Teaching lifeguard swimming lessons to babies and toddlers
A model progression for child-centered swim lessons
Teaching baby or toddler swimming lessons is invaluable experience. Let’s start by answering three frequently asked questions about lifeguard swimming lessons for babies and toddlers.
Can a baby or toddler learn to lifeguard swimming?
The short answer here is yes. Can an infant or toddler learn to freestyle or backstroke? A child’s motor skills are usually not ready for complex skills like freestyle and backstroke until age 3 1/2 or 4. how to become a lifeguard?
Can you babysit an infant or toddler?
It is a specific number. Even if an infant or toddler learns basic lifeguard swimming skills, their performance can be inconsistent.
Additionally, a child or toddler should never be in a situation where they need to save their life.Constant tactile supervision should be provided while the infant or toddler is in or around the water.
Why it’s good to start young
However, there are some important reasons why lifeguard swimming instruction is beneficial starting at a young age.
Babies and toddlers can absolutely learn to love water.
Babies and toddlers can learn potentially lifesaving skills.
Babies and toddlers can develop prerequisites for more advanced skills so that if they are developmentally ready, the skills will come almost naturally to them.
Additionally, there is significant evidence that baby-swimming enhances social, emotional, mental and physical development.
All this, of course, depends on having a qualified instructor who takes a child-centered, child-centered, but progressive approach.
Three methods for teaching children to swim
In general, there are three types of procedures for babies and toddlers:
Water Acclamation Approach : It is simple for the child to enjoy the water with the pressure of the instructor. This is a positive approach even if there is minimal progress in terms of skill acquisition.
A powerful, skills-focused approach : A teacher forces skills on a child or toddler , which has little or nothing to do with the child’s readiness or happiness.
A child is treated more like an “animal” than a “vulnerable young man.” The “well-being” of the infant/toddler is sad because they claim or think they are doing something good for the child.
There are recent reports of even young babies drowning during this type of lesson. Be aware of this type of teaching, as it can be harmful and dangerous to your young child.
Progressive, Child-Centered Approach : The coach teaches swimming and safety skills but they are taught in a progressive, and gentle manner.
The child’s happiness is the priority. Babies and toddlers actually learn and develop skills in this format, but the philosophy is that healthy, positive experiences are the first to produce learning and skill advancements are the second.
In other words, the child will learn swimming and safety skills in this setting, but never at the expense of the child’s safety or happiness. It is a child-paced, child-centered approach.
It is important for parents and teachers to understand that a forceful, skill-focused approach not only creates a negative experience, but can also hinder a child’s self-esteem and often turn young children away from swimming.
This procedure is dangerous and potentially fatal. Parents and teachers need to understand that lifeguard swimming skills can be learned in the same way when using a loving, child-centered approach.
The difference is that the child learns at the child’s own pace. Think from your child’s point of view – as a parent, what approach do you want them to have?
The secret is a loving relationship with the water that fosters lifeguard swimming skills and a subtle, progressive, child-centered approach to life. And while no child should ever be considered “drow proof,” babies and toddlers under the age of three can certainly learn to swim 10 feet away given the right opportunities in the right environment.
A model progression for teaching swimming classes
A simple adaptation of swimming progression in swimming lessons. Here babies and toddlers can learn swimming skills using a progressive, child-centered approach.
First, let’s define two terms:
Pass Hold : The instructor or parent’s right hand is on the child’s right hand and left hand is on the child’s left hand. The child is next to the adult and facing the same direction.
Underwater Swim : This means that the face is in the water. Underwater swimming is technically swimming on the surface of the water, not underwater, with the face and part submerged. Do not submerge the entire head.
Now, let’s check out a sample progression for teaching swimming lessons to babies and toddlers:
Step 1: Face Up Water With the
baby in a horizontal position, use the start signal: “Ready, set, go” and glide across the baby’s surface to mom or dad, keeping the baby’s mouth and nose in the water.
Also Read About: LIFEGUARD, SWIMMING INSTRUCTOR AND OTHER JOBS IN WATER ACTIVITIES!
The child is supported full time. Step #2 is shown to the child until he or she is happy with face dipping, which can be tried earlier in the lesson.
