Tips for Conquering A Childs Fear of Water

Vlad Atlantis • September 11, 2018

If your child is afraid of water, try these tips to overcome this fear

To many children, there is nothing more fun than jumping in the pool or running headfirst into the water at the beach. For other children the mere mention of going into any body of water may fill them with anxiety or fear to the point of hysterics. If your child falls into this latter category don't fret! There IS hope and we believe with the right foundation every child can develop a love of the water. Read on for some useful tips that will help your child on their aquatic journey!

One Step At A Time

The overarching goal when introducing a child to the aquatic environment is simple: Make them comfortable! Start with a smaller environment like the bathtub or a small kidie pool in the backyard. Another key element is to make sure the water is as warm as possible as warm water is much more relaxing than cold water, and only fill it up to their legs to give them the sense that they are bigger than the environment.

Use Toys

Now that you've got them in a shallow, warm water environment try introducing one of their favorite toys. Some toys should be able to float on the surface while other toys are submerged and stay on the bottom. Introducing these stimuli should help the child visually sense what is happening around them.

Pour Water

One of the easiest methods to introduce pouring water is with the use of a gardening spout. Add small amounts of water, no more than a cup at a time so that the child can experiment with pouring water over his skin. Use caution and introduce water to different areas of the body making sure to avoid the face until they are ready for it. When the child is ready for water on the head use a gradual approach and begin pouring over the back of the head & slowly let some of it dribble forward towards the face. This step can be stressful for the child as a huge piece of sensory development is going on.

Blow Bubbles

Another huge milestone in sensory development is the act of the child wilfully putting their face in the water. An easy way to work on this skill is to make a game of blowing bubbles. A no fail method is the "Talk to the Fish" game. Simply let the child know you are going to talk to the "fish" by lowering your face into the water and blowing. This helps the child naturally understand how the water works and whether or not they need to fear it.

Next Step: Poolside

Once the child is comfortable with the above, it is time for them to move up to something a little more challenging. Sitting on the edge of the pool and dangling toes in the water is a great first step in showing your child that there is nothing to fear. Don't push them to do more until they are comfortable. Once they are comfortable with that, try sitting on the top step of the pool entrance & encourage them to do the same. As the child becomes more comfortable, continue to progress a little deeper with the goal of getting them to stand on their own while in the pool.

Everything is Better with Friends

Kids are more likely to try something new when there are other children actively participating. This effect is amplified further when they see their own friends taking part so feel free to invite friends or siblings to participate in the activity. The social bonding experience and learning through observing peers has a huge impact on whether or not a child will be comfortable.

High Quality Swim Lessons

Our swim instructors are trained not only to TEACH your child how to swim but they are also prepared to help your child overcome fears. Replace your sense of anxiety with a sense of peace and accomplishment through once-a-week lessons with a highly trained swim instructor. By providing your child with the skills they need to swim, you can achieve this goal and rest assured knowing you will build years of memories around the water and a lifetime of swim enjoyment.

To learn more about our swim lesson programs and register your family for Fall swim classes, visit our learn-to-swim levels page.

For more information on water safety, follow us on Facebook.

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Who is that out in the water with your normal swim teacher? That's Coach Natasha and she has been undergoing ASA's swim instructor training program since July! Our instructors normally train for 1-2 months (that's up to 72 hours!) before taking their own classes. Why does Atlantis have such a strict training regimen? Because we believe in high quality lessons and high quality swim teachers that are properly equipped to teach them! Coach Natasha loves teaching swim lessons & has a natural love for the water. Patience, encouragement & enthusiasm define her teaching style and she is able to instantly connect with students of every age by making every encounter warm, inviting and stress-free. She will start hosting her own classes beginning September 2019 and we are SO happy to welcome her into the Atlantis family. Keep up the good work Natasha!

