Swim for fun, fitness and safety
Last summer, I took my four-year-old to a swim school for the first time. I learned to swim the old fashioned way: my dad threw our poodle into the lake near our home and then threw me in after it. “Watch the dog,” he ordered.
I was five and needless to say, traumatized. But I did learn to swim that day. In teaching my own kids to swim, I planned to use my father’s advice without the trauma. I was surprised when I first moved to Kuwait to meet so many adults who never learned to swim. Kuwait has around 18 drownings annually, which in a country of 3.5 million isn’t statistically high at all. Still, spending time at the pool or the beach is a favorite part of childhood and I wanted my kids to know water safety and basic swimming skills.
So when my oldest was three, I started her lessons. Every week, we’d head to the pool and I would very patiently doggie paddle and float on my back with my daughter first watching from poolside and then in the water with me. She loved playing in the water but no matter how many ‘woof woofs’ I barked, she wasn’t learning to swim. Finally, I asked around and discovered that there are a credible number of swim schools in Kuwait. Everyone always says there’s nothing to do here but if you are into water and swimming, there are plenty of options.
Places like the Al-Danah Swim School, Aqua Tots, BSK, the Hilton and Movenpick Bida’a not to mention diving schools offer a range of swimming lessons and activities including for adults and those already proficient in doggie paddle. My daughter’s first lesson was mostly a disaster. She cried, refused to get into the water and refused to speak to me for the rest of the day. The next lesson she went to the edge of the water, her curiosity overcoming the fear. Still she wasn’t convinced so easily. Lessons three and four went much the same. Luckily for me, the instructor, Coach Ali from Al-Danah Swim School, takes a step-by-step approach to teaching small children.
He patiently encouraged her with toy duckies and simple poolside techniques like basic kicks and how to blow bubbles with her face in the water. By the fifth or sixth lesson, she started to like swimming and jumping into the water without any prodding from me.
Then one lesson, the miracle happened. Something clicked in her brain and the water transformed from a terrifying abyss into a haven of fun. She suddenly was excited about swimming. She didn’t want to get out of the pool at the end of the lesson. Instead of being upset with me for taking her to swim class, she was upset when I made her get out to go home. Now she loves to swim. She walks around the house wearing her swimsuit and goggles and begs to go for swim class. She’s even started instructing her little sister during bath time on how to blow bubbles and how to kick her feet.
More importantly, she has a basic understanding of the water and how to be safe. I’m happy not only because I’ve given her the gift of fun, but also because swimming is a lifelong practice that can keep her healthy and fit and possibly save her life one day.
KT: What is your philosophy of teaching?
Coach Ali: We want everyone to learn to swim, be safe, have fun and that’s why everyone at Al-Danah Swim School is passionate about swimming.
KT: What method or technique do you find to be most effective in teaching children?
Coach Ali: Step-by-step water confidence and safety skills.
KT: What ages of children do you teach?
Coach Ali: Our priority is to teach children starting as young as six months old to love and respect the water.
KT: What are the key things a child will learn in swim classes?
Coach Ali: Learning to feel at home in water because that’s the key to good swimming. Being comfortable in water before moving on to teaching next skill or stroke technique.
KT: There are several drownings a year in Kuwait and many adults cannot swim and never learn, what do you think about that?
Coach Ali: It’s true but now we get an average of one adult applicant per day because the swimming culture is changing slowly in Kuwait and people understand how important it is to learn how to swim in order to enjoy their holidays swimming or diving.
KT: What would make Kuwait a safer, more swim friendly place for children?
Coach Ali: Involving the children in the lessons for life and how to be safe in water.
KT: What do you think are some of the benefits – physically, mentally, emotionally, etc – for children who learn to swim at an early age?
Coach Ali: Swimming is a skill that all kids should learn and it is a skill that remains with them throughout their lives. Children should be involved in swimming lessons to become comfortable with the water. They should learn to swim from a trusted adult so that it can be an enjoyable experience. Children should be given opportunities to swim once they have learned how, so they can continue to build on their new abilities and develop good form and technique.
KT: What do you do when a child is scared of the water?
Coach Ali: We have a level called water adjustments where we introduce the child to the water and we go STEP-BYSTEP. We never force a child in the water.
Benefits of Swimming
Health Swimming can provide varying health benefits for children. Swimming stimulates muscles and helps build strength and provides a cardiovascular workout that children can do for an extended period of time. Children will probably not be able to run for the same amount of time that they would be able to swim.
Safety All people should learn to swim whether a child or an adult. Water safety is valuable knowledge for everyone. Knowing how to swim can save your life in a dangerous situation. Children who know how to swim will be better equipped if they ever face a water emergency
Fitness Swimming is a good way to get kids to enjoy physical exercise. Children who are overweight can swim as a great introduction to a healthier lifestyle and there are benefits to both swimming as a workout and simply playing in the pool. Kids who are active are likely to be healthier and of a normal weight.
Lifetime skill Swimming is a lifelong activity. It can be enjoyed by both the young and the old. Swimming is very therapeutic for many elderly people, but many adults don’t take swimming lessons if they never learned to swim as a child. They may be embarrassed by their lack of abilities and avoid the water. Swimming should be introduced to a child slowly so she doesn’t become afraid of the water, as this can stay with her as she grows up.
