What it is
Back glides for infants and parent-tot swimmers using one of three supports: chest to back, head on shoulder, or head in hand.
Essentials
- Three supports: chest to back (palms on back or football hold, press child's back to your chest), head on shoulder (cheek to cheek, lodge head against your shoulder, control depth), head in hand (palm up, fingers and thumb around base of head and neck).
- Keep ears above water for chest-to-back and head-on-shoulder; ears in water for head-in-hand.
- Keep child's face above water at all times.
- Go slow. Be loving and gentle. Provide support at all times.
- Your calm will dictate the swimmer's calm.
- Scoop, not dunk. Never dunk or throw a child in water to let them "sink or swim."
Progression
- Supported Front Glides precedes this skill.
- Start with baby back to parent chest in seated position, cheek to cheek.
- Transition slowly to head on shoulder.
- When comfortable, transition to head in hand (palm up under neck).
- Advanced: hold the back of the head; fingertips under neck.
- Progress to underwater slowly, over many lessons, after hours and hours of time spent in the water having fun.
What goes wrong
- Ears in water before the child is comfortable → avoid ears in water until the child is comfortable.
- Child fears not seeing parent → start with child facing the parent, or do in a group; the child calms when the parent is in view.
- Traumatizing the child → never dunk or throw; scoop, not dunk.
- Moving too fast through the support transitions → go slow, build confidence, earn trust, look for happy babies.
- Instructor's own anxiety transfers to the child → your calm dictates the swimmer's calm; model composure.
How you know it worked
Child is comfortable laying on back with ears in water, belly up and flat, relaxed body, legs straight, body floating, with smiles.
How you teach it
Tell parents to keep their own face in front of the child's as much as possible. When starting back glides, have the child facing the parent so the child calms when the parent is in view. Doing back glides in a group is helpful to distract the child from fear of not seeing the parent.
Be involved with each parent and child individually. Offer to do front glides and back glides with the child while the parent watches, then create a connection between you, the child, and the parent. Your interaction builds trust and comfort. Show and explain: as you do activities with the child and parent, explain why you're doing it and how it relates to a larger swimming skill. Parents like to know "why."
Sing songs (e.g., Twinkle Twinkle) during back glides to maintain rhythm and comfort. Make things harder as they master each step; follow up with a parent and show them the next advanced hold for supported back glides. The primary goal of a parent-tot class is to increase the comfort and familiarity of the pool and water to an infant—start lessons early to establish healthy, fun memories of swimming. The more comfortable a parent is in the water with their child, the more comfortable the child will be swimming for the long term.