“I was always a water baby,” says Rebecca. “Every family holiday there would be a big group of us, with the children spending practically every waking moment in the pool. I loved being in the water and was always pleading with my mum, ‘Please can we go swimming, please can we go swimming.’
We would usually go once a week to our local pool, and my two older sisters and I loved mucking around and racing my dad. It wasn’t until I was eight or nine that I joined a club, and my swimming took off, but those early memories are still so vivid, and that’s what helped make me the swimmer I am to day.
The best advice I can give to build your child’s confidence in the water, is to start early, ideally as a baby. Get him used to water – even if it’s just in the bath. If you leave it too late, he may become fearful, and dislike putting his head in water. Of course, it’s possible to overcome this, but if he has grown up around water, he’s less likely to encounter this problem.
Also take it slow. Learning to swim takes time and patience. The main thing is to ensure your child never feels out of his depth, both literally and figuratively. The last thing you want is for him to be scared of the water.
Finally, remember to have fun. Swimming is one of the few things you can do together.”
For more information, visit www.speedo.co.uk
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