Joining a swim school and entering a pool with a swim teacher could well be the first class room environment a young child may encounter.
Photo: Paul Van Jaarsveld
Helping the little swimmer to overcome the associated fears and uncertainty’s is the first step in the Learn to Swim journey.
Building a trust relationship will be a good swim teacher’s first goal.
Up to the age of 3, many children will only trust their parents or other family members and learning to trust a stranger in a swimming pool can be very stressful.
It does help if the little swimmer knows some other children who are learning to swim with the same teacher. They will then compare notes amongst each other and can help make the whole journey more enjoyable.
There may be tears when a little swimmer enters the water for the first time. A patient, calm swim teacher will help the child through this traumatic stage and this will be the start of the trust relationship.
Brenton’s Swim School offers lessons at the Training Edge Gym in a heated covered swimming pool. For more information, email kougaswim@vodamail.co.za
