Children under 3 are very buoyant but typically learn at a much slower rate than children 3 and over. The older children are usually easier to communicate with and are stronger and more coordinated. Parents should make sure that they keep their expectations realistic when it comes to a young child’s rate of progress. I will speak with the toddler’s parents about their child’s progress when requested. This communication might be via email, texts, phone, or in person.
I’m a down to earth, straightforward swim instructor that likes to make significant progress in the least amount of time. I will typically ignore (or at least downplay) a young toddler’s crying since acknowledging it will generally significantly slow down the student’s learning. Crying during a young student’s lesson is a phase that many toddlers experience, but it usually passes fairly quickly when the parent lets me teach the lesson.
Occasionally, parents will give me valuable tips on how to best motivate their children, which can be quite useful in the lesson’s success. At all times, I try to keep an open mind and will do what is best for the toddler.
Children under 3 will often cry from 1 to 4 lessons. In order to learn how to swim, very young children MUST create an emotional, trusting connection with the instructor. Therefore, they usually should be taught WITHOUT the parents in sight. Often, when the parents are within sight, the child will endlessly cry for attention.
As the child gets more experience in the water, the crying passes and the child will typically get to a point where he/she figures out that learning to swim is actually fun. After a few lessons, many children end up loving being in the water. It is helpful for the parents to bring the child into the water as often as possible so the child can experience the sensation of the pool water on their bodies and how to keep their mouths closed when they are under water.