Swimming is deservedly considered one of the most beneficial types of physical activity and sports. It can have a powerful healing effect on the entire body as a whole or on its individual systems. If you take a few minutes to read this material, you will learn a lot of interesting things about children's swimming. We will tell you about how it is useful, at what age you should start swimming, learn practical tips on how to teach a child to swim and much more. Perhaps this information will prompt you to organize a new activity with your beloved child.

Benefits of swimming

Swimming has a positive effect on almost all body systems. This:

• Cardiovascular. Due to the horizontal stay of a person in the water, deep breathing and activation of all muscles, the heart receives a powerful blood flow, which greatly facilitates its work. Gradually, the stroke volume of the heart increases, the elasticity of the vessels increases, the pulse decreases, and this allows it to work powerfully, but "economically".
• nervous. During swimming, due to water vibrations, the nerve endings of the skin and muscles are slightly massaged, which relieves excess tension and calms the nervous system. It has been noticed that after an active stay in the water, even children who have problems with laying fall asleep quickly and soundly.
• Respiratory system. While swimming, breathing automatically becomes deeper and more active. And this trains the lungs of the child, increases their volume.
• Immunity. Regular swimming has been proven to boost the immune system by increasing resistance to seasonal colds.
• Musculoskeletal system. During water procedures in a pool or in an open pond, all muscles are involved in a child to varying degrees, each of them receives some kind of load, which contributes to the harmonious development of the muscles of the body. In addition, there is a release of tension from the spine, and the likelihood of scoliosis is significantly reduced.

When should you start teaching your child to swim?

If you have a healthy baby, then the question of when to teach a child to swim will be incorrect, since he will already have a swimming instinct. Many health advocates, as well as pediatric doctors, recommend that parents develop this instinct and bathe the child in a bathtub filled with water. Please note that it is worth starting to do this when the umbilical cord completely heals in the baby, that is, from 2-3 weeks of age. Babies, as a rule, are not at all afraid of water and feel quite confident in it. And this is explained by the fact that they were in the liquid for 9 months before birth, being in the mother's womb. Kids get real pleasure from water procedures and, as practice shows, they sleep better after them, suffer less from colic and eat well. Some parents allow their tiny babies to dive and swim underwater, but without special training from the parents themselves, it's not worth the risk. It is better to invite a qualified swimming coach who specializes in teaching such small children to the house or purchase a special inflatable ring that supports the baby's head.

If in the first months of life the child does not get the opportunity to swim freely, then the swimming instinct completely disappears. But this is not scary, because theoretically it will be possible to learn swimming from any age, but in this case, the approach to learning will be different.

How to teach children to swim: let's talk about babies

If your little one is a year old or so, then a safe bath at home with inflatable toys and fun splashing in the water will be enough for him. Remember that you should not take such a baby to the pool without special training. If you begin to sharply dip the child in order to "teach him to swim", then it is likely that fright and fear of water will appear. This is fraught with psychological trauma that can stay with him for life.

Babies aged 2-2.5 years already need to be taught to hold their breath. It is not so difficult to do this: while bathing the baby, pour water on his head with a small pressure of water with a “dive” warning. Turn this process into a game, do not scare the baby, do not do it abruptly. The first time a child can choke on water and completely abandon such an undertaking, then invite him to “dive” on his own. Children willingly water themselves from a bucket and get real pleasure at the same time. When you realize that your baby already knows how to hold his breath during water procedures, then you can sign up for the pool. It is best to choose a special section, where there will be other mothers with the same age as your child. Collective learning of children, as a rule, is more productive. If the baby is afraid of water in a large pond, then do not impose bathing on him. Sit on the edge of the pool and invite your child to just dangle their feet in the water. After some time, perhaps after a few classes, he will definitely want to swim.

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If the child is 3-5 years old, then it's time to start introducing him to the physical properties of water. Show, for example, that it is much more convenient to stay on the water in a horizontal position than in a vertical one, that water resists the movement of hands, etc. If water procedures are interesting for the baby, then you can try to teach him to swim as follows - after the warning, release your hands, allowing the child to “flounder” in the water. The first time such swimming training for children will not bring results, but gradually, at the level of instinct, the little swimmer will understand that certain movements of his arms and legs allow him to move forward to his parents. Most importantly, be there and let the baby know that you will pick him up at any second.

Please note that we teach a child to swim in a pool without an inflatable ring. In the circle, the baby is in a vertical, wrong position, and it will be very difficult for him to learn to lie on the water and feel his body. If you want to increase the level of safety while in the water, then it is better to buy an inflatable collar or armlets.

