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123 Swimming Lessons

Teach Your Child To Swim!

Male vs Female Swim Instructors

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Is There A Difference in Having A Male vs Female Swim Instructor?

Male vs Female Swim Instructors is an important question most parents ask when it comes to teaching their child. Will my child be comfortable with a male or female? Will they listen to a male or female? Will they be afraid? Who is better at teaching a male or a female?

The answer is neither right or wrong. The question one should ask themselves is; does my child enjoy the water? Are they afraid of the pool? Do they listen to easy 1,2 step instructions?

Your child will probably be nervous of a stranger in the swimming pool anyhow. Most of us have taught our kids not to talk to strangers regardless of a male or female. Although it is important for your child to feel comfortable with their swim instructor, chances are they will be nervous or unsure at first meeting their instructor.

As a parent, making the decision of introducing your child to a life saving skill such as learning how to swim is one of the best decisions you could ever make for them. Whether a male or female instructor is best is commonly asked next.

When you set up your child’s lesson for swimming-

Some key factors will come into play beforehand to help your child adjust to having a male or female instructor in their home.

  • It is best advised to talk about your child having swim lessons days before hand, and also on the day of. Talking about how they’re going to have a friendly, fun teacher to come and play in the pool with them. Yes swim lessons are structured, but telling your child how much fun they’re going to have learning helps them feel better about being in the water.
  • Make sure that the time you scheduled your child works best for their schedule. Try not to schedule it when you know that’s their nap time, or eating a meal time. Try not to “rush” and build anxiety for your child’s lesson. Children are very receptive to feelings, and can be very emotional already. Speaking calmly, and talk about all of the great things that they’re going to be doing. Example; swimming like a mermaid, kicking like a dolphin, etc.)
  • Make sure your own pool temperature is comfortable. No one likes to be
  • Try not to feed your child a big meal before hand because eating before swimming

Playing in the Swimming Pool

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Playing in the Swimming Pool

Swimming is already scary for children, they still enjoy playing in the swimming pool. After a lesson it is crucial to incorporate some fun game into it. Learning through play is an important part of a child’s development, and who are we kidding? It also burns some extra energy that they can afford to burn. Lol. Even early in development, a child’s mind is expanding just by looking at their environment and taking in their surroundings.

Through play, it allows children to learn many different skills that they will need in their life such as:

  • Problem solving and learning cause and effect
  • Learning how to play with others through compromise, conflict resolution and sharing
  • Development of fine and gross motor skills
  • Nurturing their creativity and imagination
  • Discovering their independence and positive self-esteem
  • Sensory play

One of the major skills that will assist in your child’s development in the water is sensory, motor, promoting independence and positive self esteem. I have listed a few games that you can play with your child after their 20-25 min lesson.

  • Diving for rings or treasure coins (pool friendly-can usually be found in the swim aisles during swim/summer season)

If your child is a toddler or smaller/but can stand up/or walk on their own they can play this game on a step inside of the pool (supervised by an adult) Place a diving ring, or coin, or pool toy that does not float. Gage the distance of arm lengths reach for your child encourage them to hold their breathe while reaching for the pool toy. It promotes self-confidence and depending on how small the toy is; it helps with finger and hand pincer grip. If your child is already standing up in the pool and/or can reach and confidently swim from the wall or step place several pool toys that they can dive for. Clap, cheer them on, even if they weren’t able to collect all of the toys. Let them know you are proud of them and they will want to try again.

123 Swimming Lessons Playing in the Swimming Pool

  • Squirt toys/water bomb balls

These are so fun to play with in the swimming pool. Children love rubber ducks, water mesh balls, squirt guns, etc. Let them squish the water, play, splash, dump it over their head or yours.

  • Noodle/kick-board paddle races

This is really fun when a parent get’s involved. Children love to race. If your child is confidently swimming a few feet or to the other side of the pool grab a noodle, kick board, floating toy and see who can paddle to the other side the fastest. If you like a challenge, time your child and see if they can beat their previous time. Get creative with strokes paddle with the noodle, maybe no arms just kicking, back floats, the possibilities are endless. If it’s for a younger child, racing is something they may not like. Use a noodle as a horse ride, dolphin ride. Children want to be assured that they can have fun with the pool toys as well, and that it’s not so scary just because they practice swimming or strokes with it.

  • Wall falls (jumping from the steps) /Humpty dumpty’s

You must be careful when encouraging your child to jump or “pretend” fall into the pool into your arms. But children love to jump in or splash around in the pool. If they are supervised properly and encouraged to jump outwards into an adults arms, they’re becoming fearless and feel safe. This will benefit them later when they want to learn to dive. Sing songs when they’re jumping into your arms. Set the rules of when and not to play in the pool.

These are just a few ideas of games to play in the pool. As long as you’re having fun and your child is enjoying themselves in pool it’s a win for everyone.

Cheers,

Miss Jo

Private Swim Lessons VS Group

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Private Swim Lessons VS Group

Hey swimmers it’s ya boy Curtis Knight your online swim instructor.

A question that I get asked quite often is “why should I pay for a private swim instructor when I can throw my child in group lessons?”

It’s always a very good question & shouldn’t just be brushed over so dove in a little bit to answer that for you.

I have instructed both Group Lessons, still can by the way but now am a private swim instructor so I’m not going to just talk out of my backside on this one.

Just recently I was able to layout exactly why Private Swim Lessons VS group are by far the better of the two to have your child in.

Not only is a private swim lesson much more hands on, there were defiantly other FACTS that we just could not ignore.

QUICK NUMBER RUN DOWN

On average a group swim lesson is about 30 mins long with 5 – 6 children per class.

