Not just a matter of sink or swim

All kids need to know how to swim—but make it fun, not fearful

By Janis Hashe

“Home-schooled” swimmers: Samuel Kertay, 8, on the slide, and his brother Gregory, 11, learned to swim in their backyard pool, along with their three siblings. “They have been in the pool from infancy,” mom Maddie Kertay says of the five. “We took them as babies into the water with us.” While four of the five took to the water as if born to it, she says, one “wasn’t interested in water in the beginning. So we began by dipping our toes in.” Photo by Bryan R. Scott

Summertime, and the swimmin’ is easy. The classic picture is kids in the swimming hole (or pool), having a grand old time. But for that picture to materialize safely, your kids need to know how to swim. Chattanooga Parent talked with local parents and swimming teachers, as well as with national experts, to find out the best ways to develop happy and safe little fish.
Chattanooga mom Maddie Kertay taught all of her five children, ranging from 19 to 7, how to swim in the family’s backyard pool. “They have been in the pool from infancy,” she says. “We took them as babies into the water with us.” As toddlers, four of the five took to the water as if born to it, she says, while one “wasn’t interested in water in the beginning. So we began by dipping our toes in.”
And that’s a good strategy, say swimming experts, even if you don’t plan to teach your kids to swim yourself, but are planning to send them to swim school or lessons. Nancy Keough, PhD, adjunct professor of counseling and special education at the University of Akron in Ohio suggests acclimating kids to the idea through what she calls “graded exposure. If you’re walking on a beach, by a creek or a gentle river, go down to the water’s edge, but don’t force the child to touch the water if they don’t want to. Build up to that.”
Another highly recommended technique is using bath time to “desensitize” kids to the water. “If bath time has been a pleasant interaction between parent and child, with shallow water and play toys, then introducing your child to the water may be easy,” says Barbara G. Melamed, PhD, director of the Behavioral Medicine and Anxiety Clinic at Yeshiva University in New York.
Local swimming teacher Anne Donnovin has been teaching kids and adults to swim for 30 years. She did not teach her own two daughters to swim, preferring to leave that to other instructors, but both girls went on to become expert swimmers, and now her grandchildren are swimming as well.
“You can hold them and play in the water, then by 18 months, you can use flotation devices and play,” she says. She does not recommend actual swimming lessons until a child is 3.
Emily Krause, who teaches preschoolers through kindergarteners (among other levels) at the downtown Chattanooga YMCA, also feels this age group is the best for beginning lessons. “Before that time, they probably don’t have the strength for real swimming, which is very physical,” she says.

Overcoming fears

Experts and parents we interviewed firmly agree on one point: No child should be forced into the water against his will. The days of tossing a child into the deep end and saying, “That’s how I learned,” need to be retired into history.
“If they have an encounter with water that is negative, it will take a long time to overcome that—if they ever do,” says Krause. And if you are introducing a very young child or infant to the water, be keenly aware of her needs.
“Two-year-olds see well enough to worry about the depth of the water,” says Dr. Melamed. “And fear of separation from the parent may keep some children of that age from freely frolicking in the water.”
Another common fear for children is putting their face in the water. That’s another area where practicing in the bathtub first can help, the experts say. “You can also practice, ‘Let’s kick our legs,’” suggests Krause.
In the pool, as in so many other cases, children easily pick up on their parents’ fear. If you are afraid of the water, try hard not to show it around your child. “If the parent is not comfortable, that will be transmitted to the child,” says Donnovin.
California swimming instructor Amy Darsa tells the story of a 4-year-old boy “who was so frightened, he wouldn’t even get in up to his ankles. I told him, ‘The pool is like a big bathtub—let’s wash our faces.’” As the boy gradually relaxed—after several lessons—Darsa put floaties on him and towed him around the pool, gradually getting him used to the idea of doing it himself. “When he told me, ‘Don’t tow me,’ that was a major accomplishment for him,” she says.

Choosing lessons and the importance of safety

Some children do well in small-group lessons, and others need one-on-one instruction, Donnovin says. “I’ve taught kids with ADHD, and they really need one-on-one,” she says. “I don’t recommend large classes because the children have to sit on the side for too long.”
On the other hand, in a small class, she says, “Sometimes seeing the other child put her face in the water makes it less scary for you to do it, too. So it really depends on the child.”
She recommends asking other parents whose children have taken lessons for references, and asking to watch a lesson to see if it’s right for your child. All the instructors agreed that a water temperature of about 86 degrees is ideal for small bodies to feel relaxed and comfortable in the pool, so don’t be shy about asking about pool temperature.
One safety concern is summer pool parties. At the Kertay house, “The older kids look after the younger ones,” Maddie Kertay says, “and we have firm rules about no dunking.” In fact, she says, if it’s a child’s first visit to their pool, “we swim-test them. We ask them, ‘Show me what you can do.’” If the child’s swimming skills are still limited, that child stays on the shallow side of the “fun line,” Maddie says.

