A SWIMMING school has told parents to let their toddlers leap into the pool without catching them.
SwimSRQ said mums and dads should let their kids jump in the water without immediately rushing to help – but only with a cue system.
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In a video shared to Facebook, US-based SwimSRQ said a child’s pool jump can teach them vital lessons about holding their breath, water buoyancy, and how to position their bodies underwater.
The clip shows a grown-up giving a 1-2-3 count, before a young boy leaps into a swimming pool with his arms outstretched.
The adult takes a step back as the child plops into the water and then reaches down to guide the toddler towards him with his hands.
The tot’s dip goes swimmingly – and he appears to horizontally adjust himself in the water, before being safely pulled towards the adult.
SwimSRQ wrote in the caption: “Catching a child mid-air denies them the opportunity to practice holding their breath, feel the buoyancy of the water, or establish horizontal body position.”
One Facebook user seemed unsure about the advice, commenting: “Even with first time swimming toddlers?”
But SwimSRQ replied: “Save jumping for when your child is comfortable going underwater.
“Acclimate them first during bath time, showers, and gentle submersion with cues in the pool.”
The academy, which bills itself as “the premier swim school in Sarasota, Florida”, reminded viewers that the exercise relies on the child knowing what is coming.
They added: “This child is being cued via the verbal ‘1,2,3 under’, as well as with the arm motions.
“The child knows what to expect and there are no surprises.”
UK swimming academy Puddle Ducks has advised adults “not to undertake submerge jumping without the advice and supervision of a qualified swimming teacher”.
Swim experts say that when swimming with a young child, parents must stay close by – with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending constant “touch supervision”.
Meanwhile, Pampers UK recommends professionally supervised adult and child swim sessions as the safest way to help your infant get used to being in a pool.
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