You’ve been working for a while on teaching your kids to get into the pool. If they’re comfortable with what you’ve taught so far, you’re ready for the last step in the process of teaching this skill.

The Final Stage of Teaching Kids to Get into the Pool

Once your child feels very comfortable in the water, he’s ready to get into the pool feet-first all by himself. In this swimming lesson, ease into having him move himself from a seated position on the edge of the pool into your waiting arms. Start by standing close enough that he can reach out and touch you, but make sure he’s the one reaching for you, not the other way around.

Gradually move back so that you’re standing a foot or more from the edge of the pool and your child has to lean forward and scoot into the pool to reach you. Once he’s able to stabilize himself in the pool by holding onto the edge, have him lower himself into the water and hold onto the edge while you’re standing nearby.

Now you’ve covered everything your kids need to know about this swimming skill. Keep practicing to reinforce the skill, and get ready to move on to teaching your kids to get a feel for the water.