We teach to swim a preschooler and a child of primary school age

The age of a child of 6-8 years is considered the most favorable in order to teach him to swim on his own. Classes with a teacher will already be quite productive, because the child will be able to understand well and, most importantly, do what the coach wants from him. Teaching children to swim includes not only practice, but also a theoretical part, so it is important that the child can remember safety precautions and certain exercises. By the way, this applies not only to professional sports, because lightweight swimming methods also require instruction. This age of the child is also good because the baby is already able to have a “sense of water”, which is formed by skin receptors and the central nervous system. It allows the child to instinctively feel the degree of fluid pressure, resistance and compare them with their own movements to improve buoyancy.

Fun water training exercises

Of course, teaching children to swim will be most productive if it is carried out with a coach, but not all families have the opportunity to visit paid sections. Here are some fun and easy exercises that will show you how to teach your child to swim in a public pool without a teacher, at home, if there is, for example, a frame pool, in the sea or in a lake.
So, facilitated ways of swimming:

1. Exercise "Heart". Invite your child to draw hearts in full swing with their hands on the water. You can count together who can make more hearts in half a minute. This exercise will allow the baby to learn to swim breaststroke.
2. "Frog". Holding on to one of the parents, the child should repeat the movements of the frog with his feet. When he does it well, it is worth adding a "heart" to this exercise.
3. "Duck". Invite the baby to hold on to you with his hands, and touch with his feet like a duck flips with flippers under water. This can be done with oversleeves.
4. "Give it to someone else". Several adults (such as mom and dad) stand a short distance from each other and pass the child through the water like a rocket. At first, the baby should be passed with support and strong shocks, but gradually the distance between adults must be increased and the child should be allowed to hang in the water, swimming to the target on its own. Thus, children swim in the pool already without armbands, this is a good exercise for discarding them.
5. "Now I'm on my own". When a child manages to swim at least some distance, he will certainly have confidence that he already knows how to swim well. So that he is not scared in the "big" water, set boundaries for independent swimming. The main thing is not to allow the child to swim to such a depth at which he cannot reach the bottom with his feet if he gets tired or scared. Let him go up to his neck into the water, turn around and try to swim the whole distance without touching the bottom.

Now you know how to teach your child to swim on their own.

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Sport or hobby?

If you have already decided where to teach your child to swim and have chosen a water complex, then do not rush to look at the professional sports section. Even if swimming is easy for your child, if he is looking forward to class time, it is not a fact that he will be happy to consider it as a sport. Keep in mind that even small swimmers aged 6-7 years should consider the pool as a place of "work", it will cease to be a place to play. At first, sports should be given 2-3 days a week, but in the end the child will have to attend training every day. If you are determined to send your child to a big sport, then suggest that he first just look at the training from afar, without taking part in them, make sure that the child is mentally prepared and really wants it. Be prepared to devote a lot of time to swimming lessons too, because you will have to constantly take the young athlete to the pool, attend competitions in other cities, monitor his proper nutrition and do not forget about studying at school.

Documents for visiting the public pool

If you are thinking about how to teach your child to swim in a public pool, then a visit to the doctor is indispensable. A health certificate for a swimming pool represents some kind of medical clearance from a pediatric doctor. The pediatrician will have to assess the health and physical condition of the child, the likelihood of risks from water procedures. Also, when children swim in the pool, they are at risk of getting some kind of disease. The medical certificate will be a guarantee that the child does not pose a sanitary and epidemiological threat to other visitors to the pool. To get a certificate for a child under 14 years old, you will need to take a scraping for enterobiosis, undergo dermatological examinations, and you may need general blood and urine tests.

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You are unlikely to meet a child who is indifferent or negative to water. On a hot summer day, it is almost impossible to pull a baby out of a pond. This is not surprising, because the resulting sensations are radically different from those that can be experienced in the bathroom.

Growing up, your child wants to be independent. Therefore, sooner or later you will wonder how to teach a child to swim. In fact, this process is not so complicated, because the ability to swim is given to children easily.

You are unlikely to succeed in teaching a child to swim in a year. But this period is the most suitable in order to adapt to the water. The most favorable period for learning to swim independently is the age of 4-7 years.

The main mistake made by parents when learning to swim

Before teaching a child to swim correctly, it is important to understand the main mistakes that many parents make. The main mistake is that they try to explain to the baby how to stay above the surface of the water.

Dad teaches his baby not to be afraid of being underwater by diving with him

They tell the baby how to keep his head above the water, how to stretch in the water, row with his hands and flounder with his feet. At the same time, they support the child in such a way that he barely touches the surface of the water.

But how can a baby keep his head above water if he does not even know how to swim correctly? After all, for this you need at least to row your hands correctly. For the sake of experiment, try to stay on the water yourself, moving your legs and arms in a disorder, or simply being without movement.

Using this method, you will teach your child to swim for a very long time. Therefore, first of all, you need to teach him to feel confident underwater. After all, if he is afraid to be under the surface of the water, then his movements will be constrained, and the desire to swim is unlikely to be strong.

Many children are simply afraid of the depth when they do not feel support or just the bottom under their feet. Ultimately, they simply begin to be afraid of the depth and there is no longer any talk of learning to swim.

