Teaching kids to swim in a monofin pointers?

[Lyna]

Hey guys! Just bought my daughter her very first mermaid shaped monofin. After seeing her mommy finally as a mermaid, her interest in becoming one herself has sky rocketed! Does anyone have any tips or tricks to help little ones along in the learning process of swimming? If she actually likes it and does well, I'll be getting her a tail, and this monofin is dark colored so it will be handed down to my little merboy to learn next. (They're 3 and 7 if that helps). Thanks!

[Mermaid Saphira]

I am working on teaching my little cousin how to swim in her tail, I find that having a pool noodle can aid in swimming in the tail. I used it myself when I first started swimming in my tail. I have also found that holding someones hands or if no one is around holding the bars for the steps and splashing your tail will help you get use to swimming with your legs as one. Good luck ;)

[Winged Mermaid]

Just give them floats to make sure they don't drown, or even fear drowning, while they're figuring it out! A mask and snorkel may not be a bad idea either.

Check this out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4x9TkcxNssc

[Lyna]

thanks for the video share!

[MermaidAliyah]

What i do if someone wants to learn is lay them in my arms on their belly in the water. And since I know the exact movements that the tail needs to propell them. So just guide their legs and continually do it until they get it

[Lyna]

*sigh* tried that. my daughter loved posing in the monofin, but once i got her out there, she refused to listen or try. she flipped out and hates it. my son though...in another year he might be wanting to get in it.

[MermaidAliyah]

Well just make them hold on to the wall and propell her legs without moving. Or sit her on the side of the pool and let her kick her legs back and forth to get a feel of the strokes. And she may be camera shy!

[spottedcatfish]

Do they know the butterfly kick? I would make sure they were proficient at this kicking motion especially underwater, and doing it without a fin, before you let them try it with a monofin. If they know how do properly do that motion then they will know how to use a monofin, and be able to transfer that kicking motion in the monofin, without doing any damage or harm to their muscles. When doing the butterfly kick, you are using your hips and lower back to move your legs in one fluid motion.

Here's a great instructional video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y41PNrqB3c

[Lyna]

well we don't have pools around here. so we were about 2 feet deep into the lake where she could easily stand up if she got too nervous or the waves started coming in. she just didnt want any part of it once we got into the water. my son on the other hand....i caught him in their room the other day...

[MermaidIvy]

Well maybe try getting in your tailand showing her? If seeing you as a mermaid makes her want to be one, then show her how to do it while your in your tail! Make sure that you tell her that mermaids have to know how to swim, or something like that. That'll encourage her to want to swim in it.
I just taught my 7 year old cousin how to swim like a mermaid, and she didn't want to at first, but all she wanted was to take pictures to show her friends she's a mermaid. She showed her friends, and they told her that she wasnt a mermaid because she didnt know how to swim, and she didnt have a full tail. Now she's trying to get a Mertailor Tail. *sigh*
Her parents agreed to buy her a 50$ fabric tail, so she put it on and i took her to the lake. i eventually taught her though, by putting floaties on her arms and swimming next to her. :)

[MermaidAqua]

Ive helped my sister to perfect her dolphin kick, the easiest way is to show them without a monofin and make sure they are fully confident with the motion first, some kids just dont get it but others, like me, now swim almost all the time in the dolphin kick. I found the motion really easy to get a grasp onto, or why not try just starting in the shallow end and ask her to move her legs in a kind of "wave motion" once she feels how the water is pushed bythe fin and how her legs should go the upper body should be even easier to get a hold off.

Hope this helped

Goodluck!