Prevent Water Accidents
Never turn your back on a child when you are in a pool or near any water. No matter how safe your child seems to be in the water don’t have a false sense of security. Your child will be as comfortable in the water as you are. Don’t practice swimming with a student if you are scared of the water yourself.
Swim Lesson Club USA knows the importance of swimming safety and wants to help parents prepare. Parents are often left out of the learning to swim process. The key to instilling safe behavior is consistent swimming skill practice with parent outside of a formal lesson environment.
First Swimming Lesson Practice Session Focus –
- Count to three before your child leaves the wall or stairs to enter the water.
- Condition your child to return to the wall or stairs after they swim to you. You can do this through repetitively returning your child back to the wall after pushing off the swimming pool wall or stairs. Make sure they wait until you count to 3 and if they take a head start remind them they must wait.
- Make your child sit on the wall before entering the swimming pool stairs, then again count to 3 to leave the stairs for a swim and return back to safety.
- Don’t allow your student to enter the water or jump of a wall unless they have been cued to enter.
- Count to 3 before entering the water and every time you leave the stairs or wall.
- Make sure to turn the child right back to where they started every time!
- Use toys to get your child attention on the safe spot on the stairs. Use the toys to get them to return to the safe spot.
- Teach your child about flotation ASAP. Make sure they understand to hold on and not let go to noodles, kick boards, etc.
