Slowly but surely, my kids are close to being better swimmers than me. That’s also not saying much, because I’m less then stellar (to make myself sound better than I am) but at the same time it really is. Swimming in my mind, maybe because I’m not the best swimmer, is like reading. It’s a life skill they NEED to learn. Luckily, like reading, it’s a pretty fun and fantastic life skill. This is the first year that both kids, are pretty much swimming like little fishies and the first year that both are deeply in love with the water. They have both had a bit of a love hate relationship with the water, sometimes being down right afraid. But they (we) persevered and lately they are both talking about how happy they are that they did. (there is really cute/useful giveaway at the end)
Has your little one had a love hate relationship with swimming? Because it is often nice to hear from someone who has TOTALLY been there (oh those sad scared tears….heart pains) these are some of the things we did to get over those scared/not-interested-in-swimming-even-a-little-bit, bumps (because they are just bumps in the road):
- CANCEL THE SWIM LESSONS – not usually a good thing to do, because quitting is never a good example to set. But there is also no sense in forcing them to do something that they clearly don’t want to do. And I found with swimming, the more you force, the more they resist and unlike other activities the fear of water can leave a more lasting effect/memory. So cancel this session and just drop the whole concept of swimming for a while, let the things breathe a little….literally.
- SKIP A SESSION – if they are still talking about how they are scared of bobbing their head underwater or maybe something else that was scary about their last lesson (maybe just the water in general). Sadly sometimes it was just the teacher, just like regular school a good swim teacher is worth SO MUCH and a not so good one? Well that can quickly turn them to against something they otherwise previously loved. So what we did, in all situations is let the whole swimming situation breathe a little. We skipped the next session of swim lessons and gave them time to grow and maybe forget a bit.
- GO FOR FAMILY SWIMS – when you skip a session, go for weekend family swims just for fun. Even stay in the kiddie pool (with allll the pee — ewwwwwww) and just let them play. Create FUN memories of swimming, that will hopefully help replace or over power the scary ones.
- CHANGE THE LOCATION – after skipping a session, I always go back and sign them up again but I ALWAYS choose a different pool for the next swimming lesson. Something as simple as a different pool and teacher roster can change SO much, sometimes after the break the fear they had with the water is pretty much only associated to the pool they were at — or at least easier to talk them into trying (and all you both need is to try). So switch it up, it’ll probably be a bit more interesting for you too – new place, new people.
Also you know what helps, sure it sounds silly but it sometimes does; new swim gear to get them all excited for swimming again. This summer we broke past a few fear barriers and both kids are literally begging to swim every single day and really how could I say no, so if you’re looking for us the last 3 weeks of summer vacation – we’ll be at the pool.
Sunuva, my (honest to goodness) favorite swim company for kids; their suits just fit so perfectly on Harlow and the trunks are just the perfect length and fit for King. Plus the prints are always adorable AND they also happen to have full UV coverage on all their swim – which is like the goggles on a swimming day (icing on cake reference, no?).
Sunuva wants to give ONE of you a $135 CAD gift card (which equates to appx $111 USD and 100 pounds) to shop online at Sunuva for your little fish (maybe for their next swimming session?). (open internationally)
Entering is easy: a Rafflecopter giveaway
My little guy (2) loves to swim. We’ve been taking him since he was 4 months old! Around 18-20 months, he started getting a little scared in the water and really clinging to us, so we did the same as you…took a break for a few months. The next time we went back, he was back to his water-loving self.
And those swimsuits are too cute!
When my kids were really young, like babies they didn’t like swim class but I think it’s because the water was so cold. I ended up taking them out of class and waiting until they were older and picked a warmer pool. I hated the cold water too 🙂
My almost 6 year old is afraid of going under water!
My girls love the water!! I have to watch my one year old at all times because she has NO FEAR!
My mom always said I was fearless, so she put "swimmmies" on me and I developed a fear of water. My ex also has a fear, so I am hoping our son continues to love the water.
My four year old loves to swim but still has a fear of putting her face in the water. We are planning on doing swim lessons all year to try and combat it!
My son has always been a fish. We took him to swim lessons early because there was no keeping him out of the water and we wanted to keep him safe.
My little guy just turned one this summer and loves exploring the pool while in his baby float! Next summer I hope to sign him up for classes.
No fears at all – and sometimes I worry about that as my little is only 2.5!
We are also taking the slow and steady route to swimming. We keep offering lessons to my 4 year old, but she’s more interested in gymnastics right now. So we do fun, family swims at the pool and lake and she’s gaining confidence in the water!
In there beginning of the summer I kept forcing my four year old to try without muscles, but he resisted. In the past two weeks on his own he went from one muscle to none! We live in Florida now so bathing suits are a year round addition to our wardrobe!
We moved from the city to the beach two years ago with our then, one year old. He has always been very cautious of the ocean, but this summer has really started feeling comfortable! Our 2 year old was born at the beach and is a water baby all the way!
My 4 year-old daughter recently had a period of tears during swim lessons. What worked for us was a long-sleeve swim shirt (to counter the "it’s too cold!" argument) and a small pool toy (as a distraction from the "splashers" in her class – where her real fears stemmed from). She loves swimming now!
I just got my fellow to willingly wear a life jacket, after much frustration trying to convince him! He has also outgrown all his last season swim gear, so we are definitely in need of some new duds.
We’ve taken a break from "swim lessons" and have just been focusing on having a good time in the water. We’re going to start soon with a new teacher who has her own small pool and does lots of fun games with the kids (2-3 at a time). I pitched it to my daughter as a "pool fun class" and she’s really looking forward to it.
I couldn’t agree more on the swim lesson advice, after a year of swim lesson my son is still afraid of the water but this past summer swimming with me, he is actually starting to enjoy it!
My little one is still very much wary of the water, so I love these ideas. Great giveaway!
I found my daughter really started love swimming when she started going with school!
I could not keep my 14 month old out of the water if we wanted to! That said, I only kept up with swim lessons until level "blue" – which absolutely does not exist anymore. (I think it involved diving and front crawl!) Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
The only time my daughter has ever clung to me is when we entered the water but she slowly gets more confidence and goes further on her own.
My 3 year old LOVES to swim! I started lessons with her at 6 months and only did what she was comfortable with. Some lessons were slow but I wanted her to be comfortable in the water – never scared. Now she jumps off the dock at the cottage like a champ!
my oldest had the biggest fear of the water until we did a series of parented swim classes! We live in the okanagan and water safety is a must so I’m so glad our little fish is fearless in the water now. Phew!
My son has special needs, he loves the water, but that is WITH a lifejacket on. When the lifejacket comes off he starts to panic & is unsure of what to do. It’s been an ongoing challenge to teach him to swim.
Parents has a major role to play if kids want to overcome the fear of water. Arrange for swimming pool for children and feel the difference.
Excellent advice for someone who fears treading in water like my child.