Arizona Pool Safety: How to Introduce Your Kids to the Pool

August 21st, 2013

1 min. read

By Amy Rushia

There are a number of reasons why teaching your child how to swim in your Shasta pool and under your watchful eye is more beneficial than enrolling him or her in group swimming lessons.  Not only is your child potentially safer than if he or she were in a group setting, but they’re able to receive personalized lessons that help them develop their skills at their own pace.  Regardless of what level of skill you possess when it comes to swimming, here are some tips to help teach your child to swim:

Play Games

Before you hit the pool, make sure that your child is wearing appropriate water pool safety gear (such as a lifejacket or arm floaties).  The first and most important step to learning how to swim is to become comfortable in the pool.  The best way to do this is to introduce your youngster to the pool through play.  Games that involve splashing, jumping, and blowing bubbles are all great ways to help your child adjust to the pool.

Introduce Swimming Motions

Next is to slowly begin introducing swimming motions.  Start introducing swimming on his or her tummy by keeping one arm wrapped securely under his or her armpits and the other hand holding up his or her abdomen.  Encourage kicking, paddling, and bubble blowing.  Then hold your child on his or her back, keeping their head resting on your shoulder, and take them for a trip around the pool.

Keep A Distance

Keep your child at arms reach while still holding their hands. Once they’re comfortable being held at a bit of a distance from you, begin to encourage them to kick, splash, and blow bubbles on their own.

Once your child feels safe, let go.  He or she may be a bit nervous trusting their lifejacket or flotation devices at first, but they’ll quickly realize that when you let them go, they won’t sink to the bottom of the pool.

Consider these pool safety tips for ultimate family fun for everyone in your custom backyard pool and living space.

Shasta Pools is a Phoenix pool builder who provides a variety of services including swimming pool remodeling, commercial pool building, and pool service and repair. Since its establishment in 1967, Shasta has helped over 80,000 families realize their dream of pool ownership. By providing exceptional value, quality craftsmanship and superior customer service, the Shasta team continues to fulfill the corporate mission of astonishing and delighting their customers and exceeding expectations. You can learn more about Shasta Pools & Spas by visiting them online, or by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter.