Guest Author Swimming for family time – Shrieks, giggles, splashes. Roars of laughter, shouts of “watch this, see what I can do” Tumbling, rolling, spinning, floating, moving with ease. No phones, no books, no work, no TV, no tech. There is only one place that offers all of this in abundance. I believe it is the best place in the world to spend time together as a family – in the water, making memories!
Amanda Spriggs, swimming teacher and business owner
I’m Amanda, business owner, swimming teacher and a mummy to a very independent and headstrong 5-year-old. As a family we share the best times in and around the water. It is here that I tap into my inner child, playing silly games pretending to be evil sharks and magical mermaids, doing swimming races with Barbie dolls, having roly-poly and handstand competitions. All these things I am useless at when outside of the water… especially the handstands! But in the water it is a different story.
I’ve always loved swimming.
You could never get me out of the pool when I was growing up, so it felt fitting that motherhood saw me walk away from my career of nearly 20 years and float right into a new career as a swimming teacher. But before that path unfolded it started with a baby swimming lesson I took my daughter to.
Community and connection
When I think back to my first swimming lesson with our 9-week-old I had no idea what to expect. It wasn’t easy and although I had fond memories of swimming as a child I doubt that I was taken into a pool at such a young age.
In that first lesson with my daughter I recall the struggle getting her into the awkward happy nappy. Spending 20 minutes breastfeeding her from inside the pool to stop her crying. By the end of the lesson I wasn’t sure if we would ever return! But after class in the changing room it was the 1st time that I felt connected to other new mummies all in a similar situation. We all had tiny little beings, they were soaked and tired, we were soaked and tired and there was a shared sense of camaraderie and understanding. I was worried that I had ruined their experience. But they put me instantly at ease because they’d had their 1st lesson a few weeks earlier and we were all in the same boat.
We had all experienced similar feelings and thoughts in early motherhood. Not just with the swimming but the loneliness that came in those few weeks after everyone stops visiting and partners return to work. After that class I no longer felt alone or as if I was the only one just muddling through. We went back the following week, and since then we have been hooked! We have been sharing memories in the pool ever since. I have loved teaching and being a part of that journey for so many other families.
Turtle Tots Mid Cheshire
Fast forward 5 years and I have loved the journey of swimming with my daughter and being a swimming teacher. Most recently I became the Teacher /owner of Turtle Tots Mid Cheshire. Right now, I feel I am exactly where I should be, helping other families learn how to make the best of their time together, develop close bonds, stay safe, have fun and, most importantly, create the best memories and a lifelong love of water! It safe to say that family time in the pool is something I am deeply passionate about and I am so happy to be sharing my tips for family swimming time.
The benefits of swimming
Physical development
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for a child’s physical and mental well-being (and for babies). Swimming keeps them active, fit and healthy and is proven to help them develop physically, emotionally, mentally, intellectually and socially.
Swimming encourages healthy growth and helps develop strength, coordination and balance. Not only that, but it can be the best place to support bonding which is essential in modern society where we are all muddling through, doing the best we can and never really switching off from anything!
Cognitive development and wellbeing
Not only does swimming support childhood physical development by strengthening little hearts, lungs, and legs but also brain development and the whole vestibular system.
In both children and adults, the boost in blood flow from swimming can help improve memory, mood, clarity and focus! A stress reliever for adults, it can also become a magical one-on-one bonding experience with endorphins released around the body that promote better connections, behaviours and sleep!
Health
From a physical exercise point of view, swimming allows for complete freedom of movement without restrictions of gravity whilst exercising all quarters of the body… regardless of age! In recent years there has been a big drive to make the nation fitter and healthier, which has been aimed at children just as much as adults. Obesity rates in children have tripled during the last 20 years.
My top 5 tips for this summer
This summer, if you are heading to the beach, playing in a paddling pool in the garden, or doing anything that involves playing near water, check my top 5 tips to help you make the most of your time together and build lifelong memories.
1. Focus
Your focus should always be on your child, their safety, and their needs when you are in the water. There is the safety aspect but also the opportunity to bond with your family with little external distraction.
Put down phones, forget emails, ignore the ever-increasing to do list and be present at that moment as you focus on family time.
2. Communication
Even at 9 weeks old, a baby will find ways to communicate with you. Watch, listen and acknowledge your child’s reactions. This can increase confidence and fun and avoid turning swimming into a painful experience for you all.
From the toddler stage and beyond, as vocabulary builds, you can share ideas for activities to enhance awareness and skills development.
Watch out for your child’s cues, listen to their thoughts, hear their reactions and share ideas … this is your opportunity to be present. Be there in the moment listening, sharing, engaging and feeling. Your kids will discover a side to you that even you may have forgotten. Let go and have fun.
3. Play
What better way to create lifelong love of water than by having fun! The best learning is incidental. You can make practising techniques part of a game. Mirroring, exploration, reinforcement, racing and any activity your child comes up with, just follow their lead.
Letting your child /children lead gives them autonomy and you both connection. Playing games they instigate will help you enter a wholly forgotten world of imagination and wonderment.
I still enjoy getting new ideas for play, and often the best ones come from the little ones themselves!
4. Safety
Creating awareness and respect for the water is key. Though there are possibilities for enjoyment and fun there is also danger. Helping your little ones identify risk and learn boundaries by talking about the safety signs, what they mean and why they are in place can really help embed positive attitudes to water safety from a young age.
Sadly drowning is still the 2nd largest cause of accidental death in children in the UK, and the figure is rising, not decreasing. Most deaths occur in the gardens or houses of friends and neighbours. So what better time to teach our children water safety than during the holidays. By playing with our children and teaching them respect for the water with essential basic lifesaving skills such as floating like stars on your back, turning around, holding on, and climbing out. These are simple but effective lifesaving skills we can teach children of all ages.
It is important to have safety rules surrounding jumping in and entering water. You should encourage this to happen only when a grown-up says it’s safe. This will not only work towards stopping them from just jumping in as a toddler but it will help in later life too. Its always a good idea to encourage children, teenagers and adults to think twice before going into even the safest water.
5. Equipment and clothing
I love bright clothing anyway, but always choose bright clothing for your little ones, especially if in or near the water to make sure they are easily seen. For equipment, you don’t need to spend a fortune … a few sinkers, a ball, and a favourite plastic toy are all great for encouraging games in the water.
Pool noodles and floats promote independent swimming and can be incorporated into the fun. If you do want to spend a bit more. I love the Turtle Pack and Swim Fins both help promote good body positioning and free those little arms up to develop fabulous long-arm strokes and independent play with their grown-ups! These aren’t designed to be used without adult supervision.
I would always recommend choosing something that doesn’t encourage the idea that you can “leave the kids to it!”Over-reliance on swim vests and such like has resulted in a tendency for some to relax whilst the children play. Not only is this not safe, but it also hinders the family fun and the opportunity to share the experience of family time.
Swimming for family time
I encourage you to create a rule that pool time is everyone’s time… a time for playing, exploring, and having fun together. Give your family your undivided attention, encourage water confidence and set them on their way with the ability to swim as a gift for life! The only tech that should be involved is for recording those special moments if you can.
