Why in the world do parents backup when teaching their children to swim?
Okay so you have your son or daughter clinging to the edge of the pool. You walk a bit of the ways into the pool and you tell them to swim to you. As soon as they let go of the pool edge, you start backing up making it harder and harder for your child to reach you. I have come to two conclusions:
1. You like giving your child a sensation that they are drowning while accomplishing nothing towards their goal.
2. You think that they won’t notice the fact that you are making it harder and harder to accomplish the goal you set for them.
So which is it? Or is there some factor that makes up for the emotional scarring you are doing to a young child?
I mean what is the difference between a parent doing that and a schoolyard bully grabbing someone’s glasses and holding them above the person’s head just out of reach? In both cases you are taunting the other person that they will always be so close to accomplish the goal but never quite make it.
No I am not dumb. As for the distance motivating a child to learn to swim, I will concede that there is some logic in that. About as much as choking someone motivates them to learn to fight better.
This is sort of like someone asking me how much a piece of candy is and everytime they give me the amount that I ask for, stating that the candy costs more.
I am not a parent but I have taught a child to swim without the aid of floatees. I stooded in one place and had her swim out to me. Each time I would do it I would get a little farther away. I did not try to convince her that she only needed to go a short distance when she would end up going a longer distance.
No I do not think anyone is going to let a child drown. But the child does not know that. All they know is that they are barely staying afloat in the water and try as they must their teacher or guardian never seems to get any closer.
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As for whether a parent would laugh at failure. Well yeah my mother found it rather amusing when I finally caught on and refused to swim towards her if she moved.
Jamie
