Like riding a bike? Not so much.

ivamarie0's story

July 25, 2007

I'm not a parent, but I taught swimming for four years while I was in high school. (Don't worry, I was qualified -- and a member of the swim team.)

Our lessons were 45 minutes a day, five days a week for a three-week course. You'd be amazed at the progress a freaked-out-by-water child can make in that time. (My classes were never more than 5 students and each kid got a lot of individual instruction.)

I had two girls who wouldn't put their face near the pool who learned the breast stroke by the end of the course. I also had kids who worked their way up from only blowing bubbles to mastering the dog paddle.

The thing is, parents have to continue working with kids if they want this skill to stick. Kids who'd made massive strides in lessons one year came back the following summer almost forgetting everything they'd learned. It's not like riding a bike, where once you've got it, you've got it. Parents need to get their child in the water when lessons conclude to keep their skills intact. Kids become much stronger swimmers when the adults in their life get them to devote time to practicing (even if it's guised as play) as much as possible.