. I’ve put my son in three times, he just hasn’t been ready. I think he’s ready now, we’ll see. We start up again soon.

  20. My sons are still very young so the only swimming lessons I have shown them were to float (assisted) and to get comfortable with water. I think as long as they are not fearful of swimming, I think they will be fine with learning how to swim.

  21. That sounds like a great idea to help teach the kids how to swim! Wish something like that would have been around when I was growing up!

  22. If I have kids, I’m totally teaching them how to swim as soon as possible! Swimming has been one of my favorite activities my entire life!

  23. I wish my parents had followed your advice. Even now, I don’t know how to swim and my wife absolutely hates it!

  24. These are some great tips to help kids get started. I think going to the pool a few times before lessons is a wonderful idea.

  25. It’s wonderful advice. I have my children signed up for swimming lessons this summer. Even if it isn’t something they enjoy doing long term for exercise or pleasure, they need to know how for safety reasons.

  26. My siblings were very active in swim teams growing up. It was never really my thing, but I am thankful I learned how. I am making sure my children know also.

  27. I learned to swim at a very young age. When I have kids I definitely want to teach them to swim at infancy!

  28. My daughter took swimming lessons once. She didn’t learn much, so she ended up learning with a friend.

  29. My 2 year-old will get to try swimming for the first time this summer! We’re excited and just a tad nervous about it. 🙂

  30. I totally agree with you about how all kids should learn to swim. I remember taking swimming lessons at a lake in my hometown. My swimming instructer ended up becoming a friend of the family for life.

  31. My kids all took swimming lessons at the YMCA. I think it is important to get your child swimming lessons as early as possible.

  32. The most important thing first is to make sure they are comfortable in water. Its good to start by letting them put their face in the water and holding their breath before learning to swim.

  33. Yes, my kids love swimming! I don’t really have any tips, except that swim diapers are a must if your little one is still in diapers.

  34. My parents had us taking swim lessons when we were little. LOL, I think starting slow is key.

  35. I grew up surrounded by water as well as my husband. Kiddo has pools everywhere so shes been self taught since she was really little. Every year she got a little better and a little braver.

  36. My grandchildren swim and when they were around 5-6 years old, I had them all take swim lessons.

  37. It is so important for little ones to know how to swim! Since we live in Miami, there is literally water everywhere. Our neighbors were really nice and helped us teach our daughter how to swim when she was about 7 or 8!

  38. I took my kids to swim lessons to learn how to swim and teach water safety. My advice is to give your kids swimming lessons as early as possible since everyone needs to know how to swim.

  39. Our kids and grandkids have been in the pool since they were toddlers.W e swim every season and they want to learn as soon as they are big enough to voice it, although usually they start dog paddling very early! Mostly they learn from watching!

  40. yes my kids swim! My tip for first time swimmers is not to go on the deep end without support like a floatie or be near the edge of the pool to grab on to the side quickly to save yourself.

  41. My daughter can’t swim yet but she will be taking swim lessons this summer.

  42. I was really was strict about our kids knowing a few things before they grew up & left home. One was swimming – it could save their lives one day!!! My one daughter used to be really afraid of water! Back when we were teaching the kids – we also had help from the park district. One of their ways was to not mess around – just throw the kid into the water, which was a way of introducing the kid to water.
    That is why I really like your point in the review to take things slow. Take cues from your child and don’t rush getting him into the water all at once.
    All of my kids are good swimmers & the one that was afraid of the water, well now she can’t get enough of it 🙂

  43. my daughter swims, but living in New England it’s hard for her to keep up without a costly membership someplace during the colder, winter months. For first timers, learn the basics slowly and once you’ve mastered that, then on to the next step. And always learn to float face up first just in case you get a cramp or get tired.

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