Little girl learns to swim in special inflatable swimming sleeves

But the sleeves will support him on the water. In addition, it will be possible to move away from it a little. The child will feel more independent seeing you from a distance. The sleeves do not hinder movements, the baby can easily paddle with his hands. In this regard, an inflatable vest is less preferred. But it provides almost complete security. Even an inflatable ball can be used as support.

Where can you teach your child to swim?

The child receives the first swimming lessons in infancy, lying in the bathtub. To do this, it is enough to put the baby on his back or tummy. He will instinctively begin to flounder with his legs and arms. In infancy, the little one feels comfortable in the water, because he spent nine months in the amniotic fluid.

Little boy in a swimming cap and goggles learns to swim in a paddling pool

At a young age, it is better to teach children to swim in the pool. Ideally, it should be located at the children's health center. In such a pool, the water contains less chlorine, it is softer. Over time, you can move to the adult pool, but limit yourself in time so that irritation does not appear on the sensitive skin of the child. The advantage of the pool is that the baby can be accustomed to the depth gradually.

Often small children are not taken to the pool. This is motivated by the fact that they are not yet able to ask for a potty. It is also important to consider the temperature of the water. If it was not possible to sign up for the pool, then the bathroom is also suitable for obtaining basic knowledge of swimming, which can be fixed on high water.

At 4-5 years old, you can safely move into the pond. But you should prepare means to ensure the safety of the child on the water. In the process of bathing, in no case be distracted! Always keep the baby in your field of vision!

Teaching a child to swim with the help of the game

When learning the basics of swimming, it is best to use games. The duration of classes is selected taking into account the physical characteristics of the child. It is important that he has enough strength, and the exercises themselves are attractive.

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The following main types of exercises can be distinguished:

• "Float". The child, having taken a breath and holding his breath, should sit down under the water. Let him clasp his legs bent at the knees and press them to his chest. Due to the air in the lungs, it will float;
• "Asterisk on the back". The child, standing waist-deep in water, should spread his arms to the sides and gently lie down on the water. Divorced arms and legs will create a kind of star. The ears and part of the head must be submerged in water;
• "Asterisk on the stomach." The child, holding the air, should lie on the water with his hands up. At the same time, his face should be lowered down;
• Leg exercise. Holding on to the side of the pool or your hands, the child should begin to make intense movements with his legs, creating as much splash as possible. A foam board can be used as a support. Under the influence of the force created by the working legs, the baby will swim. This will make him even more interested.

After mastering these exercises, you can move on to the hands. At the same time, support the baby under the chest. When learning to swim, be sure to ensure that the baby does not hold his breath and breathe evenly.

Given the fact that many children flirt and simply do not have the strength to swim out of the depths, it is important to teach them to relax. To do this, teach him to dive under water. Holding your breath allows you to make it more even.

As you can see, teaching a child to swim is not so difficult. It is enough just to be patient and approach this process consistently. It is important to interest your baby, then you will not have problems in the learning process.

Summer, vacation, sea… Who would refuse such a pastime? To get the most out of your time on the water, you need to know how to swim. How and at what age to teach a child to swim?

There is no need to talk about the benefits of swimming:

• hardening of the body as a whole and effective prevention of colds;
• the formation of a healthy posture;
• positive emotions;
• development of physical abilities: coordination of movements, strength and endurance.

“Swimming has unshakable values ​​that no one can challenge. Everyone should be able to swim! Who is against it?..”, said the famous Soviet swimmer, four-time Olympic champion and world record holder Vladimir Salnikov.

Oh no, we do not urge you to raise a future Olympic swimmer from your child (although why not), but it is very necessary to teach him this useful skill.

When to teach your child to swim

Babies are the best "students"

So, when can children learn to swim? You can teach a baby to water as soon as he was born. For a newborn, the aquatic environment is almost a natural state, because for 9 months he stayed in the amniotic fluid. And because the crumbs just love to swim. However, vigilant parents should not forget that the water element can be dangerous for babies. So that the baby does not lose the innate ability to swim, you need to involve a specialist. At the initial stage, it will be enough to slightly immerse the child in water and sway a little around the perimeter of the bathroom. When the baby learns simple exercises, he can swim in the pool.

Learn to swim by playing

At the age of one to four years, there is no point in forcibly forcing a child to learn to swim. At this age, children learn the world through the game, and therefore it is worth accustoming to water, giving them the opportunity to splash and just have fun.

The most optimal age for learning to swim, according to experts, is 4 years.

Acquaintance with water of a child up to a year

Diving at the reflex level

Young children, who love swimming from birth, very quickly learn to stop breathing and paddle with their arms. Many parents are afraid to teach their baby to dive.

“In fact, there is nothing wrong with diving,” advises the popular TV presenter, pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky, “the newborn has a very pronounced reflex that prevents water from entering the respiratory tract. If you do not dive for two or three months, this reflex fades away and the child may choke ... This should be done in the position of the child on the stomach. Say the word “dive” out loud and guide the child underwater for a few seconds. He will develop a conditioned reflex very quickly, and the word “dive” alone will be enough for the baby to hold his breath on his own.”

