Swimming allows you not only to have fun, but also contributes to the harmonious development of muscles, heart and blood vessels, spine and joints. Modern parents understand this benefit for their child and try to start learning as early as possible.
In order for a child not to be afraid of water and to be able to swim properly, parents need to follow several important rules. First, you shouldn't try to teach swimming from infancy. Experienced trainers advise to wait up to 4 years, and before that age, let the baby just bathe, splash and enjoy it.
Secondly, you should not offer your child swimming circles, vests, arm ruffles and fins. The only useful device is a swimming board. It allows you to properly stay on the water, move your legs and lower your head into the water. Thirdly, for children's swimming, you need to choose a pool wisely. Its length should be at least 5 meters, and the child could enter the water up to the chest.
Where to start learning to swim?
First, the child is taught to lie on the water so that he is not afraid of it and lowers his head. To do this, you can use three simple exercises:
- The position of the "star": the baby lies down on the water, and stretches his arms and legs to the sides. He takes a horizontal position and realizes that he will not drown.
- Simple glide: the child pushes off the side of the pool, extends his arms and legs, and glides over the surface of the water.
- In the form of a float: the baby clasps his knees with his hands, lowers his head to his knees and tries to stay on the surface of the water.
When children are swimming in the pool, in no case leave them unattended, even if they are confident in the water. It is important for a kid to learn not only to perform 3 basic exercises, but also to breathe correctly. At first, a quick inhalation only with the mouth, then a long exhalation into the water. You do not need to immediately demand that the baby breathe like that in the pool, at first you can practice on land or in a basin of water.
