How to Teach Infant to Float on Back

SWIM•Float•SWIM! answers some of the most commonly asked questions by parents about our infant, baby, and child swimming programs and water safety classes. Please click on the + to reveal the answer and the – to hide it.

What Is Survival Swimming?

The ability of a baby to float and breathe, regardless of the water's depth, for an indefinite period of time.

The most essential survival swimming skill we will teach your child is to roll from a face-down position in the water to a face-up independent back float. Infants and toddlers cannot raise their heads to take a breath. If your child falls face down into the water, knowing how to roll onto a face-up back float can save a life! If your baby is walking, then he/she can also learn to swim to the pool edge or steps, rolling over to breathe whenever air is needed.

It's not just about being comfortable in the water, it's being able to swim and survive. Empower your child with the skills needed to safely enjoy the water! Discover the Difference today!

Why Infant Aquatics?

Children are naturally drawn to pools, hot tubs, lakes, ponds, streams, reservoirs and beaches. Despite a parent's best efforts at supervision, it only takes one head turn before an accident has occurred. Teach your baby or toddler how to survive and rescue himself.

Roll over breathing is a technique that many schools and learn-to-swim teachers don't even attempt because it takes time, skill and patience. But once children learn to roll over to float, relax and breathe whenever air is needed, they can truly swim, stay afloat, conquer fear and experience the joy of swimming.

Reasons to Get Started

You want your child to learn to swim and float in weeks, not years.
You or your extended family live or vacation around backyard pools or natural bodies of water.
You enjoy swimming and want your child to enjoy it as well.
You would rather take control of your child's safety than take chances.

Your Child Deserves the Lifetime Gift of Swimming Safety.

What Are SFS Lessons Like?

Our instructors customize private lessons, gently encouraging each child's unique needs and abilities. Infants younger than 1 year first learn to hold their breath underwater. Next, they learn to float on their backs. Then they learn to rotate from a face-down position to a face-up back-float.

Children who are walking learn to hold their breath underwater and propel for a short distance on their tummies by kicking their feet. They learn to roll over and float on their backs to breathe, then flip back onto their tummies and swim again:

Once children acquire their skills, instructors test them in clothes to better prepare them for unexpected falls into the water. During the final week, parents learn how to swim with their children and how to help them maintain and enhance their new skills.

How Are Lessons Structured?

Initial swimming lessons are one-on-one, 4 days per week (Monday through Thursday) for 3-6 weeks. Lessons for children under 4 years are 10 minutes long. Lessons for 4 and 5 year olds are 20 minutes long. Each swim lesson builds upon the previous day's lesson, so there is measurable progress each week.

How Long Does the Program Take?

Many kids are "swimming" after only a few lessons. A complete course of private lessons typically requires 4 weeks for infants, 6 weeks for toddlers or 3 weeks for children 4 years and up.

As a result of this program, your child will evolve from being completely helpless to being confident and capable of saving his or her own life in weeks, not years.

Are Advanced Lessons Available?

Upon completion of private lessons, we encourage students to continue their progress in group classes. Group classes allow our students to retain their skills, gain confidence, develop a true love of swimming, and progress into stroke development.

Is There a Sibling Discount?

Yes, there is a $50 discount for siblings enrolled in private lessons at the same time.

Why Are Your Lessons More Expensive than Others?

Actually, they are not. Keep in mind, that you are buying private lessons for your child. Instead of your child being one of many, depending on the student / teacher ratio, our lessons are one-on-one with your child and the teacher being the only ones in the water. With our undivided attention, in just 3 – 6 weeks, your child will have a fighting chance to survive an aquatic accident, along with the fundamental skills to safely enjoy the water. No other program can come close to what we can teach your child in a matter of weeks. We encourage you to shop around, but compare the results achieved and the time frame involved, as much as pricing.

What Is the Parent's Role?

We encourage parents of toddlers to get in the water for the first few lessons so that your child will experience less stranger and separation anxiety. Our goal for children of all ages is to establish a relationship of trust between your child and the instructor. Once this occurs, your child will learn to trust him/herself in the water and real progress begins.

How Can You Teach a Baby Who Cannot Talk?

Swimming and floating are motor skills that can be taught to a baby through repetitive exercises, along with gentle verbal encouragement. We show the babies what we want them to do, and over a short period of time, they learn the skills necessary to survive. Be assured, we do not throw children into the water! Our goal is to make learning fun so that your child will love his water experience.

Are There Lessons for Older Children?

We offer stroke classes for skilled swimmers over the age of 5, who are able to swim, roll onto their back to float, and turn over to swim in deep water. We have limited our private lessons for unskilled swimmers to children under the age of 6 years because we are are simply unable to accommodate older children and still have space for our younger students, who are most at risk for aquatic accidents. In addition, our pools are shallow (45" water depth), and most school age children are able to touch the bottom and stand up, which makes teaching them to go underwater and float extremely challenging. It is also impossible for us to get them comfortable in deep water, as we unable to provide a deep water environment to them.

When Are Private Lessons Scheduled and Where Can I View the Schedule?

We offer lessons as early as 7:20 am and as late as 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday. The private lesson schedule changes weekly, and is not available for online viewing. Contact us to discuss scheduling needs.

Where Are Lessons Scheduled?

All lessons are taught at the SWIM•Float•SWIM! indoor pools off Ken Pratt Boulevard in southwest Longmont. See map for address and directions.

How Do I Enroll?

Call Judy at 303-499-2229 or email [email protected] to arrange lesson observation. Stop by our Longmont facility, complete registration forms and pay the non-refundable $100 fee ($50 for siblings enrolled in private lessons at the same time) to reserve a time slot for your child.

How Soon Can We Start?

We start new students every Monday, whenever there are openings on the schedule. Once the schedule is full, your child will be placed on a waiting list.

When Can We Join a Group Class?

Upon completion of private lessons, all students are encouraged to join a group class for retention, enjoyment and skill enhancement. The cost of the session will be pro-rated according to the number of weeks remaining in the current session.

How to Teach Infant to Float on Back

Source: https://www.swimfloatswim.com/baby-swimming-lessons/frequently-asked-questions/