Getting Their Toes Wet
Taking your kids swimming early and often is the single biggest factor in helping them love water, says Lance Romo, program coordinator at Arne Hanna Aquatic Center in Bellingham, WA. Additional tips:
- Warm water, 85 degrees or more, is especially important in helping kids to relax.
- Join in the fun. Young children progress more quickly when parents play with them in the water. "Get your hair wet," Romo says. If you're afraid of water, you'll likely convey that to your kids, so consider taking lessons yourself.
- Praise your kids' baby steps and trust that they will progress when the time is right. It's normal for kids to repeat lessons multiple times, then suddenly leap ahead.
- Life jackets and swimsuits with built-in flotation make kids more buoyant and help them feel comfortable in the water (but, of course, are never a substitute for parental supervision). Kids move beyond flotation aids when they're ready. Experts discourage the use of water wings, which move kids' center of buoyancy away from their midsections and make it harder for them to use their arms.
