Trust. Something very important to build in life, especially with young minds. The more unsure the environment, the more crucial it is to establish it. And once lost, broken or ruined in a situation that is very important to your child, the harder it is for you or anyone else to get it back.
I can tell in less than a minute if a child’s trust has been toyed with in the water. It’s in the body language but mostly in the eyes that silently say to me: I don’t trust what you’re saying to me about water.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says children are not developmentally ready for formalized swim lessons until the age of four. (However, a study came out in March 2009 by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine that found participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowing in the 1- to 4-year-old children).
But one of the reasons this warning still makes sense is because — as stated by Dr. Marilyn Bell who chairs the academy’s committee — parents tend to overestimate their own child’s cognitive skills and underestimate their physical abilities. Meaning, just because we know our kid is smart enough to know what to do in the water doesn’t always mean he/she is always physically strong enough to do it. Here’s how a child’s trust gets ruined in the water:
Not paying attention. Either you or the instructor has their hands full, dazes off and turns a head just for a second. This is when kids slip off the stairs or jumps into the water without you. Either its time for a break or to limit swim activity in a controlled area where everyone feels more present and safe.
Tricking kids into performing. There’s an art to doing this right that involves honesty and building up to it. Too many instructors think telling a child “they won’t move” and then backing away at the last minute will fool a child into believing they can swimming better or farther than what they are ready to do. What I’ve described is the most typical trick in the book and causes major regression.
Classes are too crowded. It’s one thing for a teacher to have 6 kids on the soccer field and another in a pool. But, you get what you sign up for, which is limited help and independent swim time with a ratio this high. I’d go with private one-on-one instruction until your kid is able to swim 15-yards without anyone’s assistance and coming up for air on a regular basis.
You know nothing about the swim instructor. It takes just a little asking around to find out whether or not your teacher is cheap summer help or an established professional. Keep your eyes and ears open around the pool. One time I was off-duty at a pool but performed a double-save (two kids submerged, hanging onto one another) because all three young lifeguards on duty where hung-over and generally not present. That’s the difference.