By Jamie Etheridge
I was five and needless to say, traumatized. But I did learn to swim that day. In teaching my own kids to swim, I planned to use my father’s advice without the trauma. I was surprised when I first moved to Kuwait to meet so many adults who never learned to swim. Kuwait has around 18 drownings annually, which in a country of 3.5 million isn’t statistically high at all. Still, spending time at the pool or the beach is a favorite part of childhood and I wanted my kids to know water safety and basic swimming skills.
So when my oldest was three, I started her lessons. Every week, we’d head to the pool and I would very patiently doggie paddle and float on my back with my daughter first watching from poolside and then in the water with me. She loved playing in the water but no matter how many ‘woof woofs’ I barked, she wasn’t learning to swim. Finally, I asked around and discovered that there are a credible number of swim schools in Kuwait. Everyone always says there’s nothing to do here but if you are into water and swimming, there are plenty of options.
Places like the Al-Danah Swim School, Aqua Tots, BSK, the Hilton and Movenpick Bida’a not to mention diving schools offer a range of swimming lessons and activities including for adults and those already proficient in doggie paddle. My daughter’s first lesson was mostly a disaster. She cried, refused to get into the water and refused to speak to me for the rest of the day. The next lesson she went to the edge of the water, her curiosity overcoming the fear. Still she wasn’t convinced so easily. Lessons three and four went much the same. Luckily for me, the instructor, Coach Ali from Al-Danah Swim School, takes a step-by-step approach to teaching small children.
He patiently encouraged her with toy duckies and simple poolside techniques like basic kicks and how to blow bubbles with her face in the water. By the fifth or sixth lesson, she started to like swimming and jumping into the water without any prodding from me.
Then one lesson, the miracle happened. Something clicked in her brain and the water transformed from a terrifying abyss into a haven of fun. She suddenly was excited about swimming. She didn’t want to get out of the pool at the end of the lesson. Instead of being upset with me for taking her to swim class, she was upset when I made her get out to go home. Now she loves to swim. She walks around the house wearing her swimsuit and goggles and begs to go for swim class. She’s even started instructing her little sister during bath time on how to blow bubbles and how to kick her feet.
More importantly, she has a basic understanding of the water and how to be safe. I’m happy not only because I’ve given her the gift of fun, but also because swimming is a lifelong practice that can keep her healthy and fit and possibly save her life one day.
KT: What is your philosophy of teaching?
Coach Ali: We want everyone to learn to swim, be safe, have fun and that’s why everyone at Al-Danah Swim School is passionate about swimming.
KT: What method or technique do you find to be most effective in teaching children?
Coach Ali: Step-by-step water confidence and safety skills.
KT: What ages of children do you teach?
Coach Ali: Our priority is to teach children starting as young as six months old to love and respect the water.
KT: What are the key things a child will learn in swim classes?
Coach Ali: Learning to feel at home in water because that’s the key to good swimming. Being comfortable in water before moving on to teaching next skill or stroke technique.
KT: There are several drownings a year in Kuwait and many adults cannot swim and never learn, what do you think about that?
Coach Ali: It’s true but now we get an average of one adult applicant per day because the swimming culture is changing slowly in Kuwait and people understand how important it is to learn how to swim in order to enjoy their holidays swimming or diving.
KT: What would make Kuwait a safer, more swim friendly place for children?
Coach Ali: Involving the children in the lessons for life and how to be safe in water.
KT: What do you think are some of the benefits – physically, mentally, emotionally, etc – for children who learn to swim at an early age?
Coach Ali: Swimming is a skill that all kids should learn and it is a skill that remains with them throughout their lives. Children should be involved in swimming lessons to become comfortable with the water. They should learn to swim from a trusted adult so that it can be an enjoyable experience. Children should be given opportunities to swim once they have learned how, so they can continue to build on their new abilities and develop good form and technique.
KT: What do you do when a child is scared of the water?
Coach Ali: We have a level called water adjustments where we introduce the child to the water and we go STEP-BYSTEP. We never force a child in the water.
Benefits of Swimming
Health Swimming can provide varying health benefits for children. Swimming stimulates muscles and helps build strength and provides a cardiovascular workout that children can do for an extended period of time. Children will probably not be able to run for the same amount of time that they would be able to swim.
Safety All people should learn to swim whether a child or an adult. Water safety is valuable knowledge for everyone. Knowing how to swim can save your life in a dangerous situation. Children who know how to swim will be better equipped if they ever face a water emergency
Fitness Swimming is a good way to get kids to enjoy physical exercise. Children who are overweight can swim as a great introduction to a healthier lifestyle and there are benefits to both swimming as a workout and simply playing in the pool. Kids who are active are likely to be healthier and of a normal weight.
Lifetime skill Swimming is a lifelong activity. It can be enjoyed by both the young and the old. Swimming is very therapeutic for many elderly people, but many adults don’t take swimming lessons if they never learned to swim as a child. They may be embarrassed by their lack of abilities and avoid the water. Swimming should be introduced to a child slowly so she doesn’t become afraid of the water, as this can stay with her as she grows up.
By Jamie Etheridge
-Kuwait Times
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