I have the impression that my child is not progressing. Why?
First of all, you can’t learn water safety or swimming in 2 strokes of your legs!
After that, each child evolves at his or her own pace, and that’s all to the good. Many can reach so-called plateau phases, when improvement seems slow, but at other times they progress rapidly. The small group classes with the coach in the water allow each student to be stimulated and challenged.
Teaching repetitive movements by swimming coaches teaches children muscle memory, gradually developing skills and eliminating any water-related blockages. You’ll see your child doing the same exercises in the pool over and over again, with a visual impression that may be distorted. The first few sessions are often the most laborious, and you may feel that your child isn’t making much progress. On the other hand, once the child feels confident, progress will be rapid and the gains made in a single session will be impressive!
This is where the role of the parent becomes crucial. In addition to reassuring the child, he or she must encourage and support him or her, and believe in him or her, while leaving the necessary space for the coach. Be careful, however, not to overestimate your child’s abilities.
The temptation for the parent is to enroll the swimmer in slots that are still out of reach in relation to his or her real level. This is particularly the case if the child has an early physical development. But it may also be due to a misperception of the parent.
The coach, whose job it is, needs to listen to the parent so that the swimmer can flourish in the most appropriate group. He or she must always be objective and positive about the child’s progress, as well as the areas where improvement is still needed. That’s why we encourage you to go and see your child’s coach during the debriefing, so that he can explain how your child is progressing.
Generally speaking, it takes about 10 to 15 30-minute lessons once or twice a week to make good progress, so don’t worry, it’s not that your child isn’t progressing, but that he’s progressing at his own pace!
If you have any further questions, we invite you to search our blog, which relates many of the questions parents ask(click here).