Lifeguard and swimming lessons

Is your child afraid of water? Then he probably has a fear of water, also called fear of water. Your child may not dare to take a shower or bath because of this and a visit to the swimming pool or a day at the beach will not do him any favors. What can you do about this and how should you do it later with Lifeguard recertification near me and swimming lessons ?

What is Lifeguard swimming?

It is a great fear of water, as well as activities related to water, such as lifeguard swimming. Usually it is not the water itself that a child is afraid of, but the dangers that a child thinks of. Water fear also occurs in babies and small children. They are often afraid of getting water in their eyes or find it scary because they cannot estimate how deep it is and what to expect. Incidentally, fear of water also occurs in adults.

Lifeguard is quite common: about three out of ten children suffer from it to some degree. There are children with an innate fear of water, but usually the fear of water does not develop until later. These are possible causes by which a child may develop a fear of water.

Experience

Water can arise when you put your baby in the bath or shower and you are shocked when he starts to roar, for example because he has to get used to whether the water is too cold or warm. At such a moment, if you immediately stop bathing your child and comfort him, you confirm his fear. There is a chance that your child will no longer want to take a bath or shower next time.

If your child has been under water for too long emotionally, for example because he slipped, he may be traumatized by this. Not surprising, because he had the feeling that he almost drowned.

Fear of water can also arise if the parents do not like water or cannot swim. They can subconsciously pass on their fear of water to their child. If you don't like water or swimming yourself, it's important to make sure you don't pass this feeling on to your child. This often goes unnoticed! Children are sensitive to signals that their parents send, including indirect signals through body language.

You can also frighten your child by constantly warning him about the dangers of water and saying things like: "Be careful not to slip in the bath" or "Don't overfill the bath, it's dangerous."

Awareness child

Children may also become more afraid of water as they get older. They start thinking more and more and become more aware of possible dangers.

Lifeguard swimming lesson

It is very important that a child with a fear of water (or a child who has suffered from this) is not forced to do things that he really does not dare to do. His fear must be taken seriously. Forcing only increases anxiety and will cause your child to struggle to progress in swimming lessons and lose the fun of swimming. So take a critical look at the (qualified) swimming teacher who gives your child swimming lessons and tell him or her in advance that your child is not a hero when it comes to water.

It can take a long time for the fear to subside if the parents and the swimming teacher do not deal with it properly. So don't push children at all, but don't be too careful and too soft either. Find the golden mean within your child's learning ability. Let go of the swimming performance, but keep an eye on whether your child is making progress during swimming lessons.