Certificate Number 1- Goggles in the shower!

 Wearing goggles in the shower- All Swimming Teachers have their own opinions about the use of goggles but I would always recommend that a learner wears a pair of good fitting, comfortable goggles.

 Why? If the learner is nervous, being able to see under water is going to make the submerging practise far less daunting. To me, keeping the eyes shut would increase the nervousness. If the learner is a child then you can also play games with underwater toys, once they are happy to put their face in. Finally, all pools use chlorine to preserve water quality. Chlorine can be an irritant if the eyes are exposed to it over and over again without goggles.

 The criteria for achieving certificate number 1

 If the learner does not like wearing goggles then a good place to get them used to wearing them is in the shower. Encourage our learner to take a very calm but big breath and then to close their lips. They must only hold their breath as long as they feel comfortable and should be told that as soon as they need to breathe they can. It is at this point that they can put their face into the water falling from the shower head but only for a short period. They will then realise that their eyes are safe and that they can still see. Job done! It is also a great idea to wear goggles when you wash their hair as the shampoo will not go in their eyes! To progress the practise, wear the goggles when submerging the face in the bath or the pool.

Once you are happy that your child has met this criteria you may print off certificate number 1 and award it to them. Click below.