At 1 year old, you can teach your baby to stay on the surface of the water and not be afraid to dip his face into the water. At the same time, it is very easy to overwork a young bather. Swimming involves a huge expenditure of energy and the child runs the risk of getting tired very quickly. Therefore, the first classes should not last more than 10 minutes.

If the baby resists or is clearly afraid of water, do not insist, otherwise you risk causing hydrophobia in the child for life.

Swimming lessons for 1-2 year olds

Inhale-exhale

Inhale on land and exhale under water - this is the rule the baby should remember first of all. Playfully. Place a container of water on the bench so that it is at the level of the child’s shoulders, load the boat with sails there, show how to breathe air into the sails, so that the boat sails in the other direction. The chin should be under water. This game will appeal to any fidget. Having understood the essence of this fun, the child will develop interest, excitement, and he will try to exhale the air. Children 1-2 years old are able to blow on the boat from 6 to 8 times.

Stop, breath!

The next skill of a young swimmer should be the skill of holding your breath underwater. Naturally, the first attempts should be made on land, sitting in front of a container of water. Draw some water, warn the diver: attention! Don't breathe! Dive! Then splash water on his forehead, on his face. Do this exercise 6-8 times. Between attempts, arrange a break: let the child relax, play, jump. Even a few gymnastic exercises will not interfere. Let the baby also try to put his head in a container of water for a few moments without closing his eyes.

For more information on how to teach your baby to swim, see the following video:

The child shows more coordinated movements at about 3 years.

We teach a child to swim at 3-4 years old

How to teach a child to swim at 3-4 years old? Quite easy if he is not afraid of water and likes to splash. Breaststroke swimming is suitable, or rather its lightweight version.

It is important to conduct classes in a playful way, without forcing against your will.

You can connect a competitive element: who will swim to mom faster - a child or a dad? Who can stay underwater the longest?

"Hearts" with hands

We teach the child to draw hearts on the surface of the water. To do this, we spread our arms extended forward to the sides and connect them below. Then we repeat the same thing, only lowering our arms and shoulders into the water, leaving our head on the surface.

"Frog" legs

Holding on to one of the parents with his hands, the child makes repulsive movements with his legs, depicting a frog. At the same time, the parent moves backwards, towing the child behind him.

"Jumping"

The child must take a sitting position in the water, group, push off from the bottom with their feet and swim, making “hearts” with their hands and “frog” with their feet. And dad and mom are not just passive observers, but real helpers. Dad can support or insure the child from below, while mom stretches her arms forward to catch the young swimmer.

A key aspect that underlies learning to swim is a positive mood. Do not spare praise for your little boy or girl for the smallest successes. When a child feels support and love, he will strive to learn further.

How to teach a child to swim in the pool

The same techniques can be applied to learning to swim in a pool. The young swimmer holds on to the side and lies on his stomach with outstretched arms, while moving his legs briskly, depicting a frog. The same manipulations can be repeated already with the help of a foam board. Holding on to the board, the child will move his legs and swim. Such an activity gives preschool children incomparable emotions. Gradually, the board can be removed by connecting movements with your hands.

Video how to teach a child to swim in the pool:

Making a "float"

For children of 3-4 years old, the “float” exercise is useful: the child inhales air and sinks to the bottom of the pool, then, like a float, rises again smoothly. Of course, this activity should be carried out in a small paddling pool or in shallow water.

It is important that the child's ears do not hurt, there is no otitis media or a tendency to develop it.

First, explain and show the “student” what kind of “float” position is. Squat down, squeeze your knees with your hands, tilt your head, press your knees and chin to your chest. Let the diver have some kind of goal, for example, a bright toy at the bottom of the pool.

Swimming lessons at 5-6 years old

How to teach a child to swim at 5-6 years old? At this age, children can be taught to swim crawl, be sure to use swimming goggles.

Sliding under water, or "Arrow"

After the child has learned to hold his breath, it's time to try swimming underwater. Why not immediately raising his head above the water? When he has perfected the skill of synchronous movement of arms and legs, then he can be taught to raise his head above the water for breathing.

So, to slide under water, the child needs to raise his hands above his head, put his closed palm on the back of the other hand. Now take a deep breath and, pushing off with your feet from the shore or bottom of the pool, slide forward to a complete stop. At the same time, the legs should be straightened.

If you are engaged in an open reservoir, then the child should perform this action towards an adult, and in no case should he swim alone in the depths!

"Scissors" feet

In shallow water, the child focuses on lying on half-bent arms. If the lesson takes place in the pool - you need to hold on to the side. Legs and torso should be straightened parallel to the water. Ideally, the feet should also be extended. In this position, the child begins to do "scissors" - swinging straight legs alternately up and down.

