A question we hear often from parents new to swim lessons for kids is, “Does my child have to put their face in the water?” Sometimes parents worry about a reticent child, and sometimes it’s the parent who’s concerned.
At Nashville Swim Academy, we know this can feel like a big step for a small child, but we also know from our training and decades of experience that if adults don’t model fear, a child isn’t signaled that there’s something to fear. We’re honest about the skills kids will learn over the course of their lessons, and we don’t single out any phase as more important or more daunting than another.
We focus on creating a warm, welcoming environment where kids can have fun and feel safe as they learn, with positive reinforcement as the foundation of every skill we teach.
When addressing putting their faces in the water, we advise against making a big deal out of it (we also advise against avoiding the topic entirely). Our instructors introduce this phase gradually and naturally, starting with a light stream of water poured over the child’s head and then, in small, manageable steps, working up to submerging, which is always followed by a big celebration.
Why Do Some Kids Feel Afraid of Having Water on Their Face?
Parents know that learning to swim is an essential water safety skill. At the same time, many worry that enrolling a hesitant child in swimming classes might mean pushing them before they’re ready. This concern grows even bigger if a child is afraid of putting their face in the water.
For a child, water on the face can feel unfamiliar. They might worry about what happens if water gets in their eyes, their mouth, or their nose. If you’ve searched “child afraid of putting face in water,” you already know you’re not alone. But whether you have a 2-year-old or a 6-year-old scared to put their face in the water, every child arrives at swim lessons with different experiences and comfort levels. Our instructors begin from there, meeting children where they are and helping them progress in achievable steps.
How Do Kids Get Over Fears? What the Research Suggests
Children notice how adults react to unfamiliar things. In one study involving toddlers, children showed more fear and avoidance when their parents modeled negative reactions to a novel item. A larger study found that parental expressions can influence a child’s response to something new.
Research on treating childhood fears also suggests that a small steps approach plays a big role in alleviating them. These studies weren’t centered on swimming, but they help explain why an overwhelming leap into unknown territory isn’t a recommended first move.
How Do I Help My Child Get Over the Fear of Putting Their Face in the Water?
You don’t need to talk your child through every possible moment in the pool, but being honest and forthright respects their concerns, and it’s the first step in putting fears to rest. Begin by focusing on what your child can understand:
- They’ll have an instructor beside them the whole time.
- They’re there to have fun.
- They’ll learn something new, one small step at a time.
- Their instructor will help them and keep them safe.
A mom asked us about this on the day her three-year-old started lessons. Her daughter was nervous about putting her face in the water, and the mom wondered if she was ready to begin. Our answer was simple: Absolutely.
Children don’t need to arrive at Nashville Swim Academy already comfortable with every part of the water—that’s what we’re here to help them build. Our instructors are experienced in working with hesitant swimmers and know how to introduce new skills through encouragement, positive reinforcement, and developmentally appropriate challenges.
For this little swimmer, that meant starting exactly where she was and building from there—getting comfortable with water on her face, celebrating each small success, and gradually discovering that the next step wasn’t quite as intimidating as it once seemed.
What Does This Look Like at Nashville Swim Academy?
We begin by trickling water over a child’s toes, hands, shoulders, and head to help them adjust to the feeling. We keep it fun and light. As lessons progress, we help kids put their faces in the water incrementally. When they get there, that’s when we celebrate. At the front end, we normalize each step. At the back end, we cheer for their successes, and we tell them how amazing they are. This goes a long way in building trust, and it helps kids develop a healthy belief in themselves. Something new stops feeling big and scary, and becomes something to be curious about, to learn about, and, in kids’ swim lessons, to have fun mastering.
If your child has expressed a fear of putting their face in the water, or you’re concerned about this phase of the learning process, let us know. We’re here to help you through this new challenge in your child’s swim journey.
Our year-round swim program offers the consistency kids need to keep progressing at a steady pace, and our state-of-the-art pool in The Nations is purpose-built for kids and families. Lessons begin at the FUNdamentals levels and move through SAFEty and TECHnique as swimmers grow and progress. As a premier learn-to-swim program in Middle Tennessee, we’ve helped thousands of kids develop a lifelong love of the water.
Find the right class for your child at NSA and enroll today.
