Drowning is one of the most common causes of unintentional death for children under the age of 14, which makes swimming an essential live saving skill. The great thing about swimming is that children of any age and with any ability can take part in this fun activity. Contrary to popular belief but you do not need a swimming pool to get your child to be confident in the water. Some families don’t have access to a backyard pool or a swimming facility but there is another convenient option that you may have overlooked. It can be easy to have swim lessons right at home, all you need is a bathtub! That’s right, just a bathtub. How convenient is that?
Another thing about teaching swim lessons at home in a bathtub, is how inexpensive it is! You don’t have to pay between $30-60 per swim lesson session and you can do it out of the comfort of your own home. All you need to do is get your bathtub ready and you are set to begin your swim lessons at home! If you want to make it a little more fun and exciting for your child, you can purchase goggles and some toys to have even more fun. Not only do toys offer a lot more enjoyment but they can also help your child become more comfortable in the water.
Here are some tips to get you and your child started on bathtub swim lessons taught at home:
- Practice by getting your child’s face wet: You can start by trickling water over your child’s face. Once they are comfortable you can get a cup of water and have them pour it over their face. They can also utilize this cup to pour water over their shoulders and arms to get other places on the body wet and ready to swim even more skills.
- Blowing bubbles in the water using your mouth: Start this by having your child put their mouth in the water then have them blow bubbles. Tell them your finger is a birthday candle and they need to blow it out by slowly lowering it in the water at the same time as them blowing it out.
- Floating: Get your child used to floating on their back, you can start by placing your hand on their back and have them lay on their back in the water. Tell them it is like lying in bed and sleeping on their back. Try to be sure that their arms and legs are still, once they feel comfortable you can remove your hand and have them practice on their own.
- Front crawl: Have your child lay down on their stomach in the bathtub and have them put the palm of their hands on the wall with their fingers together. Have your child practice arm circles into the water then back up to the wall.
- Flutter kicks: Have your child sit down in the bathtub with their legs straight ahead and pointed toes. Have them practice their kicks and as they progress their kicks can get bigger and faster. You can also practice this skill with your child on their stomach to better the front crawl skill.
- Backstroke: In this skill your child should be sitting up, then have them extend their arms with their thumbs up. Then have your child lift their arms over their head and back around.
These swimming at home bathtub tips will help your child on their path to becoming a better swimmer.
Keep in mind as a parent not all children are the same. This means that each parent knows their child and his/her limit when it comes to swim lesson taught at home. If the child becomes uncomfortable, try getting into the bathtub with them or have them watch as you demonstrate how to do the same skills and strokes. Also, try doing a reward system like a lollipop, a sticker, or a new toy when they get the skill or stroke correct or at least after attempting. Bathtubs are typically small, therefore as it gets warmer outside try moving the at home swim lessons to a kiddie pool for better practice and more space or if you already have a pool move to the shallow end of the pool and continue the skills and strokes they learned with the swim lessons in the bathtub. Doing these small steps as a parent can help getting your child more accustomed to the water and confident so they won’t be afraid of the water. When teaching these skills and others in any water setting always remember safety is number one and if you have any questions about swim lessons or swim lessons being taught at home, please visit jeffellismanagement.com for descriptions and information regarding swim lessons.