FAQ's

General FAQ's

1) Why does LLSS recommend 2 lessons per week?
2) Why do I have to stay in the water with my child until they turn four?
3) My child is terrified of the water. What do I do?
4) What can I do to stop my child from crying when they are at the pool?
5) Does my child have to wear a cap while swimming?
6) Does my child need to wear goggles?
7) How long will it take my child to learn how to swim?
8) What qualifications do L.L.S.S. staff have?
9) Is my child too young to start swimming?
10) What can I do to help my child become a better swimmer?

There are many reasons for this including:
1. Children do not have the fine motor skills or develop strong muscle control until the age of four. For this reason they require lots of manipulation in the water. If parents assist their baby/toddler via manipulation and then allow them to practice (continually repeating this process) children are able to master the skill correctly ensuring perfection at an early age. For example a four year old will be able to develop “fast little kicks” and “high elbows” by themselves if assisted by parents at an early age.

2. Maximum practice time is a major feature of the Laurie Lawrence Swim School. We believe in giving children a full half hour lesson not a ten minute lesson. Children under the age of four do not have the attention span or listening skills and therefore need constant attention and supervision. It would simply be impossible to give your baby/toddler a quality half hour lesson with all the attention they deserve if they were in a class with one teacher and four other children.

3. Parent and child bonding is also very important in the learn to swim process. Staying in the water gives parents the opportunity virtually to teach their child to swim with the mentoring and expertise provided by the teacher.

First and foremost you need to determine what is frightening your child. Have they had a bad experience, have you unintentionally scared them (eg saying things like “don’t ever go near water you’ll drown”)?

One of the most common reasons for children to become scared is lack of control. For a child to be in control in the water they need shallow water. They need to be able to either sit on a ledge or stand up on the bottom of the pool by themselves. When they are doing this they are in control. If you are holding your child in deep water they are not in control you are. Therefore playing in a pool that is shallow or on a ledge is essential for the frightened beginner.

Once they have built up their confidence in the shallow you can gradually introduce them to the deeper water. This can be done through reassuring your child that you are there with them and through setting small tasks for your child to accomplish. For example letting them play on the ledge and then saying lets go and touch the lane rope (out in the deep) and then we’ll come straight back and play on the ledge. Slowly but surely your child will build confidence.

Remember if your child is frightened go very slowly all it takes is patience and time with frightened children.

First try to determine what is making the child upset. Are they hungry? Are they tired? Are they cold? Did they swallow some water? Once you know what the problem is then it is a lot easier to fix it. For instance you may simply need to feed them at a suitable time before they have their lesson or you may need to put a sun shirt on the baby to keep them warm.

Another way to stop a baby crying is through distraction. Toys are excellent stimulants and great distractions for babies. Noise is also great for distraction e.g. tapping a cup on the side of the pool. Importantly talking, soothing and reassuring your baby is vital for them to feel comfortable and at ease.

Finally if your baby cries avoid getting out of the water. Try to comfort the baby while still in the pool. If you get out of the pool every time they baby cries then they are going to associate being upset with getting out of the pool.

Give them opportunities to practice. The more they practice the better they will get so take your children to friends’ pools, public pools or book in for an additional lesson. Also think about things that you can practice out of the water. Eg. “high elbows”