Step 8 Submersion from ledge to Parent

In Step 8 of our Teaching Kids to Swim series, we begin encouraging the child to initiate their own underwater movement from the pool ledge to their parent. 💦

This is an exciting progression because instead of the parent initiating the submersion, the child chooses when they are ready to push away from the ledge and move towards you.

Position yourself close to the edge with your arms ready to receive your child. Encourage them to reach towards you, submerge and push from the ledge into your arms.

Building trust is important!

When your child pushes from the ledge towards you, don't move backwards.

If they are expecting to reach you and you suddenly move further away, it can affect their confidence and trust. Be exactly where they expect you to be so they know you are there to catch and support them.

As their confidence, breath control and ability improve, you can very gradually increase the distance between yourself and the ledge.

💦 Allow your child to initiate the submersion
🤲 Start very close so they can easily reach you
🏊 Encourage them to push from the ledge towards you
🦸 Encourage arms reaching forward towards their parent
😊 Be positive and encouraging when they reach you
🤝 Don't move backwards as they push towards you — maintain their trust
↔️ Slowly increase the distance only when your child is ready

There is no need to rush. The goal is to build confidence, trust and independent movement through the water. Let your child's ability and confidence determine when you increase the distance.

For families with a home swimming pool or access to a swimming pool, these simple progressions provide a way to practise swimming skills through positive, supervised experiences.

▶️ Continue watching the playlist to see how these skills build on one another. Follow the complete Teaching Kids to Swim series to see the progression from water familiarisation through to independent swimming and freestyle.

⚠️ Water Safety: Children must always be actively supervised and within close reach of a responsible adult around water. Keep underwater distances short and appropriate to your child's ability. Never force a child to submerge or swim further than they are comfortable. These videos support swimming practice and are not a replacement for professional swimming lessons.