The primary goal of a parent tot class is to increase the comfort and
familiarity of the swimming pool and water to an infant.

Supported back glides are another one of the fundamental skills we’ll do in the water.

We want to introduce infants and toddlers to swimming in a positive, loving, caring, environment and create trust and habit through effective holding.

We need to introduce back glides gradually. Being upside down, ears in the water, and suspended on their back is weird, scary, and strange. Introduce supported back glides slowly.

 

Go slow.

Provide total support; no dropping.

Remain close.

  1. Hug your infant’s back to your chest. Put your face to the side of theirs so you’re looking in the same direction, or put your chin on the infant’s face.
  2. Position the infant in a “seated” posture; legs out in same direction as your belly button. Your chest to their back.
  3. Gradually, slowly, over time slide the infant lower in the water until they’re laying down.
  4. Support the back, neck, and legs with the parent’s hands.

Hugging same direction:

Supported Back Glide / Float with infant facing away from parent; back to chest. Seated position.

Once the child is comfortable with facing away from the parent, slowly slide the feet away and lower the shoulders in the water.

The parent should lower their shoulders into the water as well.

A group of mothers with their young children in a children’s swimming class doing supported back glides together.

Notice how some swimmers are lower in the water than others. Each Parent can benefit from lowering their shoulders further into the water too.

Support the child’s head with your shoulder.

Supported back float with parent’s shoulder.

The child’s head should rest on the shoulder. Parent’s hands should support the back, hips, and shoulders of the child.

Full support, head on shoulder.

More advanced hold with the swimmer lower in the water.

The Head is still supported by the shoulder, and the ears are above water.

Ears in water, body floating

Testable goal:

The infant or toddler is comfortable being held and supported in a horizontal position with their ears in the water, head and neck supported by parent, and belly and legs relaxed and flat.

Bonus Goals:

  • Infant or toddler joyfully kicks, laughs, and floats without support.
  • Experiences brief moments of independent splashing, movement, and comfort.
  • Can remain on their back, floating, with face above water, for extended periods of time.

Activities to achieve this goal:

Sing songs! Play in groups! Participate in the selected games and songs provided.

Parent Tot (swimminglessonsideas.com)

 

Sing Twinkle Twinkle

Get the parent’s cheek pressing against the swimmer’s cheek. Lower self in water. Gradually move from seated position to laying in the water.

Challenges to achieve this goal:

Challenges are like games but with less moving parts and quicker.

Challenge:
Throw a toy and get it. Swimmer throws a floating toy into the pool. Do a jump into the a hug, then transition into a front float with the parent. Pick up toy and return to the wall doing a supported back float to do again.

Challenge:
Do a supported back float. Give a toy to the infant or toddler. Have them throw it in the air and catch it while the parent moves backwards through the water.

Challenge:
Motorboat song. In a supported back float the parent holds the child’s feet. They kick the feet faster and faster along with the song and encourages the child to laugh, giggle, and kick.

Infant disclaimer:

Teaching swimming to an infant between 6 months to a year is not the same as teaching swimming to an older child or an adult.

At this age, infants are not yet able to learn the technical aspects of swimming, such as strokes, breathing, and coordination.

The main goal of swimming lessons for infants is to build comfort, experience, and good memories in the water.

Water play can help infants get used to being in the water, and develop a positive association with it. It can also be a fun and bonding activity for parents and infants, as they splash, paddle, and sing together. Water play can also stimulate infants’ sensory and motor development, as they explore the different sensations and movements of the water2.

When introducing infants to the water, it is important to create a loving, caring, and compassionate environment that builds confidence and fosters bravery and comfort in the water. This means that parents should never force their infants to go into the water, or submerge their heads, if they are not ready or willing. Instead, parents should respect their infants’ cues and preferences, and follow their pace and interest. Parents should also praise their infants for their efforts and achievements, and encourage them to try new things, but without pressure or expectations3.

Swimming lessons for infants are a slow, gradual, and building process, and not an abrupt, frightening, and terrifying experience. By exposing infants to the water in a gentle and playful way, parents can help them develop a lifelong love and respect for the water, and prepare them for more formal swimming lessons when they are older.