"Arrow" with "scissors"

After the previous two exercises have been mastered (the child must slide under water for several meters and be able to do scissors for 2-3 minutes without stopping), you can try to combine them.

"Mill" by hand

Now you need to teach the child to row with his hands. First we try in shallow water, where the water is up to his chest. Show how to make a windmill: hands, slightly bent at the elbow joint, take turns describing a semicircle in a circle in the air and lowering into the water. It is important to pay attention to how the hands enter the water: first the hand, then the forearm, and only then the elbow and shoulder.

Breath practice

Now we teach the child to breathe correctly, swimming crawl. Support the child under the chest, his head is lowered into the water. He must swing his arms and raise his head above the water in the direction of the hand that completes the stroke, i.e. is under water. In this case, the child inhales air and immediately lowers his head into the water, exhaling air while performing a stroke with his other hand. The sequence is as follows: we rake in the water with our left hand, turn the head - inhale; stroke edits by hand, turning the head face down - exhale into the water. Repeat until the skill is fixed.

Completing the training

The final step will be the combination of all exercises. The child pushes off from the shore or side of the pool, swings his arms and inhale-exhale, turning his head towards the rowing arm.

We teach schoolchildren to swim

How to teach a child to swim at 7 years old and is it too late? Unfortunately, a lot of school-age children do not know how to swim. Of course, this is not very good, but this is not a sentence either. The right approach and regular training will do wonders: the student will easily catch up.

Support your child in every possible way, do not try to shame him, the inability to swim is more likely not his minus, but your fault.

It is useless to teach a schoolboy to swim at home, in the bathroom. He needs a pool. The bath, however, can be an ideal assistant for the formation of breathing: let it inhale above the water, and exhale slowly under the water. Over time, the periods between inhalation and exhalation should increase.

You can teach a student to swim both breaststroke and crawl. But here it is important to accurately perform the exercises so that the correct technique is immediately fixed.

How to teach a child to swim at 7-9 years old will be described in detail in the video by trainer Evgeny Saurov:

How not to teach swimming

Extreme - no!

In no case do not use extreme methods of learning to swim. Some adults do not disdain the "grandfather's method": they simply throw the child into the water, they say, instincts will force them to swim out. Such a merciless method threatens to cause your child not only a persistent rejection of water, but also psychological trauma.

This is what happened to Sasha. At the age of 5, he still could not swim. Resting with his family on a pond, the boy floundered in shallow water. He moaned and obsessively asked his parents to teach him to swim. The father, without thinking for a second about the possible consequences, lifted the child above him and threw him into the water. Sasha, already quite an adult, will never forget these seconds of horror, swallowing water and fear. The guy is already 16 years old and he is terribly afraid of water. And the boundless sea surface for him is an insurmountable abyss of fear...

And at the same time, the correct acquaintance with water and learning to swim contributes to the solution of many emotional and psychological problems.

Irina, Zakhar's mother 4 years old: Zakhar is a very modest boy from birth, he was always very shy of his peers in kindergarten. He didn't have any friends. It took him a very long time to get used to kindergarten, he cried all the time. One day, the teacher advised me to take him to the pool and enroll him in a swimming club. After the first visit to the pool, where he smiled for the first time, Zakhar seemed to have been replaced: he was a happy baby! Here, it turns out, what the little capricious was waiting for. In the water, the son became liberated, he did not just smile, he laughed! Visiting the pool every other day, the fearful Zakhar turned into a perky and cheerful swimmer. Now, outside of training, he forgot about the tears and made friends.

We do not use swimming accessories

A varied selection of certain swimming devices and life-saving equipment, of course, will come in handy, but ... just not for a beginner swimmer. Professional coaches are not particularly fond of colorful equipment for children, adding that vests and armlets are more of a marketing ploy than a way to teach swimming.

Have you noticed how a child dressed in “inflated” equipment unsuccessfully tries to take a lying position on the water. And when a child takes off the colored "armor", he may feel some kind of insecurity, fear.

Another thing is when the child has already learned to swim. Special boards for swimming imply a better training and improvement of the technique of movement of the legs. Or the so-called kalabashki, designed for training hands. Many pools also have paddles to help swimmers improve their stroke technique.

We don't learn to swim "somehow"

Many children themselves learn to swim like a dog, jerking or in some other way. This is fraught with the fact that it will be more difficult for them to relearn how to swim correctly. Therefore, it is better to make sure that the child accurately performs the techniques for learning to swim from the very beginning.

Conclusion

Here, perhaps, are all the secrets of swimming skills. It turns out that it is never too late to learn swimming: not for very young creatures, not for teenagers, not even for adults. In the case of children, it should be remembered that it is necessary to start when the child does not have a fear of large water - limnophobia. Then your workouts will be crowned with success and bring maximum health benefits.

