At Cindy’s, one of the most common questions our swimming teachers hear is:
“My child is nervous in the water. How can I help build their confidence at swimming lessons?”
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone and the good news is there are ways to help.
It’s normal to feel nervous learning to swim
First, it’s completely natural for children to feel unsure in the water. After all, swimming lessons involve:
- a new environment that has inherent danger
- unfamiliar sensations and your child may not feel in control
- learning skills that can feel overwhelming and scary
- new instructors or classmates, which can make it harder to settle in.
That’s why our swimming teachers are specially trained to support children who are feeling anxious or hesitant in the water. If you have any concerns, please do chat with us during your time at the pool. We’re here to help.
Frequent, regular time in the pool is the best way
One of the most effective things you can do to help your child overcome anxiety and build lasting confidence is regular, consistent time in the pool. But what happens during the long summer break when term-time lessons take a pause?
This is where summer crash courses come in.
Here are three ways a swimming crash course can help build your child’s confidence and skills over the summer.
Daily Practice Over the Summer Holidays
Swimming every day during the holidays gives children a valuable opportunity to practise and reinforce their skills. One of the main reasons kids feel nervous in the pool is simply because it’s been a while since their last lesson. Even just a week can feel like a long time to a child.
When children swim daily, they relax more in the water. They also develop muscle memory much faster and are more likely to remember what they learned the day before. Skills become smoother and more natural, and kids are better able to identify and correct their own mistakes.
Daily lessons also reduce the cognitive load. As skills become automatic, kids can relax more and focus on progressing to the next level, without having to re-learn the basics each week.
And since these crash courses run during the school holidays, your child won’t be tired from a full day at school. With more energy to focus, they can often make bigger leaps in progress and enjoy swimming even more.
Bridging the Gap Between Term-Time Lessons
There’s a phenomenen called the “summer slide” which describes the learning loss children can experience over the long summer break. Studies show that children can lose a lot of academic ground during the summer, meaning they spend the first few weeks of term trying to catch up.
The same applies to swimming. A six-week break from lessons can lead to a loss of confidence or forgotten skills, which may take a few weeks to build up again once term starts. Nerves and anxiety can also reappear after a long break.
A crash course helps to keep everything fresh. Your child can maintain (and even improve) on the skills they learned during the previous term, making for a smoother, more confident return to regular lessons in September.
In fact, some children even accelerate their progress during a crash course. Repeating key techniques over consecutive days strengthens learning and helps them move through skills faster giving them a real head start for the new term.
More Confidence for Summer Adventures
From beach holidays to local lidos, summer is full of opportunities for swimming fun. A crash course can help your child feel more confident when swimming in different pools or holiday environments, whether that’s using water slides, playing on floats, or simply splashing around with siblings.
It also gives parents extra peace of mind, knowing their child feels safer and more capable in the water.
Here’s a fun tip: holidays are the perfect time to reinforce those new swimming skills! Ask your child to show you what they’ve learned. Kids love to show off their what they can do. Challenge them to float, dive, or swim on their back. You can even turn it into a game. Not only will this boost their confidence, but it’ll also make swimming feel like something to enjoy and celebrate.
If your crash course is scheduled after your family holiday, even better! Your child will likely return full of enthusiasm and ready to build on the confidence they gained while away.
Ready to Boost Their Water Confidence?
If your child would benefit from a confidence boost this summer, a crash course could be just what they need.
Whether it’s to maintain progress between terms, overcome nerves, or prepare for holiday fun, our friendly instructors will support your child every step of the way.
We run crash courses for all ages, including babies, toddlers, school-aged kids and even adults.
Contact us today to find out more or to book your place!
