This program is divided into two levels:
- Baby & Me (L1): 6mo-24mo, parent accompanies child
- Aquababy (L2): 24-35mo, child learns to be without parent in the water
Baby & Me (L1)
This program equips you to teach infants and toddlers between 6 months and 2 years of age. Working with this age group requires special skills since:
- it’s usually the child’s first ever (or very early) exposure to water, and it’s your job to make it feel safe and fun, to set them up for a lifetime of happy (rather than traumatised) swimming
- parents accompany their child in the water throughout the lesson, so you’ll need to work with both parent and child together
Our program is unique in that it will teach you to communicate basic water safety and swimming skills to an adult and a very young child at the same time. You’ll be teaching through words (to the adult) but also through hands-on work (on the child).
It’s exceptionally rewarding to be an infant’s first-ever swimming instructor—the learning you offer will stay with the child for life. Your actions and the way you teach also have a huge importance in all of the child’s later endeavours in water: so it’s up to you to make the pool a place of relaxation and joy for them, while also teaching them the basics of flotation and breathing.
Aquababy (L2)
This level of the program is where the infant learns to be on their own in the water, without the support of their parent, and instead learns to rely on the coach for support and hands-on help. This is a major transition for an infant to make, and requires patience and trust from all parties, including parents.
Our program will teach you how to communicate effectively to bridge this transition, as well as how to know when a child needs more or less support from their parent, and when they are ready to take this step in their self-learning journey. You’ll learn to set appropriate goals and recognize the challenges involved in this process.
Details:
The curriculum includes:
- various philosophies of teaching babies to swim
- benefits of early swimming lessons
- risks and safety for infant swimmers
- reflexes and how to recognize and accommodate them
- tips to share with parents for safety and anxiety
- entering and exiting the pool
- how to hold the baby in the water
- submersion (going underwater)
- and many more tricks of the trade
Swim Instructor Baby is taught over 1-2 days for a total of 6-8 hours training time, plus a minimum of 4 hours of apprenticeship.
Total cost: $699
*any testimonials?*
If you love being with kids and are keen to learn a new skill—join us for our next round of Baby & Toddler Instructor Training. Enter your details below to be kept informed of when this program will happen next.
Any questions? Reach out to us and we’ll be happy to clarify.