Teaching Babies to Swim: Gentle Lessons vs. Survival-Based Lessons
I’m sure you’ve seen those videos online of swim instructors throwing a baby in a full snowsuit into the water, with the baby flipping onto their back to recover themselves. While these survival-based lessons do have their benefits, this is not the approach we take in our swim lessons. Let’s break down the pros and cons of survival swim lessons and discuss how gentle swim lessons can address and negate some of these cons.
Survival Lessons
“Survival-Based Lessons” are designed to teach babies crucial water survival skills quickly. In emergency situations, these skills can be life-saving, giving the child a better chance of surviving an accidental fall into the water. That being said, some of the fear based approaches can cause negative side affects…
Stress and Fear: The methods used in survival-based lessons can be stressful for babies. Being suddenly submerged or placed in challenging situations can lead to fear and anxiety around water in the future.
Emotional Impact: The intense nature of these lessons may cause emotional distress. Babies may develop a negative association with swimming, which can affect their willingness to participate in future swim activities.
Limited Enjoyment: The focus on survival skills often means that these lessons are less enjoyable. Fun and play are crucial elements in early childhood learning, and the lack of these can make swimming a less appealing activity.
Gentle Lessons
So, what does it mean to teach “Gentle Swim Lessons”? We focus on guiding swimmers through each stage of learning, emphasizing mindfulness, breath control, and building a deep, personal connection with the water. Your baby will become a confident swimmer with a deep love and respect for the water.
Positive Associations with Water: Gentle lessons prioritize creating a positive and enjoyable experience for the child. We start in your own bathtub to create a sense of comfort in a place that is already familiar to your little one. Through play and gradual skill development, babies learn to love the water. While gentle lessons may take slightly longer to teach “survival skills”, they ensure that the child develops a comprehensive understanding of water safety in a nurturing environment. This balanced approach promotes both safety and enjoyment.
Reduced Stress: By avoiding high-stress situations, gentle lessons help babies feel safe and comfortable in the water. This approach reduces fear and anxiety, fostering a sense of security. This allows babies to acclimate to the water at their own pace and reduces the likelihood of a future fear of the water, ensuring that the child feels safe and supported.
Long-term Engagement: By focusing on positive reinforcement and enjoyable activities, gentle lessons pour into the emotional well-being of the child. Fun and engaging lessons are more likely to keep children interested in swimming over the long term. This can lead to a lifelong love of swimming and water activities, not just a sense of safety.
Parental Involvement: In our classes, you're just as much a student as your little one, fostering memorable experiences together in the water and strengthening the bond between parent and child is a huge benefit to your baby’s association with water.
When it comes to teaching babies to swim, both survival-based and gentle lessons have their place. Survival-based lessons can provide essential safety skills quickly, but they often come with the downside of increased stress and potential negative emotional impacts. Gentle lessons, on the other hand, teach those essential safety skills, but also focus on creating a positive, enjoyable, and stress-free experience for the child. At watermellow, we believe that the benefits of gentle lessons far outweigh the drawbacks of survival-based methods. By fostering a love for the water and ensuring the emotional well-being of our little swimmers, we aim to create a safe and enjoyable swimming journey for every child.
If you’re considering swim lessons for your baby, we encourage you to explore our gentle approach and see how it can provide a nurturing and effective learning experience. Let’s make swimming a joyful adventure for your little one!
Meet Kaylee Kennedy
I'm Kaylee Kennedy, the founder of watermellow.
Our renowned swimming program nurtures and develops each baby's unique abilities.
Inspired by my experience as a young mom teaching my little one to swim, I'm passionate about swimming and its benefits for early childhood development.
Join us at watermellow to help your baby grow an amazing relationship with the water in a safe and supportive environment, creating lasting memories together.
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