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  • By Misty Tyler


    Beginning as early as infancy, children can start the journey towards learning how to swim. In order to ensure a positive experience for their children, when looking for baby swim lessons West Chester PA moms and dads should make sure these classes meet the following essential criteria.

    The pace of the instruction needs to be slow, letting each child learn new skills when he or she is ready. A good teacher is someone who is both enthusiastic and patient, and makes swimming fun and interesting for these young students by incorporating sensually stimulating toys, games, and songs into water activities.

    Group learning can be particularly effective for this age group, children enjoy socializing together and seeing others also becoming familiar with swimming can help them learn. Usually termed "parent and tot" classes, each group consists of a small number of children accompanied by a parent, lead by an instructor. The adults also enjoy the social aspect of this format, and overall it promotes a sense of unity but simultaneously accommodates individual progress.

    If private instruction is preferred, this is another option for learning to swim. The parent and child are paired up with a teacher who provides individual attention. This can be a good way to learn, as long as the child is not pressured and the teaching method employed uses a baby-friendly technique and is no more than half-hour long.

    Parents should be present during swim classes as it is highly beneficial to the child's experience. Not only will these youngsters feel safer with mom or dad within close reach, but they it also provides an excellent opportunity for bonding and interaction between parent and child which is so important. As parents becomes aware of the child's aquatic abilities, they can also help him or her practice at home if they have a pool.

    The temperature of the pool and the surrounding air also make a difference to the comfort level and performance of these young swimmers. Warm water, ideally between 90 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit, is most conducive to making babies feel at ease when they are in it. The air temperature should be warmer than 80 degrees. Baby-sized wetsuits and swim-caps can also be helpful in maintaining body warmth.

    At the beginner level, it is recommended that these young swimmers attend classes four times per week for the first month of lessons. Afterwards, bi-weekly instruction is suggested. Short but frequent classes seem to be the most effective for this age group. Busy parents may not always be able to accommodate this schedule, in which case they can always practice with the child at home in the bathtub.

    Before signing the child up for any swim classes, parents should talk to other moms and dads and find out which ones they would recommend, then sit in on these lessons to see for oneself if the children seem to be learning and happy there. Simply asking questions over the phone is not enough, observation is the best way to assess if the teacher and approach used measure up.




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