Decosta1228

I took my 4 and 3/4 nephew swimming yesterday for the first time (me taking him, not him swimming). I just got him in there to see how he was and he managed to do the doggie paddle (he even told me that was what he was doing and started to show me after I told him that I forgot how to do it myself) and tread water and he did a couple of widths (with frequent rests).

The thing is that if this turns into a regular thing, does anyone have any web resources on how to make it a bit more structured so that over time he learns how to swim.

I kept it fun and just asked him what he wanted to do. One thing he did say was that he puts his face in the water in the bath, so I told him that the pool was like a giant bath. He's confident with kicking but not to sure about the floating aspect

Anyway, any tips would be welcome.

Carlyanne15

How funny, i toke my Nephew swimming yesterday too, his 22 months and loved every moment of it, when we got out, he kept saying More Please.... Bless him, plan to take him once a week if possible.
We told Josh that it was a big big bath that we all could get in together, to begin with he hated the arm bands. Pool is one that you can walk into and gets deeper the more you venture in. So after a while we bunged them on him as he saw other children with them one.
He loved popping his head in the water and dent cry once, which i must say is a total bonus.

I used to swim for the county, and i had lessons from 4 years old.
If you can go and buy a float. And use that with him holding it, and kicking away he will get his balance. Then the next time, if you use the float but try for him to let go with one hand. If you make the float part of the fun of swimming he will be a natural. Hope thats helped, as i helped my friends little boy learn to swim a few years ago.

C x

Decosta1228

Thanks for the reply, This is about the 4th or 5th week now and he's loving it, he can float on his back and kick from one side to the other, he can do doggy paddle, he can do the arm movements of frontcrawl and breaststroke.

Every other week, I don't fill his armbands so full so it's him doing more of the work, week after week. It seems to be working.