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Benefits of Swimming 2x A Week

By Vlad Atlantis • September 28, 2018
Theres a reason they say, "Practice Makes Perfect". Looking to maximize the benefits of your childs lesson? Enrolling your student in classes twice-a-week doubles the amount of time they get to work on skills and practice them in the water! Our instructors recommend taking twice-a-week lessons for every student when possible. Why? For our youngest swimmers, 30 minutes of swim classes just one (1) time a week aren't enough. Do you attend just one day of preschool during the week for your 3 or 4 year old? The answer of course is "no". The reason is that you want your child to be stimulated multiple days per week and for prolonged periods of time to cover many subjects. Learning swim skills is no different than learning to read or write, the more they are able to be taught, the more they will learn. Main benefits of swimming Twice a Week: Double the Health Benefits: Swimming has been linked to increased brain development, learning potential, social skills, heart health & more! Makes Swimming Natural: Repetition, repetition, repetition! Repeating the small moves makes learning the big moves easier! The more often you do something, the more natural it becomes for the student. Additionally, children that take lessons throughout infancy and into their toddler years will find it much more comfortable to start swimming on their own vs. their older peers with no experience. Muscle Memory & Increased Retention: When you repeat swim strokes it builds muscle memory, which results from a physical movement being repeated until it can be performed without conscious effor, just like riding a bike! Double the FUN: Our classes make learning to swim fun for our students and more social contact with kids of similar ages helps children develop important social skills. Develop Skills & Progress FASTER! Normally it takes many months to move between levels. By taking lessons twice a week, you can reduce this timeframe. To learn more about Atlantis Swim Academy and our programs follow us on Facebook.

How Long Until My Child Swims?

By COACH OKSANA • September 13, 2018
Just like with any sport, when parents enroll children for swim lessons they naturally have questions. One of the most common questions we get is "how long will it be until my child can swim?". Giving a simple answer would be preferred but just like asking "when will my child be a black belt", we can't give an accurate answer. Just like skills learned in school like reading, math & writing, swimming is a skill that takes time to develop. Children learn new skills at their own pace and there are many factors that lead to longer learning periods such as overcoming anxiety or fears or being distracted in class. It is essential that parents set reasonable & stress free goals and encourage their children through communication & positive reinforcement to help foster a fun learning environment and process. Continue below to for the general factors that impact a childs pace of learning.

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By Vlad Atlantis • April 18, 2018
We've all been there. You're at the supermarket, on an airplane or stuck in a car with a crying baby. Science shows us that Parents are put on heightened alert when they hear the sound of a crying baby, yes, ANY baby! This is because we are naturally primed to be concerned for the most vulnerable members of our families and communities and a crying baby alerts us to what our brains tell is could be a dangerous situation. The problem is, we don't live around fires in caves or the open wilderness anymore. Babies and children don't just cry when they are hurt or scared but for a host of other reasons we'll touch on below. Before you stress about your baby or child crying in class, rest assured that we have ALL been there. Nobody in your class will resent or hate you for a crying baby or child because we can all relate, especially members of the swim community that have been through the same thing! Lets get on with it then! 1.) One of the first reasons your baby may be crying is the "stranger danger" instinct. Some children are more than happy to meet strangers but the vast majority of babies and children are very timid during first introductions. We all know that one niece or nephew that STILL won't acknowledge your existence! In fact, our children have this hardwired into their brains to protect them from people they don't know and to communicate with parents that something doesn't seem right to them. During the first or second baby class, it is perfectly normal for your baby to cry when meeting or interacting with the teacher, other parents & their babies. 2.) Another HUGE reason your baby could be crying is due to SO MUCH stimulation. Swimming pools are filled with unfamiliar noises, textures, lighting and visual cues. The most prominent sensory stimulant is being placed in water for the first time outside of a bath. The feeling of weightlessness is a brand new experience and water being placed on their head and face triggers a number of natural responses. All these factors culminate in an essential but sometimes overwhelming experience for your baby but hang in there, we've all had to go through the same process to get a happy & comfortable water baby! 3.) They just might not be in a good mood! Sometimes baby falls asleep on the way to class, only to be jolted awake and placed in an unfamiliar setting (talk about wondering how they go there). Other times they may be hungry or they are irritated you won't let them jump out of your hands into oblivion. Babies can be unpredictable and they communicate with their emotions. If they are cranky, hungry, sad or want attention, babies use crying to communicate that they want SOMETHING, what that something means is for YOU to decipher. Understanding why your baby is crying goes a long way into helping find ways to reduce or eliminate it. Every parent must be patient and understanding while their baby is on this exciting new voyage. Remember to put yourself in their shoes before deciding to remove them from the pool and SMILE to show them that the water is nothing to be afraid of!
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