Whether its for Safety or Fun..
As a parent, you probably know how important it is to teach your child how to swim. Whether it’s for safety reasons or just because it’s fun, learning how to be comfortable in the water can be a great confidence-builder for kids of all ages.
But what if your child isn’t interested in learning how to swim? Or maybe they’ve had some bad experiences with water and are now afraid of it. If this sounds like your situation, you’re not alone—and there are ways to help! We’ve compiled a few helpful tips that will help get your child over their fear and back into the pool (or lake, or bathtub).
Most Importantly: Set up a safe environment
The first step toward helping your child overcome their fear of water is making sure they feel safe when they are near it.
If possible, try not to push them into swimming lessons right away; instead, try building up some trust between yourself and your child before introducing lessons into the mix.
If you have an outdoor pool at home that has safety features such as a ladder or a shallow step, this may be an ideal place for your child to start practicing their new skills without feeling overwhelmed by all that open space usually experienced at a local swim centre.
2. Let them wear floaties on their arms or legs if that makes them feel more secure (and make sure they use them correctly)
3. Give them something fun to focus on—like a toy boat or bubbles! This will distract them from their fears while they’re in the water, which will help build up confidence over time as well as give them something positive to associate with being in the pool or ocean later on down the road when they’ve progressed further along their journey towards overcoming those fears altogether (which is what we all want anyway right?).