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What
skills will a child learn in swim lessons?
Children 12
months and under learn how to rotate from a face-down position in the
water to a back float. A baby will be taught to rest and breathe on his or her
back until help arrives. A child who is twelve months or older will learn a
swim-float-swim sequence. He or she will be taught to swim face down
using arms and legs (similar to a freestyle stroke); roll on his or her back to
float, rest and breathe when he or she needs air; and then flip over onto his
or her stomach to continue swimming until he or she reaches a point of safety.
This swim-float-swim sequence can be repeated as many times as is necessary
to reach safety. These students are taught to use these skills to swim to a
wall, the steps or if unable to reach a point of safety to utilize a back float
while resting and breathing. How
many lessons will my child need? Progress in
lessons is determined by your child's own unique learning style as all
lessons are private. Most students under 12
months complete learning a rollback to float in about 4 weeks of
lessons. Each lesson lasts a maximum of 10
minutes five days per week. Children 12 months
and older learning a swim-float-swim technique typically master the
skills in 4 to 6 weeks. How
can a child learn anything in 10 minutes? Although 10 minutes may seem like a very short lesson, remember that each lesson is private
and your child is getting the undivided attention of the instructor. This lesson though short is very intense. Most group lesson are only 30-45 minutes in
length with as many as 6 children in each class. This equals only about 5-7 minutes of actual instruction time for each child. What
if my child hasn't mastered the skills in the typical time frame? In some cases such as where a child has missed lessons due to illness, a child will require longer to complete lessons. This child will continue until he or she has successfully mastered the skills he or
she is learning. These lessons differ from
many other swim lessons that end after a set number of weeks or lessons. How
are lessons different from a class like Mommy and Me? Although
many programs for young children focus on a water orientation approach
using
songs and games, this approach does not
teach your child any of the skills necessary for survival. Many lessons
such as
Mommy and Me teach children that the water is a fun place to play
without
teaching them any meaningful skills. Remember
the water will not be a fun place for your child
if he or she
is unskilled and finds himself alone in the water. This approach may
actually
make a child more vulnerable to drowning as a child is taught to be
fearless
without any understanding of the skills needed for effective swimming. What if my child cries during his or her lesson? Crying is a
form of communication for many children as they grow.
They cry when they are hungry, bored, tired,
etc. When introduced to a new person and
a new experience, many children cry. This
is not unusual. Your
child will be looking to you to develop
her attitude toward swimming and lessons. A
child whose parent projects a positive attitude and
praises their
child's efforts will see their child's crying diminish or even be
eliminated as
their skill level progresses. Crying
will not bother me or interfere with your child learning. If
my child cries will he learn to hate or fear the water? Do you
remember when your child learned to walk? He
probably fell down and bumped his head and cried
numerous times yet
it did not cause him to hate or avoid walking. Do
you avoid taking your child to the doctor if he cries
there? Of course not because you as the
parent knows
that it necessary for his own good.
Is
it OK to use floaties, rings or floatation swim suits for my child to play in the water until she is ready to learn to swim? How about a Life-jacket? Visit many
pools, lakes or the beach and you are bound to see young and not so
young
children enjoying the water wearing one of these floatation devices.
These
devices are a false sense of security for both the parent and child. None of
these can be considered a lifesaving device. All
it takes is for the device to deflate or a child to
slip out and
these children are completely vulnerable. Life
jackets although completely necessary in a boat are
also not a safe
way for a child to play in the water. A child using any of these
becomes
overconfident in the water and believes falsely that she can swim.
Wearing
these will also interfere with learning the proper swim technique later
as she
has learned to keep her body in a vertical position.
Does taking lessons guarantee that a child will be drown-proofed when finished? No person
or child is ever drown-proofed by any lessons. Supervision
is still the most important factor in
preventing
drowning. Other precautions must be
taken to prevent a child from ever getting to the water unsupervised. The goal of lessons is for your child to have
skills that he or she could use to survive in a potential drowning
situation . I'm
not sure that I can afford swim lessons for my child. Drowning
is a leading cause of death for children and preventing it is vital to your child's health and well-being. A child who cannot swim is at greater risk for drowning.
Parents spend considerable amounts on other
lessons and sports that will never teach a child any lifesaving skills. By comparison, knowing how to swim can
protect your child from death or serious permanent injury.
It will also provide a lifetime of enjoyment
for your child.
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