Water and swim safety skills every family can work on this summer
The staff at Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek work on basic safety skills with their students every week in lessons. The Goldfish team is partnering with the Atlanta Area Moms Blog to share FOUR basic water safety tips parents can work on with their kids anytime they are in the pool this summer.
First up? The basics! Teach your kids how to get out of the pool safely.
Help your little ones learn how to get out of the pool by manipulating their bodies in this order: elbow, elbow, tummy, knee. Practice this often! You can even do this on your living room floor by having your baby climb onto a couch or chair! After you practice, always remember to celebrate. Eventually, your little one will be strong enough to manage the movement on their own! This fundamental skill will help kids get out of the pool independently every time he or she swims!
Jump, Turn, Swim to the Wall!
If a child were to fall into the water, they may panic and try to swim to the wall in front of them. This is going to be much farther away than the wall behind them. We want to condition kids to turn right back to the wall behind them to quickly exit the pool. To practice this, let your child jump off the side of the pool to you. Help them physically turn back to the wall. Then, assist them in getting out of the pool by using the elbow, elbow, tummy, knee method. Do this over and over again. As they get more confident, let them go under the water and come to the surface on their own.
Sea Otter Float
When your child fatigues in the water, they need to know how to turn on his back and get his face out of the water to take a breath. Learning to float on the back is a critical water safety skill for this reason. Utilize a progression of supporting them from underneath, encourage chin back, belly to the sky to arch your back. As they progress, you can begin to support them less. Moving from holding them from underneath the back to just the head. Eventually having them float on their own. You can use fun incentives to get kids to be in the proper position to float, like holding a toy above their heads for them to focus on.
Learning to tread water is an essential skill to build core strength. This skill also keeps your child afloat in deep water. Kids build their confidence by successfully treading water for longer and longer periods of time. Head back and get those arms and legs moving!
While working on all of these water safety skills, keep in mind that your time together in the water should be positive and fun! Kids will make progress if you work on these skills regularly and celebrate their successes!
We’d love to see you and your family in our pool this summer! Visit the website or call (770) 744-0250 to get registered for lessons!
Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), shiver-free 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish Swim School Johns Creek also offers weekly family swims (for both members and non-members) and birthday party packages. For more information or to register for lessons, visit the website or call (770) 744-0250.