I'm really glad that a couple of concerned parents approached me today asking why their children weren't progressing. I'm glad because it gives me the opportunity to explain and also makes me realise there may be other parents out there thinking the same thing, hence this post:
The biggest hurdle in the learn to swim process is without a doubt Eyes Down/Face In!
Some children really struggle with putting their eyes and face in the water. It could be for a number of reasons. It could be that they don't like how it affects their senses eg. taste - which can lead to gagging, sight - they can't see clearly or are afraid about what they might see, hearing - it's muffled, feeling - when the water runs into their ears/eyes or mouth. It could be that they have a fear of not being able to breathe or have had a bad experience with water in their throats or up their nose. For whatever reason, they don't like putting their eyes down or "going under".
This is the biggest hurdle because with their heads in the air they can not get a horizontal body position and cannot swim. We can teach them to tread, but can't really teach them to swim. This issue normally becomes apparent in 2-4 year olds and sometimes older children who have had very little previous exposure to aquatic environments. Until this issue is resolved children can't properly participate in the activities required in order to progress to higher levels and groups. As such parents with children who have difficulty with this skill may feel like their children are sitting stagnant for quite a while.
Unfortunately, as much as some parents would like us to just stand on their children's heads and hold them under the water until they learn they are going to be okay, you have to trust us when we say that is not going to work. We should never force anyone to do anything they don't want to do including putting them under the water when they are kicking and screaming. Having said that there may be the occasional "accidental" submersion so that we can gauge their reaction and readiness to proceed further. It can take a long time for a teacher to earn a student's trust when the child sees their life in your hands. The last thing we want to do is damage that trust. It is therefore a very fine line between challenging them and going too far. A good teacher will know when to push further and when to pull back. Yes, it can be a slow process, a very slow process sometimes, but we need to persevere and practice a whole lot of patience.
The good news is there is something you as parents can do. Have you ever noticed that most of the time when you see confident, capable, kids swimming that these kids have backyard pools? Or how you go away on holidays for a week to somewhere with water and the kids by the end of the week can suddenly swim. I'm not for one second suggesting that you should go buy a backyard pool, however, I am suggesting that the more exposure these kids have to water the quicker they will become confident and capable swimmers.
I'm afraid that some parents may have unreasonable expectations about their child's progress if their exposure is limited to 30 minutes per week. I'm not suggesting you should take up more classes as that's not the solution either. The solution lies in the value of time spent in the water with someone they love and trust. That's right Mum and Dad, you need to get in the pool with your kids! Not for a lesson, don't try and "teach" them, leave that to us. Just get in and have fun. Don't be precious and fuss over not wetting the hair or getting water in the eyes, get in and splash and wrestle and play. Lead by example, your children will follow. Don't force them but have so much fun with each other that they just can't resist joining in! I know for some of you time is precious, and this just isn't possible, but for those who can manage it you will reap the rewards.
