Luke’s Top Tips……to get the most from your (children’s) swimming lessons.
1.Breath control is key to learning to swim properly.
Complete exhalation in the water, through the mouth and nose, is fundamental; so that when we present our mouths to the air we are immediately ready to receive fresh air.
If your child is struggling to somersault because the water is going up their nose, or they can’t get their face in yet, the solution is the same:
Use a nose clip, or hold the nose, with goggles on, in the bath, in the pool or even a bowl of water. Once comfortable with this, then practise humming, preferably with the top lip curled up to cover the entrance to the nostril. (Like kissing an Orangutan!)
You have to create a barrier in the nose with air properly. Keep practicing; this is a crucial skill. It will be used in handstands, diving, tumble turns and front crawl.
Underwater humming is part of every lesson.
2.Good goggles make the world of difference to progress. A good pair cost about the same as a lesson yet many children struggle through with eyes full of water. Time spent adjusting goggles in a lesson is frustrating.
All the goggles we sell at the pool are easily adjusted by the teachers and come with a no leak guarantee if you have used our fitting service.
Once children have learnt to swim, we teach allow them to practice without their goggles.
3.Try on be on time. The activities that we use right at the start of the lesson vary each week, recapping on previous skills and introducing new ones while warming up. The introduction activity sets the tone for the next thirty minutes, bonding for the lesson ahead.
4.Stay at the same time with the same teacher whenever possible. Make up lessons are a fantastic and flexible way to keep your child swimming regularly, no matter what else comes up. But consistency of teacher is so important. It takes time to build a relationship of trust and understanding- you just can’t replicate that in a one off lesson.
5.Come poolside if you are moving up or doing a make up lesson to make sure that the kids get to the right place on time. It also helps for teachers to connect a face to a child, when they need a quick word.
6.Talk to the teachers, tell them any worries and issues. Tell them also when you are pleased with children’s progress, they will appreciate that you recognise their efforts.
7.And finally, KEEP SWIMMING. It is such a wonderful gift for life, but then you know that. If you need some ammunition for when the children lack motivation or are distracted by other activities, take a look at the other blogs.