Now that your kids have gotten the hang of how they’ll need to move their bodies in order to streamline their breathing when they swim–see the previous post if you haven’t already read it–it’s time to move the practice into the swimming pool. Here’s a progression of four steps to move your kids closer to rhythmic side breathing when they swim.

4 Steps to Teaching This Critical Swimming Skill

Step 1: Practice the same exercise standing in the swimming pool.

Have your child stand in the shallow end and hold onto the edge of the pool with his upper body in streamline position. Ask him to put his face in the water and twist his torso. Does his mouth come just barely out of the water? Does he need to twist his head just a little more to get his mouth clear?

At this point, your child shouldn’t be relying on turning his head to breathe. He can stand up straight whenever he wants to take a breath. He should concentrate, though, on turning his head directly to the side instead of lifting it up.

Step 2: Practice the same exercise holding onto the edge of the swimming pool.

Have him do the exercise with the whole body in streamline position, gently kicking instead of standing. Once your child is comfortable with this, have him try to take a breath during one of his turns. Don’t try to move into this too quickly, and don’t try to establish a rhythm right away.

Step 3: Practice establishing a rhythm.

After he’s comfortable with taking one breath, have him try to establish a rhythm. Turn, turn and breathe, turn, turn and breathe. Make sure he understands that he doesn’t have to breathe every time he turns. When he practices, have him breathe on the same side every time.

Step 4: Practice exhaling to prepare for inhaling.

Next have your child practice expelling air while his head is underwater so that he’s ready to inhale as soon as his head is above the water. If he’s already learned to blow bubbles, he knows how to expel air while his head is under water. Ask him to expel all the air then twist his head and body to inhale.

Once your kids have practiced these four steps, they’ll be ready to combine their breathing with their swimming stroke. Tune in tomorrow for how to teach your kids to breathe and swim at the same time. (It’s not that different from walking and chewing gum. Anyone can do it.)