4 things children should know how to do in the water

Taking the children to the beach or pool? Fun! Letting the little ones splash and play is a great way to spend some family time together, for sure. But as they grow up, it’s important that children learn a few things in the water, as well.

Here are 4 things all children should know how to do in the water:

Get in and out of the pool safely

Sure, when the children are older, jumping into the pool like a cannonball seems fun and exciting. But it’s important for your little swimmers to know how to sit down and enter the pool safely and properly — and it’s even more important for them to know that getting OUT of the pool is just as easy. This ensures that your child is confident and won’t need your help when they can do it themselves. This is just a small part of the safety component of the lessons our Hilton Brown Swimming instructors teach every week.

Go underwater

As time goes on and your child gets older and stronger, they should be able to put their head in the water little by little. When your swimmer knows how to do this, it means fewer chances of swallowed water because it’ll become second nature to close their mouth and maintain that confidence. And when you watch your child happily put his or her face in the water, it’ll be time to celebrate how far they’ve come!

Swim forward

Remember learning how to dog paddle? It’s fun, and it works. Kind of. But it sure is easier (and faster) to move forward in the water by using different swim strokes such as freestyle or breaststroke.

Once learned, swimming is like riding a bike; it’s a lesson that will stay with your little fish the rest of his or her life. You’ll see the extraordinary results for years to come. Way to go, Mum (and Dad), for imparting such a great skill!

Turn over for a back float

Especially for young swimmers, this is one of the most important skills to learn in the water. Why? Imagine you’re tired in the water and you need to get to the side but you can’t seem to summon the strength to swim there. No problem! Just turn on your back to float and you can ease your way over there. This is imperative for children because it allows your child to relax, regroup and know that they can do it!

Written by Hilton Brown Swimming

*this post has been written by and used with permission from Hilton Brown Swimming - the original post can be found on their website HERE