Getting the most out of your children’s swimming lessons is important. One way to ensure this is to make sure your child is in a comfortable environment, like your own home! Having lessons at your own home pool, not only facilitates your child’s comfort and confidence, but provides control over the environment. Below are some general points on getting the most out of your children’s swimming lessons, and how to do so by with at-home lessons.
1. Ensure Comfortable Pool Temperature
Having a warm water temperature makes the lesson much more enjoyable thereby encouraging children to want to learn. Kids tend to lose focus when the temperature is too cold. They become distracted by trying to keep warm or may want the lesson to end early. Having lessons in your own home pool ensures your child is comfortable in the recommended 88F (31C) temperature and that is does not fall below 84F (28C).
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
Learning to swim in your home pool creates a comfortable environment for your child where they can practice on their own. It is important to have your children practicing even when they are not with an instructor. This is especially important if they are only having formal lessons once per week. Our AquaMobile instructors are more than happy to give parents suggestions on what skills each child should be focusing on when practicing outside of the instructor-led lessons.
3. Arrive in Advance
Having lessons at your own pool eliminates the issue of arriving early to a swim facility. You and your child should take some time to relax before the lesson starts. With at-home lessons, your child can get ready five minutes before the start of the lesson. If lessons were to take place at a facility, you would have to plan to arrive at least fifteen minutes before the start of the lesson.
4. Foster Focus
Parents love to watch their children progress, as this is easier to do with private lessons! However, while our instructors are proud to demonstrate their teaching skills and display the progress they have made with your child, it is best to watch from a distance. In order to maximize progress, each child needs to remain focused on the instructor. The instructor needs to assert their own authority and build their own rapport with the child.
5. Minimize Distractions
Private lessons at home ensure your child will not be distracted by their peers or others that would otherwise be involved in group lessons at a facility. If there are any friends or siblings at home who are not participating in the lessons, try to have them playing out of sight of the lesson. It can be tempting for the child in the pool to want to hang out with their friends.
6. Encouragement Post-Lesson
At the end of the lesson continue to commend your child on a job well done. This type of positive reinforcement makes the child feel special and will help them see the benefits of swim lessons. At-home lessons allow you to point out specifics and note areas where you think your child has room to improve.
