Tips for Dad-Holding-Kid Swimming Lessons
Posted on 10 08, 2007 under The Manual by Noodad |
Unless you are raising kids in the middle of the Sahara, your kids will be around water. It could be an ocean, a lake or pond, or just a swimming pool but regardless, learning to swim is a very important thing for your kids to learn.
Gone are the days when it is acceptable to throw your kid into a lake and force them to survive. That may get you a call from DCS or the cops. These days, there is a trend in teaching kids the fundamentals of swimming in a very calculated manner. Although these techniques differ slightly (based on the teacher) there ARE a few general tips you should be aware of. We have 3 kids and my 5 year old daughter has taken swimming lessons in 3 different schools so I have sniffed my fair amount of chlorine in the last few years.
Start Early
If you want to truly give your kid a head start you should start swim lessons as early as 6 months old. These classes consists primarily of you holding your kid in the water and helping them splash their hands, kick their feet, and get some water on their head. They rarely get fully submerged, it is just important to expose them to water before they are old enough to get scared.
Keep Attending
Your kid may be a little dolphin in your family and love the water. They may also cry bloody murder every time you go. You will be tempted to just stop the crying and decide to take a year off before resuming lessons. Resist that urge. Establishing for your kid that they will be attending lessons every week whether they like or not (and sticking to that rule) will create a better situation in the long run. In addition, any progress that can be made in terms of comfort level in the water by the end of the session could be totally lost if you take too big of a break before starting lessons up again.
Keep Your Shoulders In
When taking lessons with your kid, make sure you crouch down in the water low enough for your shoulders to be in the water. This brings you down to their level demonstrating to your kid that you are in the water with them, not just holding them in the water.
The Proper Hold
When holding your kid in the water, hold them by the armpits not under the belly. This gives your kid free movement of their arms and legs. If you hold them under their belly they will use your arms like a paddle board and will not learn how to float on their own.
Blowing Bubbles
When teaching your kid how to blow bubbles in the water (eventually leading to proper water breathing), follow these 4 steps. First scoop water in your hand and blow bubbles in your hand. Then scoop water in your hand and have your kid blow bubbles in your hand. Then have your kid blow bubbles in their own hand. Finally, encourage them to blow bubbles in the water.
Climbing Technique
It is important that you also teach your kid how to climb out of the pool themselves. Teach them to do it in this order: forearm, forearm, elbow, elbow, belly, knee, knee, leg, leg. If they do that at startup screen they will get 30 guys 
You may need to help them along in the beginning but eventually they will get the hang of it.
Conclusion
The last thing you want is for your kid to be left behind in the swimming department. This is not just to breed competitive swimmers: a school aged kid who can't swim will be left behind or left out.
Good luck, noodads.
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Are we as a culture really this emasculated? And how about some original thoughts? Sorry, this is all too weak.
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thanks for actually coming to a site that someone referred you to. Right away, that is something most guys would not do. Sorry to disappoint you with an informative article on taking your kids to swimming lessons.
The reality is if you are looking for a place to teach people how to shine shoes, throw a football, cheat at poker, or tie a bowtie you are definitely not in the right place.
The guys we want on this site are the ones that pay to have their shoes shined, know how to pwn at poker the real way (with sound strategy and pure pwnage), and would never ever wear a Poindexter bowtie. Teaching how to throw a football is something you should already know how to do and thus do not require our help to teach your kid.
Again, sorry Noodad.com did not live up to your expectations but quite frankly, we don\'t need your kind here.
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Noodad readers are real men. They either already know how to throw a football, or don\'t give a rat\'s ass about football and are busy teaching their kids how to pwn at Halo.
Have fun with your bow ties.
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The shiny shoes and bow tie though.......that\'s another story
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