Let us start by saying that it is completely normal for a child to cry during the child’s first swim lesson(s). Consider the child’s perspective—he or she is in a strange environment in the care of an unfamiliar instructor. That said, we train our teachers to understand the nature of a child’s fear. The instructor will then work to gain the trust of the child, in part by acknowledging the child’s fear, and then help the child to conquer it. Often, a simple reassurance makes all the difference.
As a parent, the best thing you can do for your child is to keep bringing your child to swim class. Continuing to do so sends the message to your child that you, as the child’s primary caregiver, approve and trust in this new activity, which in turn, helps your child to more quickly acclimate to the water and overcome his or her fear. Please consider that delaying or avoiding swim lessons may serve to reinforce either your child’s fear or his or her resolve to not participate, and create a situation that is more difficult to overcome.
The next best thing is to praise them for their participation in class. We are going to tell them how brave they are and how proud of their efforts we are, but we are certain that these compliments will have a greater impact coming from you!