If you’re asking “is my child ready to swim,” the short answer is: Yes. Babies are born from water, and they’re ready to swim as soon as they come out of the womb. The only reason babies lose their ability to float and grow fearful of the water is because we as parents don’t practice water skills with them from an early age. Survival Swim gives you the tools you need to teach your baby vital water survival skills from infancy.
When to Start Survival Swim
You can start teaching your infant to hold their breath in the water from birth, however, we recommend beginning the Survival Swim method at six months old. By this time, your infant can control their extremities, hold their head up, roll over, sit without assistance, and may even be crawling. They’re ready to take to the water!
In the beginning you’ll teach your baby to hold their breath and open their eyes under the water.They’ll also learn floating and swimming basics, called the Swim-Float-Swim method. These skills help teach them how to remain calm and swim to safety if they end up in the water unexpectedly.
Once your baby is walking, the Survival Swim method adds self-rescue to your little swimmer’s skillset. They’ll learn how to pull themselves out of the water at the edge of the pool or at a shoreline. Children as young as one year old can start learning these valuable self-rescue skills, which will build their confidence and enhance safety in and around the water.
Crying is Normal
Crying for new, young swimmers is normal, common, and expected. The shock of going underwater can be scary and uncomfortable at first. Like anything, encouragement, repetition, and practice help babies and children gain confidence, knowing that they’re able to control their bodies in the water.
Our survival swim instructors conduct firm and loving lessons that help young swimmers feel comfortable. The method is meant to assure them that there is nothing to be afraid of in the water and that they will be safe. These techniques help the swimmer learn how to swim safely and survive, even in emergency situations.
Overcoming the Fear of Swimming
A lack of swimming skills isn’t what causes drowning — fear is the culprit. Fear can make even the strongest swimmers lose focus, leading to tragedy. That’s why one of the main goals of the Survival Swim method is to reduce fear in the water.
You may be surprised by your infant, though. When starting an infant on the Survival Swim method, they often show little or no fear. This is because they don’t relate water with anxiety or trauma, and therefore, learning comes naturally.
The older children get, the more likely they are to fear the water. However, it’s never too late to start. Everyone has the ability to learn to swim, but often, older children and adults who have not had significant swimming experience are afraid and anxious in the water. That’s all the more reason they need to learn how to swim. Understanding is the best antidote to fear, and the Survival Swim method provides just that — a practical understanding of water safety, swimming and floating techniques, and most importantly, how to remain calm and focused in a water survival situation.
Learn About Survival Swim
Learning to swim early is shown to build self-esteem and confidence in children and help them be more successful in the future. Survival Swim helps your little swimmer practice and strengthen their skills so they can stay calm and focused in the water, even in emergency situations. It can also give them confidence both in and out of the water, and lead to a life-long enjoyment of recreational and competitive swimming.
Find an Instructor near you and get the Survial Swim App so you can start teaching Survival Swim to your young swimmers today.
