What to Expect During Your Child’s First Swim Lesson
The Excitement of Swim Lessons
The summer months are rapidly approaching, as parents rush to sign their children up for swim lessons, school begins to wind down, and sign-ups for summer camps fill up. There is no doubt that the road to summer can be a chaotic and turbulent one. However, while we can’t eliminate all the stress that comes with the upcoming summer months, we can offer you solace and knowledge as you prepare to pack up your pool items and drive your child to their first swim lesson of the summer.
First Swim Lesson Essentials
While the basic swim lesson essentials may seem simple, it’s always nice to have a list, just in case. Additionally, some kids may have toys they want to “watch” their swim lesson.
Some necessities include:
Towel
Swimsuit
Goggles
Change of clothes
Hair tie for children who have long hair
After swim snack
Water
Meeting Your Instructor
The day has come! You’ve been talking with your child about their swim lessons all week, and they’re excited to learn a new skill. However, it’s normal for both of you to feel slightly nervous before the first lesson. One of the most common questions asked is, “what should I expect from our instructor?”
When you first meet your swim instructor, you should expect to be asked a few simple questions such as: “how old is your child? What background do they have in swimming? Is there a specific goal for the swim lesson?” All of these will help your instructor best personalize the lesson for your child. This is also a great time to ask them any questions or express any concerns you may have about your child’s first swim lesson.
During Lessons
Children are all different in how they react to their first swim lesson. Some kids absolutely adore the water and fit right in as soon as their feet touch the surface. Others are a bit more reluctant to get into the water, especially with someone they’ve never met before. It is absolutely normal for your child to cry during their lesson. It’s also absolutely normal for your child not to cry during their first lesson. It all depends on the child.
If your child cries during the lesson, you may be wondering what you should do. Should you step in? Do you need to walk out? What is the best course of action? Once again, it all depends on the child and the situation.
Sometimes, suppose a child seems to be distracted by your presence during the lesson. In that case, the instructor may ask you to step out for a few minutes to see if that redirects the child’s focus back to the lesson. Remember, if this happens, it does not mean anything is wrong with you or your child. In the same way that teachers may ask students to turn off their cell phones to focus better in class, an instructor may send you out so that your child can concentrate better on the lesson.
Another way an instructor may soothe a crying child is just by holding them and playing with toys. This is to help your child calm their fears and learn that swim lessons are safe and fun. The main goal is to help children develop a love for the water and swim lessons, rather than a disdain for either.
After Lessons
As your child climbs out of the water and waddles over to you, you may be wondering what to do now that their first swim lesson is over. Your instructor will probably reward them for their courage and bravery with a prize as they continue to tell you about what they worked on during the lesson. This will generally be the last minute or two of the lesson. They may say the highlights or give you a brief overview of the lesson as a whole. This time is an excellent opportunity to ask any questions you may have moving forward into more lessons.
Getting Booked
So, now that you know what to expect during your child’s first swim lesson, what is the best way for you to sign up for swim lessons to help your child learn water safety and lifelong skills? Here at Worden Aquatics, we love hearing from you no matter what your preferred method of communication!
For those who prefer to call our office number, just reach out to us at (615) 241-1179, and we’ll be sure to answer your call as soon as possible.
For those who would instead email, just reach out to us at info@wordenaquatics.com.
We hope to hear from you soon!