Related videos

Now summer is the time for vacations and beaches, and, of course, expanse for children! Arriving at the beach, you can see both the little ones and the older kids splashing in the water, who no longer just scatter splashes, but know how to swim. What is your child doing at this moment? If he timidly cuddles up to you and does not dare to approach the water, looking around timidly, then you need to urgently start teaching him how to swim. After all, it is probably not worth explaining to you how beneficial swimming is for the health and spine of a person. With the help of swimming, the lungs develop, the muscles of the back and abdominals are strengthened, the muscles of the arms are strengthened, and indeed the whole body becomes flexible. How can you teach a child to swim, and at what age is it better to do it?

Where to begin?

In general, you can start teaching a child to swim as early as 2-3 weeks - as soon as the umbilical wound heals. Of course, classes for such kids should be carried out only in a home bath - there can be no talk of any reservoirs yet. The reason for such an early start is that in infancy, the baby is not yet afraid of water, but then it will be more difficult to rid him of this fear. Therefore, it is better to start accustoming to water as early as possible, although, of course, you should not expect that the baby will be able to swim like an adult. This refers to the training of certain muscle groups and the development of the baby in the water, fortunately, there are a large number of methods for teaching the baby to swim.

As for the conscious classes that will be carried out with a grown child, there are two ways: give him to the pool, where a professional trainer will work with him, or try to teach him to swim on his own. The choice is yours. But still, if you do not want your child to be taught by strangers, and even in a large group, where it is unlikely that much attention will be paid to him, there is nothing better than to take care of his “swimming abilities” yourself. And it’s better to start at home, in a home bath. And if you have a special inflatable paddling pool - this will be simply the best option of all! And the first swimming lessons will begin with ... breathing! Yes, yes, do not be surprised, because breathing training is a basic thing for a future swimmer.

Breathing exercises

The most important thing is to teach the child to inhale and exhale in the water, as well as to hold the breath. There are a few simple exercises for this.

1. Put some light object on the palm (for yourself or your baby). It can be a small piece of paper, a feather, a leaf from a tree. After that, take a deep breath with your child and then exhale through tightly pursed lips to blow the object from the palm of your hand.

2. Throw a lot of small toys into the bath and compete with the child: blow on the toys, trying to quickly nail them to the opposite edge of the bath.

3. Pour water into the bath and imagine that a small minnow is hiding from a predatory pike - take a deep breath and hold your breath for a few moments. After that, lower your head into the water and exhale noisily through your nose and mouth - to scare and drive away the pike.

4. Very useful for diving breathing training, but many children are afraid to dive underwater, and even with their eyes open. To relieve the child of this fear and achieve the exercise, you can scatter many of his favorite or even new toys on the bottom of the bath - and ask the child to get them from the bottom. Carried away by an interesting task, he will most likely forget about his fears - and will dive with pleasure. The only thing you need to warn the baby in advance is that he does not breathe underwater, but breathes in and holds his breath until diving and exhales only when he is back in the air. If the baby still chokes on water, take it out and let it calmly cough and spit. It is not necessary to knock on the back or turn him over into various unthinkable poses - unless, of course, you want to scare him so that he is afraid of water like fire for a couple of years.

5. A similar diving exercise is to pour some water into the bath, ask the child to take a deep breath, put his head under the water and reach the bottom with his nose - as storks do with their beak.

6. If you pour a full bath of water, you can do the following exercise: the baby puts on his cheeks, takes a deep breath and, holding his breath, plunges into the water, as if hiding from you. After a few seconds, he emerges and exhales.

7. The child takes a deep breath, stretches his lips with a tube and lowers them into the water, after which he exhales, blowing funny bubbles through the water. It is advisable to do this exercise 5-6 times with short pauses for rest.

8. Take a small amount of water into the bath and calmly put the child in the bath on his back. The arms are extended along the body, the legs are straight, the head is raised, the baby is looking at the ceiling, and you support his head with your hands.

9. Starting position, as in the previous exercise, but now ask the child to raise and lower straight legs, tossing water up with his toes.

After you and your baby have mastered these simple exercises, you can go to the beach. Just, of course, remember that the child should not be left on the water unattended.

Educational games in the pond

Before you let your baby into the water, make sure it is safe. First of all, independently examine the bottom for bottle fragments, snags, broken fittings and other unpleasant “surprises”. It would also be useful to find out the depth of the reservoir, whether there are pits at the bottom and sharp transitions from shallow to deep. Pay attention also to the sanitary condition of the reservoir, the water temperature (for preschool children, the water temperature should be at least 23 degrees), the presence of whirlpools and the strength of the river.

It is necessary to choose a place for teaching a preschool child to swim near the shore, where the depth does not exceed 1 meter, that is, approximately up to the chest of the baby (or better to the waist). And, of course, do not leave the child unattended during training.

What are the educational games in order to make your baby a swimmer of the highest qualification?

1. "Floats". This game is exciting even for an adult, not to mention a child. Its essence is to sit down under the water, taking a deep breath, and, clasping your knees with your hands, float to the surface like a float.

