Has your child proudly earned a swimming certificate, but you've noticed their swimming skills have declined? Don't worry! It's perfectly normal for children to lose some skills after completing their lessons, especially after a long period without regular swimming. Fortunately, there's a solution: the swimming lesson MOT, or refreshing their swimming skills without starting all over again.
Why a Swimming Lesson MOT?
You know how it is: after a long winter break, you get your bike out and it feels a bit awkward. It's the same with swimming. Regular swimming is essential to maintain acquired skills [4, 11]. Research shows that children can lose some of the skills for the B certificate after just 18 months [17]. This includes swimming in clothes, front crawl and back crawl [17].
So it's important to check your child's swimming skills periodically and brush up if necessary. This is especially true if:
- It's been a while since your child had swimming lessons.
- Your child has become afraid of the water, for example after an unpleasant experience [12].
- You notice your child struggling with certain strokes or exercises.
- The summer holidays are coming up and lots of water fun is planned [5].
A swimming lesson MOT is an ideal way to ensure your child's water safety and let them enjoy the water with peace of mind [2, 5]. It's a kind of check-up where basic skills are refreshed and any fears are overcome.
What Does a Swimming Lesson MOT Involve?
A swimming lesson MOT isn't a complete swimming lesson course, but a targeted training to refresh existing swimming skills. The focus is on repeating the most important techniques and increasing confidence in the water.
The following components are often covered:
- Fitness: Swimming is a sport, and fitness is important. During the swimming lesson MOT, fitness is built up again by swimming laps and doing other exercises.
- Swimming Technique: The different strokes (breaststroke, front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke) are repeated and corrected. Attention is paid to correct posture and movement so that your child swims more efficiently and safely [7, 22].
- Survival: Exercises are done to learn how to survive in the water, such as treading water, floating and saving yourself with clothes on [3, 7].
- Underwater Orientation: Being able to look underwater and orient yourself is crucial for water safety. During the MOT, you'll practice swimming underwater and through a hole [3].
- Games and Fun: An important part of the swimming lesson MOT is rediscovering the fun in the water. Through games and fun exercises, fear is removed and confidence is increased [2, 5].
The value of the C certificate
Did you know that the C certificate is actually the standard for swimming safety in the Netherlands [1, 4, 13]? With an A certificate, your child masters the basic skills for a swimming pool without attractions [13, 18]. The B certificate adds the skills for swimming pools with features such as slides [13, 18]. But only with the C certificate is your child sufficiently prepared for swimming in open water, such as recreational lakes [1, 13, 18]. Here, your child learns to rescue themselves with clothes on and orient themselves underwater [3, 7].
So be sure to consider letting your child go for the C certificate, or have the skills of the C certificate refreshed during a swimming lesson MOT.
Swimming Lesson MOT and Fear of Water
Does your child suffer from fear of water? Then a swimming lesson MOT is an excellent way to work on this [12, 39, 44]. Under the guidance of an experienced instructor, your child can gradually overcome their fear and regain confidence in the water. There are special swimming lesson methods that focus on children with fear of water. Waterproofing Your Child: Overcoming Water Fear and Building Confidence gives you tips and insights on overcoming fear of water.
Where Can You Find a Swimming Lesson MOT?
More and more swimming schools are offering a swimming lesson MOT [2, 5]. Ask the swimming schools in your area about the possibilities. You can also look for swimming lesson providers that specialise in refreshing swimming skills or overcoming fear of water.
Compare swimming lesson providers in your city to find a suitable provider.
Tips for Refreshing Swimming Skills
- Make it a Fun Activity: Go swimming together and play fun games in the water [4, 38].
- Practice Regularly: Repeat the skills learned regularly, for example during a visit to the pool or beach [4].
- Be Patient: It may take a while for swimming skills to return to their old level. Give your child the time and space to practice [21].
- Encourage and Motivate: Give your child compliments and encourage them to persevere [40].
Water Safety First
A swimming lesson MOT is a valuable investment in your child's water safety. By regularly refreshing swimming skills, your child can enjoy the water with peace of mind. So don't wait any longer and give your child the opportunity to get their swimming skills back up to scratch!
Curious about the possibilities for swimming lessons in your city? Compare swimming lesson providers in your city and find the perfect match for your child. Also read more about the different lesson methods and check out the knowledge base for parents for useful tips and information.
