Somehow, your super adorable kids are afraid of the water. While other kids scream with joy once they see the pool, yours is the one kid in the group that screams their lungs out because the swimming coach is about to put them in the water. What seems to be the problem? There isn’t something inherently wrong with your kid. You can address their fears by being calm yourself. No need to overthink or panic because they’re not like other kids their age.
Make Bath Time Fun
This is the best way to familiarize your baby with water. Buy a portable bathtub so that you can make bath time more fun by doing it outdoors. Instead of cooping them in your bathroom, bring the tub to the garden, and let your kid splash around with the garden hose. Do not force them into the tub if they don’t feel like it. Just let them run around—as long as they are safe—and ask them to step into the tub once they are ready for their bath.
Enroll in a Parent-baby Swimming Class
Don’t turn your toddler over to the swimming coach and allow a stranger to handle their fear of water. You will only traumatize your kid. Instead, enroll in a swimming class together. Turn this into a bonding experience. Your kid will feel a lot safer with you around. These swimming classes are designed specifically for young kids. In the swimming lesson, you need to position your kid on the water’s surface on their tummy and roll them onto their back. They need to be familiar with the sensation of being in the water first before you can let them go.
Start Simple
You don’t have to jump into the pool with your kid. Engage in fun water activities first before dipping their toes in the water. For example, you can sit in the shallow part of the pool and just let them have a feel of what it’s like being in the water. They can do some flutter kick exercises while in the shallow part of the pool. They can also splash the water around.
Wear the Proper Attire
Suit your kids with Lycra-based materials because those won’t absorb water. They won’t weigh even when your kid’s body is submerged in water. Learning a skill such as kicking on a kickboard will be challenging if the kids are hampered by the weight of their clothes. Also, make sure that the water has the right temperature. If the water gets too cold, the kid’s body will become stiff, making it hard for them to acquire swimming skills.
Be Calm and Collected
Although it can be terrifying to learn a new skill when you’re old, enroll in a swimming class if you don’t know how to swim and handle yourself in the water. When your kid feel that you are panicking and out of control, they will be, too. You need to be calm and collected when spending time in the water with your kid. But this isn’t easy when you don’t know how to swim. Get over your fears and enroll in a swimming class.
Remember that it is also up to you to create a nurturing environment for your kid. The right environment will set them up for learning and engagement. Once they feel that there’s nothing to fear about going into the water, they’ll slowly realize that this is the most enjoyable activity they can do as a kid.