2. "Star". Surely, this game is also familiar to you. Its essence is to, standing exactly in the water, raise your hands up and smoothly lie on your stomach on the water. After that, spread your arms and legs to the sides and relax, gently swaying on the water.

3. "Dolphinarium". Such a game really resembles the behavior of dolphins. Its essence is to dive into the water, taking a deep breath, then jump as high as possible and exhale.

4. "Reference ball". For this game, the child will need an inflatable ball that does not sink in water. You need to take it in your hands, lie on the water and, leaning on it, swim, working with your feet and trying to change direction.

5. "Race". The essence of this game is to teach a preschooler to move in the water, helping himself with his hands and feet, making strokes around the body. For this game you will need the floating toys that you used in your home bathroom. At a distance of 3-4 meters from the shore, put the toys on the water, after which, at a signal, run to them from the shore in a race. Having reached the toy, the baby must take it and return with it to the shore. The winner is the one who collected the most toys.

6. "Sliding". This exercise should be performed at a depth to the chest of the baby and is aimed at teaching him to glide and stay on the water. The child stands in the water with his arms raised up and palms laid one on top of the other. You are standing behind him. The child, taking a deep breath, holds his breath, and then lies down on the water (as in the Star exercise), but without spreading his arms and legs. After that, he pushes off from you with his feet - and slides through the water to a complete stop, face down, keeping his head under water.

7. "Arrow". The starting position is the same, but now the child is pushing off with his feet from the bottom of the reservoir, and not from you.

After the general educational games, start doing exercises to work out the elements of swimming movements. It is worth noting that the best swimming style “for beginners” is the crawl, because it is when swimming in this style that both arms and legs work in a similar way - as when walking and crawling. Having mastered the front crawl, children will quickly learn other styles of swimming.

What are the exercises for teaching a child the technique of swimming?

1. "Seal". This exercise is performed near the shore, in shallow water. The child lies in the water on his stomach, his shoulders should be in the water, and his head above the water. The legs are straight and move up and down, a little later breathing exercises are connected to this - inhale above the water, exhale into the water.

2. "Sliding" with legs. This exercise resembles the “sliding” exercise, but in the process of sliding on the water, you need to work with your feet and breathe in above the water, exhale into the water.

3. "Crawl". This exercise is a prototype of how a child will crawl in the future. The depth of the water should be up to his chest. The child lies down on the water, lowers his face down, and to inhale, turns his head towards the hand that finishes the stroke. The movements of the legs are the same as in the Seal exercise, but the hands are also connected to these movements, which must be moved in turn: first one, then the other. The fingers should be pressed together, and the hand bent in the form of a boat. When performing a stroke, the baby must ensure that the hand passes under his stomach to the hip. You can practice hand movements on the shore, raising one hand up and holding the other along the body.

4. "Self-sliding." This exercise is a consolidation of all of the above. Its essence is that the child lies on the water and pushes off from you, as in the “Sliding” exercise, after which he begins to work with his arms and legs, and you watch how he swims, securing if necessary. It is better to perform this exercise at a depth to the chest of the child.

And, of course, once again it is necessary to remind you: even if it seems to you that the baby has learned to swim almost better than you yourself, it is extremely dangerous to leave him alone on the water, so always be there - and at least watch him from the shore. If your baby has begun to drown, keep your composure and throw him something that he can catch on while waiting for your help - a life buoy or a piece of foam. After that, swim up to him, pull him ashore, clean him of mucus and dirt, and then put him on your bent knee so that his head and legs hang down and the water comes out of his lungs.

In addition, do not get carried away diving - frequent holding your breath can cause dizziness. And do not expect your child to swim after a couple of classes. Someone swims already at the age of 6, someone learns this only by the age of 20, and someone is afraid of water all his life like fire. All this is deeply individual - and when the time comes, your child will definitely swim. And you will still be proud of the fact that it is thanks to you that it floats so nicely on the water!

open a guessing game for the next writing competition. main theme - Group, complicating elements zero.
stories here
12 competitive + 3 outside
authors here
Yuka
lizard
Anonymous
Arsalana
Some people
Nadine Guber
Ladybug
Airini
Mu Mu
Zoya Kalashnikova
Goat Agatha
Inessa Fedorovna

Go! (and waved his horn!)

