Once you’ve got taught your kids the basics of putting their heads underwater, you can help them develop mastery of this swimming skill. Here’s how to do it.

Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Master Going Underwater

1. Practice going underwater together, holding your child securely against your body.
2. Explain what you’ll be doing. If your child expresses fear, don’t do it. Work towards it instead. Keep practicing putting his head in the water face first.
3. Count to three. Rise up a little with a fairly quick, sharp movement, make a big show of taking a loud deep breath, complete with puffed out cheeks. For a lot of kids, the quick, sharp lift triggers an intake of breath. Quickly and smoothly lower both of you under water for just a second, maintaining eye contact the whole time, even under water.
4. If you move slightly sideways into the water as you go under, water is less likely to get into your child’s nose. You can try having your child hold his nose with his fingers the first few times if he’s worried about his nose. Once he gains confidence, do it without holding the nose.
5. If your child sputters, demonstrate a little cough to clear your own throat. Praise and explain that it will get easier.
6. Keep practicing and repeating this exercise, gradually extending the time under water to a few seconds. When he feels really comfortable, go underwater together having him hold onto you by your arms, so that there’s plenty of space between your bodies and he has a strong feeling of independence in the movement.
7. As a last step toward mastering putting his head underwater, have your child hold onto the edge of the pool with you nearby but not touching him. Have him put his own head under the water, preparing himself and choosing for himself when to resurface.