The number one rule when it comes to kids & water... never ever leave them unsupervised.

Begin acclimating children to water at a young age, so they learn to enjoy being in the water. Purchase a kiddy pool and allow them to splash around in it as soon as they can sit up by themselves. Increase your child’s water confidence from an early age: Even if you, the parent, don’t like swimming or being in the water, try really hard to overcome these fears in front of your children. You don’t have to stand out of your depth with a baby or toddler nor do you have to suddenly start performing triple somersaults on a Saturday morning with your seven year old – you just have to show them that swimming is fun and is an important life skill. To fight kid's fear in swimming you need to do it yourself first and then show your kids that there's nothing to be scared about in swimming. Spend more time in the water and let your kids get used to it and then later on, your kids will feel comfortable swimming. You can teach them either in your swimming pool or at a local beach. Do not push your kids right away just let them observed for a while, let them observe other kids swimming and eventually they will feel comfortable and try it. The easy way to fight the fear in the water is to spend more time in it. Swim more often and have fun!

Acclimate your child to the water slowly. Encourage them first to dip their toes, followed by their legs, then the lower body and finally the arms. This gradual process will help them learn that entering the water doesn't hurt, that it does not have to be a scary experience. Explain to your child exactly what will happen if they submerge underwater or breathes water into their nose. These fears are extremely common, and once they understand how to avoid these circumstances and what are the consequences, they will fear the water less. Encourage your child repeatedly to try swimming, but do not pressure them to do it or make them feel guilty about their fears. Putting pressure on them will only make them more fearful or even worst it could cause them to rebel and stay away from swimming all together. Never toss a child who is afraid of swimming into the water with the idea that he or she will overcome this fear this way. This can traumatize that child, and they may never want to enter the water again. Keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face while working with your child to overcome the fears of swimming. With a little patience and perseverance, your encouragement will allow them to one day enjoy the water as much as you do. Work with your fearful child in an empty pool or a body of water that isn't crowded with people. This will help kids feel more comfortable and enable them to focus on what you're teaching them about swimming. Play with your baby in the bathtub. Gently splash their face to get them used to the sensation of the water. Get your child to blow bubbles on to the surface of the water. When they are happy with this, encourage them to put their face in. Praise them when they do things right and make swimming a family event. A good pair of goggles is crucial to keep salt and/or chlorine out of kids’ eyes and also it helps them explore and see everything under water. Armbands or a buoyancy vest or buoyancy suit will also give your nervous child the extra confidence they may need. Play swimming and diving games with your children in a pool – they will love it. Rather than waiting for your child to reach school age and be influenced by peer pressure, why not take your baby swimming as soon as they have had all their immunizations? Contact with water encourages the desire to swim and reduces the chances of a child developing a fear of water. Just remember that babies lose heat more quickly than adults so the pool temperature should not be too cold and the baby should not remain in the pool too long. A baby wetsuit will help your baby retain body heat for longer period of time. Swimming pools use chemicals to sterilize the water, a baby's skin is more delicate than an adults and the chemicals may have an adverse effect. Although the chlorine or ozone used in pools makes the likelihood of transmitting infections unlikely, it is a good idea to wait until a baby has completed the standard course of three immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, plus the oral polio vaccine. Now that you have all this information put it to use and go swimming with your child. Have fun!