Ready to start swimming?
It almost felt too good to be true, didn’t it? You were making waves (excuse the pun) in the water with your little one. They were smiling, laughing, playing, kicking, splashing. But then, it was like something changed overnight. It came out of nowhere. What was once something they looked forward to and happily took part in is now met with a cry, a tantrum or just a stream of ‘no’s’.
And it can feel frustrating; after all you’ve invested time and money, watched them thrive and experience the joy of the water. But you’ll be pleased to know that it is all part of the learning process, and that it has a name too. It’s called a learning plateau, and they’re completely normal.
So why do they happen?
We all know that growing up can be a tough experience (and adulthood has its fair share of challenges too!). Your little one is taking in a huge amount of information day to day. So, it’s no wonder that they reach a point where they need to stop, pause and take a breath, and really make sense of it all. This typically happens when they’re 18 months to 3 years old; toddlers can experience many of these in their early years as their pre-frontal lobes of their brains develop. But don't fret - it's important to remember that they’re a key part of their learning and growth.
What can I do to help?
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…it’s absolutely key that you don’t throw in the towel. You don’t want to them to forget all those skills. There are lots of tactics you can try, to make any plateau that may be thrown your way that little bit smoother.
- Reinforce the skills they have forgotten by doing it with them.
- Encourage your child to lead or help with the activity.
- Even if they’re not taking part, encourage them to watch others – they’ll still pick up what’s going on.
- If they resist an underwater swim, hold off until they’re ready to try again.
- Try teaching some negotiation skills, such as giving them a toy if they try a skill. This is the time when toddlers can start to make choices. But it might not always be on their terms and it's important that they learn to cope with disappointment too.
- Outside of your lessons, try and find the time to take them along to your local public pool and just let them play freely.
As the old saying goes, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Take the rough with the smooth. At Water Babies, we’ll work together at a pace to help you and your little one. When they’re ready, we’re ready.