Why is introducing water familiarisation at the beginning of your swimming lesson so important?
You want all your little swimmers and their parents to feel comfortable and calm as they enter the water in the right frame of mind ready to start the more structured part of the lesson.
Our lives are extremely busy including your parents so if you can provide a smooth transition from when your swimmers enter poolside to getting in the water the better your lessons are more likely to go. Children who are relaxed and happy are more likely to be receptive to learning and willing to participate in the games and activities during the lessons. So taking time to establish a secure, but appealing environment
Water familiarisation can even start during the journey to the lesson. You can encourage the parent to be talking to their child about what will be happening during the lesson - if you know in advance what theme you will be using then letting the parents know could help particularly with quite anxious children. Perhaps singing some songs in the car which are related to their swimming lessons too can help with the preparation.
You will always get a handful of parents running late, or children not wanting to get in the water, they may have just woken up so it gives you the chance to deal with all these situations before moving to concentrate on the actual learning part of the lesson. For those parents who are already in the pool they can take the time with their child to have a look around the pool to see what toys and props are out. It will enable the parent to spot any particular toys that their child is interested in so they can use them during the lesson.