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Points For Choosing Baby Swim Lessons West Chester PA Parents Must Consider

By Misty Tyler


Learning how to swim is an important milestone in a child's life, so it stands to reason that the way in which he or she is taught plays a major role in determining how positive this experience will be. When considering enrolling their infants in baby swim lessons West Chester PA patents should follow these guidelines.

The pace of the instruction needs to be slow, letting each child learn new skills when he or she is ready. A good teacher is someone who is both enthusiastic and patient, and makes swimming fun and interesting for these young students by incorporating sensually stimulating toys, games, and songs into water activities.

Group learning can be particularly effective for this age group, children enjoy socializing together and seeing others also becoming familiar with swimming can help them learn. Usually termed "parent and tot" classes, each group consists of a small number of children accompanied by a parent, lead by an instructor. The adults also enjoy the social aspect of this format, and overall it promotes a sense of unity but simultaneously accommodates individual progress.

Private lessons are another option, in which each child while accompanied by a parent, receives individual instruction from the swimming teacher. This can be an effective way to learn and master aquatic skills, as long as the child is allowed to move according to his or her own pace and does not feel pressured. The lesson must embrace a "baby-friendly" approach and should not last for more than 30 minutes.

Not only is it much safer for young children to learn with a parent alongside them, but it also makes the strange, new world of water seem less intimidating if mom or dad is close by, it also serves as great bonding experience between parent and child. The parent is also better able to gauge the aquatic abilities of their child so they can later work with him or her at home and practice these new skills.

The temperature of the pool and the surrounding air also make a difference to the comfort level and performance of these young swimmers. Warm water, ideally between 90 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit, is most conducive to making babies feel at ease when they are in it. The air temperature should be warmer than 80 degrees. Baby-sized wetsuits and swim-caps can also be helpful in maintaining body warmth.

At the beginner level, it is recommended that these young swimmers attend classes four times per week for the first month of lessons. Afterwards, bi-weekly instruction is suggested. Short but frequent classes seem to be the most effective for this age group. Busy parents may not always be able to accommodate this schedule, in which case they can always practice with the child at home in the bathtub.

Before signing the child up for any swim classes, parents should talk to other moms and dads and find out which ones they would recommend, then sit in on these lessons to see for oneself if the children seem to be learning and happy there. Simply asking questions over the phone is not enough, observation is the best way to assess if the teacher and approach used measure up.




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