Of all the sports that you may hope your kids find some interest in, swimming is arguably the most difficult to persuade them to try. There are a variety of reasons for this. For one, it’s rather exposing; few of us feel comfortable with the idea of being so exposed as we are when we wear swimsuits. Those feelings can be even more difficult for kids to overcome, especially if they are approaching puberty. Then there is the fact it’s a very organized activity; it’s not like they can just head out one evening and do it for a while the way you can with football.
Nevertheless, swimming has a myriad of health benefits according to http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/ that mean it’s definitely an activity you should encourage in your kids. If you’re struggling to get them away from the video games and into the pool, then there are a few tricks you can try to help you along.
Tempt Them: Fun Clothing and Accessories
Sometimes, all it takes is the temptation of something fun for your kids to open to the idea of trying something new. You could try exciting swimsuits that they feel comfortable in, colorful swimming caps from https://swimcapz.com/ and even pool inflatables to make them feel more at home. While this might sound superficial, there’s good reason for it: the more comfortable anyone (kids included) feels in their appearance, the happier they are going to be to try something. So, if they are excited by something they’re wearing, then there’s every reason they might be tempted to head to the pool so they can show it off.
Help Them: Swimming Lessons
When we’re adults, few of us can remember the process of learning to swim. It’s something we know we went through, but it was a long time ago. You might think that your kids have been taught to swim and thus that’s that job done, but there’s a difference between knowing how to swim and feeling confident doing so. If your kids don’t seem to feel happy in the water, then a refresher lesson or two could help them gain the confidence to swim more often. Few of us willingly do an activity that we find frightening, so demystifying the pool and the swimming experience can make a significant difference towards making them more comfortable.
Shield Them: Late Night Swimming
Given that swimming tends to require us to expose our bodies in ways children might not be comfortable with, this is a problem that needs to be tackled head on. No amount of “no one is even looking at you!” or “you’ll be under the water!” is going to be effective here; low self-confidence is rarely cured by words. So rather than trying to chivvy them into the pool, try and accommodate them. You could try going swimming early in the morning or late at night, when there will be fewer people around to make them feel self-conscious. The more comfortable they are, the better their experience – which, of course, is what this is all about!
