Backflips in swimming?
Is my child doing backflips in swimming? We have been swimming for so long, we enjoy all the benefits and suddenly he refuses to do dips or backstroke... What's wrong?
Should I listen to what he really wants to tell me with his body movements or his words?
The “setbacks” or, more correctly stated, the “transitional phases” of the child are not at all worrisome. On the contrary, they are normal reactions to the stages of his development. More specifically, there are three age-related transitional phases, where the child can maintain a plateau (a stagnation) while until now we have observed a continuous rise in his swimming development. So the stages and the reasons why our child reacts particularly, are the following:
10 months – 2 years
At this point the child maintains an upward trajectory and each time learns and gets acquainted with more things. This is where we need to give him all our attention as everything he is learning, he is seeing for the first time. Even though we consider it routine, for the child it is something new. His upward trajectory should excite us quite a bit, but we should also observe when he can continue and when he needs a more relaxed lesson.
It is important to be careful that when our child reaches a point and is now familiar with diving (he does not drink water, the distance of the dive increases and their number) that parents do not exceed the limits and listen to the coaches and their children, as we will lead them to the opposite results, namely to denial towards diving. He will have all year round to fish for octopuses once he starts swimming on his own!
Furthermore, after 10 months when the child begins to stand up, step on his feet and enter the first process of walking, he may make a backward turn from the supine position. This is very possible and logical because children at this stage begin to discover the world and do not prefer the supine position. Also, they have a very increased sense of fear, that is, that they will fall backwards and this is another reason.
2.5 years old – 3.5 years old
Our child has now become familiar with the water and diving and we are now calmer and more confident in what he can achieve. At this point, the separation of the child from the parent in the pool begins. And where everything is going well and nice, we begin the childish... Let's think of it as a double separation. In the child's mind, everything seems more difficult.
At first, we slowly manage to say goodbye to school, with a hundred kisses, hugs, tears and daily friction!!… But we manage. After a while, and while the child has become accustomed to going into the pool with his parent since he was a baby (and it is his favorite activity with mom or dad), he suddenly has to say goodbye to them from the pool. If we are close to the beginning of the school year, the child makes the association with leaving school and everything is more difficult for him. The opportunities he is given to adapt are once a week and not on a daily basis like in kindergarten. So, perhaps for some more emotional children, the separation from mom or dad may take a little longer.
As parents, we need to give our child the time they need to understand that they are ready to trust themselves, their coach, and their teammates and to swim on their own. At the same time, we need to be relaxed and accept the fact that some children are ready to be separated from their parents more quickly, while others need extra time.
5 years old – 6 years old
We're all grown up now and we dive for octopuses, we do somersaults, we jump from high into the water, we're fearless! But, now that we're independent from mom and dad when it comes to our swimming skills, we have more choices in the activities we can do...
Many times the modern lifestyle and fast pace make us burden the child with everything he needs to learn, (mainly our own wants). Many times forgetting that he is a child and that he wants to play. So, at this stage we may observe some elements of denial because our child would like to try another sport, perhaps because his best friend plays football or he saw the basketball cup final on TV and dreamed of himself shooting in a full stadium!
Furthermore, there is a possibility that he feels that his schedule is too busy (e.g., immediately after ballet or soccer he has swimming practice or immediately after swimming he does French or tae kwon do) and while he wants to continue because he likes swimming and is trying for it, he cannot perform and follow his team.
The key to this fantastic relationship between parent and child is understanding and patience to listen to everything the child wants to tell you, whether through their body movements or their words. We need to put a limit on their activities before they reach their limits. In fact, it has recently been proven how beneficial it is – for the child’s brain activity (!) or boredom. With the child bombarded with activities, they don’t have time to find what they really like! But when they get bored, they are forced to find ways to keep themselves busy and therefore listen to themselves!
It's normal to worry about your child's future development, but every child needs their own space and time to show you how much they can achieve... and if you give them these two important elements, they'll surprise you...
Avgi Hourlia
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