Repetition for success

Am I trapped in Groundhog Day? Why the repetition in our Diaper Dolphin

Classes and all swimming classes is important for your little (and big) swimmer.

If you’ve ever thought, “Wait a second, didn’t we do this last week? And the week

before, and the month before, and 5 months before?”, you’re not alone. Lots of

parents/caregivers feel that way at first. The truth is

yes, our classes are designed to be repetitive! And that’s actually one of the best

things we can do for your little swimmer. Here is why:

1. Repetition supports learning

Babies, pre schoolers and school aged children learn through repeated experience. Not only is repetition important for

learning, it builds confidence and creates a sense of security, which in turn

encourages learning. Just as your little one masters rolling over, crawling, or walking

by trying again and again, water skills require the same repetitiveness in order to be

mastered. Repeating movements, songs, and cues strengthens memory pathways in

the brain, helping babies feel secure and capable in the pool.

2. Routine creates comfort and safety

We’ve touched on this a bit already. Predictability reduces stress for infants.

Knowing what comes next allows babies, pre schoolers and school aged children to relax in the water environment. Feeling

safe and confident in the water is essential for building positive associations

with swimming, which is key to long-term water safety and enjoyment.

3. Incremental progress happens weekly

While activities remain constant, your child changes. You may notice subtle but

significant growth each week: improved breath control, little kicks start to develop,

increased independence, dipping their mouth in the water whereas before it was only

the chin, greater enjoyment, more smiles, and so on. These small steps are

foundational to developing competent swimmers. What may appear to be repetitive

to you, are actually golden opportunities for your child to build skills. The progression

of your child’s swimming will have a lot to do with consistency and the repetitive

nature of our classes.

4. Skills build sequentially

Our program is designed so that each repeated activity contributes to long-term

goals, such as independent floating, kicking with long legs, and eventually swimming

strokes. What may feel repetitive in the short term is in fact layering essential

building blocks for future progression.

5. Parent/caregiver confidence matters too

Repetition benefits parents/caregivers as much as babies. By practicing the same

holds and cues, you develop the confidence and consistency needed to support your

little one safely in the water- empowering you with the skills when you take your little ones to the pool swimming.

In short: our classes are not stuck on repeat by accident. It is specifically designed to

support cognitive development, nurtures emotional security, builds motor skills, and

ensures both you and your little one feel confident and have a magical time together.

Kapiti Learn To Swim - YouTube I have linked our YouTube channel which has video skills for each school aged level for you to take away and practice when you go to the local swimming pools.