Now doing just a little bit of math, dividing 30 mins by 5 children leaves you with 6 mins TOTAL HANDS ON CORRECTIONS CORRECT? YUP!

This means that really & honestly your child is CHILL’N on the side of the pool for 24 mins TOTAL.

In no way shape or form am I saying that group lessons don’t work because THEY DO & swim schools are defiantly needed.

My focus is that your child will learn to swim much quicker with private swim lessons VS group.

The most obvious difference in this number run down is that with a private instructor you or your child are getting 24 – 25 mins more hands on correction & assistance PER LESSON.

Can’t ignore some facts right? LOL

For Private Swim Instruction Contact:

Curtis Knight

TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO SWIM NOW! THE GUMMY SHARKS LESSON PLAN EBOOK!

Pool Safety for Toddlers

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Pool Safety For Toddlers

I don’t have to stress the importance of pool safety for toddlers because you already know how important it is.

Curtis Knight teaching private swim lessonsWhat I’m really here for is to give you a few swimming tips that you can use while you are in the pool with your toddler.

Having strength in the pool is an important factor that people forget to work on. For example having your child always hold the wall & crawl on it allows them to become very familiar with grabbing the wall.

Making sure they are touching the wall to know that they can pull themselves up to breath is always a plus in a life threatening situation for your child.

Here is a short video of a technique that is easy to pick up for most children & help with pool safety for toddlers.

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Elbow Elbow – Knee Knee Technique is simple to remember & of course it is exactly what your child needs to do to get out of the water.

The wall is a tool when it comes to teaching your little ones pool safety. Make it a rule that they always have to go straight back to the wall when they fall into the pool.

Anytime you are instructing your own child in the pool structure your lessons around the wall. The wall should be the first thing that your child thinks of when they get into the pool. LOL.

All jokes aside pool safety for toddlers is a very important subject & besides making sure your child can swim please, use the right pool SAFETY GATES needed.

Never leave your child unattended. No Swimming Alone!!!

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Tips On Swimming In the Summer

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SWIMMING IN THE SUMMER

Swimming in the summer is what many wait all year long for. From children to adults we all want to cool off & enjoy ourselves.

Every year we are reminded of how HOT it really gets. I personally live in Las Vegas & the sun seems like it is right on your shoulder talking to you sometimes.

I have a few tips that can help you with your preparation for swimming in the summertime & avoid those minor hassles that can become major.

Check Your Local Weather  

Checking your local weather before hand always helps with your swimming preparation.

By checking the weather you can determine whether you would like to go earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon or evening if the mid day heat is just too hot.

Mid day is probably your worst time to swim being it is the hottest time of the day. Try to structure your swimming lessons or swim activities in the early mornings or late afternoons.

Drink A Lot Of Water

Staying hydrated is a daily requirement all in itself, but when swimming in the summer you have to be very conscious of your water intake.

The average cups that a child should be drinking per day is 6 to 8 cups. For swimming in the summer you will defiantly need more than that.

I would recommend an extra 2 to 3 cups EXTRA per day for children & adults. There are so many factors in loss of water in your body but for the average workout of 30mins it is suggested to have an extra 1 to 2 cups extra per day.

Limit Your Time In The Sun

Of course an obvious one is to limit your time swimming in the sun. We can’t spend too much time exposed to the sun even if there is cloud cover.

Cloud cover actually can be just as bad with UV rays on your body as no cloud cover. Just when you think its safe because the sun went behind the clouds think again.

You will still need to cover up & limit how much time you spend in the uncovered spots in your swimming area.

Put On Sunscreen

SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN! And of course your protector when all of the other tips may not be able to be sorted, you grab that sunscreen & APPLY, APPLY, APPLY.

Sunscreen is there for you when you forget to limit your time & wear the correct swim clothing. This is the ONE TIP for swimming in the summer that you JUST CAN NOT FORGET! SPF 15+,30+,50+ ect.

Cant go swimming without it. Beach life can turn into the worst day out if you forget this little object.

Learn Basics of Swimming for Beginners

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Learning the Basics of Swimming for Beginners

Hey swimmers it’s ya boy Curtis Knight your online swim instructor.

Just having some basics of swimming for beginners down in your head will help so much with your future swim lessons.

Yo was happen’n its ya boy Curtis Knight your online swim instructor!

Willingness to want to get into the water is always the first thing to overcome.

I will lay out some key steps to a nice transfer into a paid swim lesson.

  1. Getting Comfortable in the Water. 

    Not everyone is perfectly comfortable getting into the water & its completely understandable.

    Start by entering into a shallow end of the pool with enough water for you to move around & leave your feet off the bottom of the pool.

    If you are not very comfortable with putting your face in the water you will need to start by blowing some bubbles on top of the water.

  2. Learning How To Float. 

    The basics of swimming for beginners will always involve a little back floating.basics of swimming for beginners

    Learning how to float is quite easy once you get relaxed.

    Start out by putting both feet & both hands on the wall of the pool.

    Tilt your head back looking straight up in the sky & slowly push off the wall releasing your hands & feet off of the wall.

    As you push off slowly keep your belly button up and out of the water & stay nice and relaxed.

  3. Learning To Kick Underwater. 

    Kicking underwater is a definite must in basics of swimming for beginners because that is how you will get from A to B as quick as possible.

    This is not difficult at all once you are comfortable with the water you will have no choice but to kick underwater.

    Learning to scissor kick in the water is the best way to learn first for beginners.

    Scissor kicks will help you with your freestyle stroke when you are all set and ready to be a killer shark in the water.

    Just Having Fun

    You always need to remember to just enjoy the water.

    Never over think anything you do because you can always just float or kick to the top.

    For all children NO SWIMMING ALONE.

    Have fun & as always holla at ya boi.