297

Veronica Solovykh

Decide if I'm right or not.
My parents and grandmother live 30 km from us. There is a car. Every weekend they come to our city. Either to the theater, then to visit relatives, then to some kind of exhibition, then just take a walk, cafe, shopping center there .... that is, as it were, distance is not a problem at all. They used to visit us from time to time. Well, once every 2-3 weeks somewhere. They cuddle their granddaughter for 2 minutes, drink coffee and continue to hang out. Leaving me dirty cups. Okay, I'm not offended. They help all the same - sometimes they bring diapers, baby onesies. OK.
Those. Basically, my husband and I are alone with the child. More precisely, the husband is at work all day, he is with the child in the evening. And me during the day. The child hardly sleeps during the day. Well, you can't put it down. Sleep regression, teeth are still being planned ... That is, sometimes I can’t calmly eat, wash, tidy up the house, and, excuse me, go to the toilet, because it’s worth disappearing from sight, immediately or ...
OK. The last time my parents and grandmother came was March 8. As it turned out, the mother had a temperature, but the grandmother (old people are like children) was capricious "why are we not going" and they arrived. And the child got sick and got sick. Then me from her. Then the husband.
I calmly, but nevertheless expressed to my mother that, they say, if you are sick, you should not come. The baby was 4 months old at the time. Nothing can be cured. Snot river, temperature. Well, what the heck is this??? Why it was impossible to move the visit for a week. What are the tears from the grandmother from scratch?! What are the whims? How baby...
OK. They haven't come since. Apparently offended, although I asked, they say no.

So. As I said, the child does not sleep. She already weighs 8 kg. It's hard to carry. Plus after pregnancy I have a hernia. I'm getting tired. I just want to sit in silence and drink hot tea. I think many will understand me. Grandma calls sometimes. I am physically unable to always answer. Then I feed and the child is just starting to close his eyes ... Of course, I hope that he will fall asleep and do not pick up the phone. Then we swim. That's something else. Yes, even just I can, excuse me, sit on the toilet. Or washing a baby's butt. Yes, you never know... no. She starts calling non-stop until I pick up the phone. And when she takes it, she starts to scold me like a schoolgirl with me, "WHY DO YOU NOT PICK UP! I CALLED!"
The desire to talk disappears, of course. Parents stopped visiting right now. Although in the photo in social networks I see that they regularly visit our city. I can only walk to the nearest store, that's all my entertainment))). The mood spoils, of course. But I do not complain to anyone, I do not express dissatisfaction. I go about my duties and do not impose my child on anyone. It's just me and my husband doing it.
So my mom calls, I start with claims, "what's going on??? What's going on with you??? you don't call! don't write! I'm calling you!" And when should I call? Sleep regression, teeth have been outlined .. the child does not sleep at all. I'm not being rude, I'm speaking dryly and only to the point... Lack of sleep and fatigue take their toll.
I asked "Do I have the right to be tired? Do I have the right to be in a bad mood?" The answer is yes. The mother ended the conversation and hung up. Now she is offended, and I feel guilty.
I repeat that I have never complained to them. This is my child, I gave birth to him for myself, and I take care of him myself together with my husband. But parents can help, they can find one hour a month to come, take a stroller and walk for an hour with the child in the park. While I calmly sing at home, or wash the floor, and wash myself, but maybe just take a nap. And if not, if you don’t come, don’t want to or can’t, then why don’t I call and why don’t I write ...? When?? And no interrogations why did not pick up the phone!. Couldn't, I mean.
I have things to do. I think so.
By the way, I grew up with my grandparents. My parents took me for the weekend only. Like, they had to work, but there was no time to follow me and study. In short, it turns out their parents were engaged in their child.
In general, judge ... Maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe someone else did. I have to rush to the phone and report, like a first-grader, why didn’t I pick up the phone or why don’t I call ?? Do you have to make excuses for your bad mood and fatigue??

Sorry for the whole sheet .. It just boiled

223

The world is beautiful

Yesterday I walk along a narrow sidewalk, a girl walks towards me, with a dog, and the dog jumps on all passers-by. I'm honestly afraid of dogs, I'm walking with a huge belly, and then a big dog jumps on me. Girl in headphones. Didn't even hear my request to keep the dog away. Of course, I have nothing against animals, yes they are cute (I can only watch from afar), but it just seems to me that it is wrong to keep animals on a long leash while walking, and not paying attention to the fact that they jump on passers-by? Does that annoy you too?

160

Ekaterina

The situation is this, my daughter recently turned 15 years old, she studies perfectly, usually she shares everything with me, and I just recently found out that she already has some kind of relationship.
In general, since she is in the 8th grade, a parent meeting was held regarding further certification, etc., that’s not the point. Of course, in addition to this, the conversation was about children. The class teacher gave out information that in her daughter's class there are already those who meet with boys - with girls. Among them, she named my daughter, but she is dating a boy not from her class, and not even from a parallel, but from 9. I became interested, and after the meeting I decided to go to the leader and ask about this boy.
It turned out that he also studies with her, he did not study very much for the time being - until a time, later, when my daughter and her boyfriend already started dating, he began to catch up in 2 classroom subjects (Russian and literature), maybe in some other, even this the teacher did not know, but she found out that she used to smoke, also quit when they started dating.
What is the question, how to talk with your daughter about a guy about this, especially who had bad habits? I'm worried that maybe, God forbid, get into the wrong company. And is it worth starting such a conversation at all?

159