“And we keep plenty of safety items, such as float vests, swim rings and unisex swimsuits, with floatation devices built in, on hand.”
She highly recommends that partygoers’ parents be proactive and explain their child’s swimming level to the adult hosting the party.
“At the Y, we urge parents to consider how important it is that their child learn to swim,” says Krause. Here in Chattanooga, with rivers, creeks and lakes all around, it can’t be overstated how important it is that kids have the skills to avoid accidents.

Lifelong activity

Even beyond safety, Donnovin adds, is the satisfaction of introducing your child to an activity that he can enjoy for their entire life. She currently teaches a “hydro-jog” class that has a couple of 90-year-olds as participants.
“Every child should have the opportunity to learn to love the water,” she says.

Introducing your child to the water

Child anxiety specialist Tamar Chansky, PhD, author of the Freeing Your Child book series, including Freeing Your Child from Anxiety: Powerful, Practical Solutions to Overcoming Your Child’s Fears, Worries and Phobias, notes: “Every year I treat numerous children with swimming fears. If parents approach the situation well-informed, children can work through those fears and they won’t become a phobia; instead, kids will be water-savvy.” Here are some of her suggestions:

• Don’t rush children. Let them go at their own pace. If children are fearful and you rush them, chances are they will become so afraid and upset that they will go “on strike” and simply refuse to go in the water at all.

• But if a child is afraid, don’t keep her away from the pool. Give her a good spot to watch and get closer and closer to the action until she feels comfortable enough to participate fully.

• If a child is fearful, find out what he is fearful of. Don’t assume and plant ideas in his mind. You may mention drowning, and he was just thinking he doesn’t like to swallow water, or doesn’t like the water in his eyes.

• Ask, “When you think about going in the pool, what does your worry tell you?” Then you can help her learn strategies to solve the problem (e.g., blow bubbles to keep water out of your mouth, or keep a towel by the edge of the pool for your eyes, or let’s practice getting your eyes wet under the sprinkler).

• Create positive experiences in the pool. If all your child can do is sit and kick on the edge, then have fun with him sitting and kicking. He will have a positive association with the water, and his progress will be built on that foundation of confidence.

Chattanooga’s outdoor pools now splash-ready

Dog days at the Warner Park Pool: Parents of four-legged “kids” can enjoy a special splash at the annual “Doggie Pool Party,” to be held at the Warner Park Pool from noon–3 p.m. on Aug. 8. The cost is $10 with proceeds going to McKamey Animal Center.

The city of Chattanooga operates two public outdoor pools, at Warner Park and Carver Recreation Center, now in full swing for the summer season. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for ages 17 and under. Visitors to the Warner Park pool can enjoy updated amenities, including new slides and shaded areas. The city also operates two indoor pools, open year-round, at the Brainerd and South Chattanooga Recreation Centers. Pool rentals for private parties are available at both indoor and outdoor pools. To reserve a pool, call 697-1385.

Warner Park Pool
1254 E. Third St.
698-4857
Pool hours:      Monday, Thursday and Friday 12:30–4:45 p.m.
Tuesday & Wednesday 1–4:45 p.m.
Saturday noon–4:45 p.m.

Carver Recreation Center
600 Orchard Knob Ave.
622-7665
Pool hours:     Monday–Wednesday—Kidz Kamp only
Thursday & Friday noon–4 p.m.

Some private community pools in Chattanooga also allow guests on a pay-per-visit basis. The Chattanooga-area YMCA’s outdoor pool, at 7430 Shallowford Rd., offers a free first visit to guests (non-members), with subsequent visits $10 for adults and $5 for students, or $15 per family. All guests must register with the front desk at the beginning of each visit. The indoor pool at the North River YMCA, 4138 Hixson Pike, offers discounted admission for open swim for city of Chattanooga residents.

It’s not too late to get in the swim …

If you missed the sign-up for summer swim lessons, you can sign your child up for fall lessons, offered through both of the city’s two indoor pools, at the Brainerd and South Chattanooga Recreation Centers. Lessons are for preschoolers, ages 3 to 5, and school age, 6 to 12.
Children of all ages interested in competitive swimming through the city can register for the Chattanooga Swimming USA Swim Team from Sept. 2 to 11. (Teams are grouped by age: 8 and under, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14 and 15–18.) The prerequisite for the team is to swim one length freestyle and one length backstroke. Children who don’t meet the prerequisites can learn the four competitive strokes at the Youth Competitive Stroke Class at the South Chattanooga Pool. For more information call Peggy Grall at 697-1385.

Brainerd Pool
1010 N. Moore St.
Registration for swim lessons: Aug. 25 – Sept. 10
Swim lessons begin: Sept. 12

South Chattanooga Pool
1151 W. 40th St.
Registration for swim lessons: Aug. 25 – Sept. 4
Swim lessons begin: Sept. 8
Registration for Youth Competitive Stroke Class: Aug. 25 – Sept. 4
Youth Competitive Stroke Class begins: Sept. 8

Bryan R. Scott is a contributing photographer for Chattanooga Parent. See more of his work at PhotoByways.com.

Lessons are for preschool ages 3-5 and school age 6-12.  The swim team is open to all swimmers-there are age groups for 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18.  The prerequisite for the team is to swim one length freestyle and one length backstroke.  We offer a youth stroke class that focus on all four competitive strokes if you do not meet the team prerequisites.