Toddler swimming question

Sarah loves the pool and has no fear of the water -- which is good -- but she also seems to have no sense of self-preservation. She will simply walk into deeper and deeper water until her head goes under. (I've never actually let this happen -- I always lift her up just as it reaches her mouth -- but I'm not sure she'd stop!) She will also thrash around when we're holding her and not seem to care if she goes underwater. I even let her "sink" for a split second the other day just to see if it would freak her out, and it totally didn't.

Is there a way to teach her at least to keep her mouth shut when she goes underwater? Or other basic survival skills? Or is the best thing simply to have a hand on her at all times (which we would anyway) and wait for her to get mature enough to learn it?

 

Wow that's great that she is so comfortable around water. I've heard that if you blow in their face first, that it will help them to hold their breath. blow in the face, then dunk them under. I'll ask my friend who gives swimming lessons to kids at the YMCA. She's worked with my kids at the lake, and she is wonderful.

 

Since she's only 1.5 I'd go with the hands on method. As for teaching her, make it a game. Do what you want her to do (take a breath in and hold it, blow bubbles (motorboat), kick your feet, etc) and then have her immitate you.

 

That's my Jade to a tee!

One thing to teach her is to blow bubbles in addition to holding her breath -- to automatically force air out, which prevents from taking water in. Sometimes we lay along the very shallow end of the town pool and just put our mouths in and blow bubbles. She does it in the bath tub too.

We are actually starting swim lessons TODAY! (and it's so cold out!)

 

QUOTE
I've heard that if you blow in their face first, that it will help them to hold their breath. blow in the face, then dunk them under.


QUOTE
One thing to teach her is to blow bubbles in addition to holding her breath


Thanks, I'll try both those things. (The funny thing is that sometimes we blow in her face to make her TAKE a breath -- she's a breath-holder when she's really mad. I don't think she does it on purpose, but she gets so outraged that she forgets even to scream. If we blow on her face, it startles her enough that she breathes.)

Marie, good luck with your swimming lessons!

 

We did one swimming lesson and it was a complete disaster. Mine just weren't ready. Phoebe kept yelling "NO" at the instructors. <_<

But one lesson that they did was "Ring around the Rosie" and each round they dunked the child a little further under water. My friend's daughter who is 6 months older than my 2, absolutely loved it!

Good luck!!!

 

PP's had great advice about the blowing in her face and blowing bubbles. Lily is completely fearless of the water, and would walk right out over her head too. She also likes to catpult forward and under water every chance she gets. I like that she's not afraid, but it's scary! She has apparently figured out holding her breathe, because going under doesn't bother her at all.

They took swimming lessons at 11 months.

 

Others have already addressed blowing bubbles to help keep water out of her mouth, but I recommend using a Coast Guard approved life jacket rather than trying to keep your hands on her at all times. That would allow her the freedom she desires and it would put your mind at ease knowing she will not drown. My boys have loved water since they were born and this is what we've done. It's hard to keep your hands on 2 babies at once, so I highly recommend the life jackets.

 

She sounds just like Zach - totally fearless of the water. Josh OTOH, is not very fond of the water at all. Anyways, its really hard to keep Zach from running out over his head too. The blowing bubbles is a great thing. But when I have all 3 kids and usually a friend of dd's at the pool/beach, I put a wetsuit like thing on Zach. It has a floatation ring around his neck that goes up to 40 lbs. He cannot put his neck or above in the water. The first time it was kind of weird for him, he actually floated a little (I was right there explaining to him what was going on). Now he plays well in about waist high water. Now this might not be answernig your question, as I do not use the float suit when dh or a friend is with me to help with the boys. But I cannot watch 3-4 kids in the water by myself but I do not want to miss going to beach either. HTH