Swimming lessons are an essential part of growing up in Australia. Just as we want our children to learn road safety to get around safely, we also want them to master water safety to be safe in the water.
Think of all the hours you have spent jumping into the sea or doing handstands in your local pool. Swimming is so much fun and many parents can’t wait to share that joy with their kids.
Learning to swim is an essential life skill, and it’s also a lot of fun. However, that doesn’t mean your kid will take to swimming lessons like a duck to water (sorry).
If you’re wondering whether to enroll your child in formal swimming lessons, look at When Is The Best Time To Start Swimming Lessons?
Some children don’t enjoy swimming when they first start. If your child hates swimming, you might be wondering what you can do to help them overcome their fears.
Keep reading to find out what we recommend.
If your child hates swimming?
Swimming is a new experience and sometimes kids feel anxious about new things. They might not like getting wet or submerging their heads under the water. They might be nervous about being in the pool without you. Your child might feel overwhelmed by the noise, smell, and activity of the swimming pool.
Children have all kinds of worries about learning to swim. The difficulty for young toddlers is they don’t have the communication skills to voice their fears. You have plenty of time to get your child to enjoy the water; there’s no rush.
Toddlers are too young to master complicated swim strokes, so lessons at this age are more about water safety and feeling comfortable in the water. The swim teacher will encourage your child to feel comfortable and happy in the pool.
How do I get my toddler to like swimming?
If you want your child to enjoy swimming, you need to make it a fun activity.
Here are some tips to help you:
Swim for fun
If your toddler only gets to swim during swimming lessons, this could be part of the problem. Make sure you take your child for family swims, too. Being in the water and having fun with the whole family could help your child adapt to this new environment.
Provide plenty of opportunity
Make swimming something you do regularly. Try to head to the pool each week with your little one – just to have fun. Don’t put any pressure on your child to try new things each week; this is more about normalizing time spent in the pool.
Play games in the water
There are lots of games you can play in the pool. Most kids’ pools have plenty of toys and balls on hand for you to use. Get your child to throw a ball and then ‘swim’ together to retrieve it.
Find toys that pour water and float and explore different ways to use them in the pool. Teach your child to blow bubbles in the water and see who can blow the most.
Your little monkey will love splashing you with the water.
Arrive for leisure in a leisurely fashion
If you are always running late and getting to swimming lessons on time is a stressful rush every week, this could be contributing to your child’s dislike of lessons. Find a lesson time that works well for you as a family and make sure you arrive in good time.
Make sure they’re not hungry
If kids are hungry in the pool, they’re not going to have fun. Give your child a snack to enjoy while you get changed into your swimsuit.
Go at the right time
Your children won’t enjoy swimming if they’re tired, so make sure they’re well-rested before heading to the pool. It’s best to find a lesson that works with your child’s naps rather than trying to adjust your child’s routine.
Go with a friend
If your child has a best friend, arrange a playdate at the swimming pool. Seeing their friends having fun in the pool might help convince your little ones that swimming can be fun. Some gentle encouragement from their friends can help kids feel more confident in the water.
Toddler hates swimming lessons
If your toddler is OK on family swims but hates swimming lessons, you could:
- Get in the pool. If your child doesn’t like swimming without you, you might need to get in the pool, too, for the time being. Find a class that will allow parents to swim with their kids
- Build a relationship with the swimming instructor. Your children might see the instructor as a stranger and struggle to form a bond. If they see you smiling and chatting with the teacher each week, this might help them feel more comfortable
- Try a different swim school. If your child doesn’t love their swimming instructor, it might be time to find a new one. You could ask to move groups, so your child is with a different instructor or try a new swim school altogether
- Find a quieter swimming lesson. Are there too many other kids in the class? A nervous child might prefer a smaller, less rowdy class. Swimming pools are noisy, chaotic places, especially during lessons, when instructors shout from the side of the pool. A pre-school aged child might prefer a lesson during school time, when all the bigger kids are in school.
Toddler suddenly hates swimming lessons
If your toddlers used to love learning to swim but suddenly hate swimming lessons, there could be a specific incident to blame. Perhaps they are insistent they want to stop lessons altogether. How can you encourage them to give classes another chance?
Try talking to your child about this change of heart. Be sure to listen to your child’s fear and do not dismiss anything she says to you. Being open-minded and supportive helps a child overcome fear.
It could be due to a scary experience, feeling unsafe during the pool, or getting told off by the swim instructor. It might even have been a comment made by somebody about danger in the water.
Remember, your child is very young and little things can seem like big things. Validate your child’s fears and give her enough time to talk them through with you.
Separation anxiety and swimming lessons
If separation anxiety is upsetting your child during swimming lessons, she might not be ready for child-only swimming lessons. Very young children aren’t ready to learn complicated strokes, anyway, so swim class at this age is more about feeling safe and comfortable in the water.
Many swim schools will allow parents in the pool during toddler swim lessons, so find one that welcomes you into the water. Separation anxiety is a completely normal part of childhood, and all children go through phases of wanting to stay close to their parents.
As your child becomes more comfortable in the pool, you should be able to slowly edge away from the pool during lessons. For example, you might be able to sit pool-side, within arm’s length of your child at first, and then slowly graduate to sitting on the benches with the other parents.
Take it slowly; there’s no rush. Your children have years ahead of them to learn to swim.
The water wobbles
Sometime between eight and 24 months, many kids experience the ‘water wobbles’. Even previously confident ‘water babies’ are suddenly clingy and unhappy in the pool. This phenomenon is known as the water wobbles, and it’s completely normal.
Here are some tips to help your little ones through the water wobbles:
- Stay positive. Keep being positive about your toddlers’ progress. Compliment them on the things they do well. If you sound nervous or worried, it could heighten their anxiety.
- Keep them close to you. If they’re clinging to your body and trying to stay as close as possible, embrace this. Don’t try holding them at arm’s length or dunking them under the water if all they want to do is feel safe in your arms. Respecting their need for closeness at this time will help them feel safe and build trust.
- Use toys. There should be plenty of toys dotted around the pool, or you can bring a favorite from home. Having a toy to hold may help distract toddlers from their worries.
- Ask the instructor for advice. The swim teachers are the experts. They’ll have seen this behavior plenty of times before and will be able to advise you how to encourage your children to regain their love of the pool.
The most important thing is to keep providing opportunities for your child to be in the water. Make time spent in the water fun and relaxed and always stay positive when talking about your child’s progress.
