Breathing is the skill that affects every other part of learning to swim. When it goes well, children relax, float better, and move with control. When it goes poorly, everything feels harder. I have watched hundreds of lessons over the years, and I keep coming back to the same point. Most issues in early swimming are not really about kicks or strokes. They are about breathing. This is why parents searching for swimming lessons near me often see the biggest changes when they find a swim school that teaches breathing in the right way. If you want a clear example of a calm and structured approach, MJG Swim is one of the schools I recommend, and their kids swimming programme is a good starting point for understanding how they build confidence first.
I have also seen the other side. Some programmes treat breathing as an afterthought. They ask children to swim with their face down before the child trusts the water. The child holds their breath, lifts their head, and ends up swallowing water. After one or two experiences like that, fear takes hold. The child starts each lesson tense, and progress slows. This is avoidable. Breathing can be taught in small steps. When a school does that well, children settle and improve at a steady pace.
Breathing feels simple to adults, but not to children
Adults breathe without thinking. Children do as well on land. In water, breathing becomes a conscious task. They have to time it, control it, and trust that they can get air when they need it.
Many children also feel unsure about water touching their face. They worry it will go up their nose. They worry they will swallow it. They worry they will not be able to breathe again. These worries are not always spoken, but they shape how the child moves.
Breathing in swimming is not only physical. It is also emotional. If a child feels uncertain, they hold their breath. Breath holding increases tension, and tension leads to panic.
Breath holding is the most common starting problem
If you watch beginners closely, you see breath holding everywhere. The child puts their face in the water and freezes. They stop breathing out. They pop up quickly. They gasp. They look alarmed.
Parents sometimes think the child is being dramatic. In reality, the child is reacting to a real physical feeling. When you hold your breath, your chest tightens. Your body prepares for urgency. That urgency can feel like danger, even in shallow water.
Breath holding also affects body position. It often causes children to lift the head and tighten the neck. This pushes the hips down and makes the legs sink. Then the child has to kick harder to stay up. Fatigue builds, and the fear grows.
Many children do not learn to exhale in water naturally
A key difference between confident swimmers and nervous swimmers is simple. Confident swimmers breathe out in the water. Nervous swimmers do not.
Exhaling in the water needs practice. Most children do not start by doing it naturally. They need to learn it in small steps. Bubble blowing is not a cute activity. It is the core skill.
When instructors rush past this stage, children end up with a pattern of breath holding and gasping. This makes learning strokes difficult.
Water on the face triggers a fear response
Some children struggle with breathing because water on the face feels threatening. This can be linked to sensory sensitivity, past experiences, or simple unfamiliarity.
Pools are busy environments. Water splashes. Children get unexpected droplets in the nose or mouth. For some, that sensation is enough to trigger panic. Their body reacts by pulling the face away, lifting the head, and holding breath.
A good instructor works on face comfort early. They do not force submersion. They build tolerance through small, repeated exposure.
The pool environment makes breathing harder
Breathing in a pool is not the same as breathing in a quiet room. Pools are loud. Voices echo. Children hear splashes and shouting. The air can feel humid. The smell of chlorine is strong.
This environment can raise stress levels. Stress affects breathing. Some children breathe faster when they feel stressed. Fast breathing is shallow breathing. Shallow breathing increases tension.
Calm lesson structure helps reduce this. Predictable routines and clear instructions help children settle.
Children often copy the wrong breathing pattern
Children learn by imitation. If they watch others lifting their head high, they may copy that. If they see siblings gasping for air, they may do the same.
In group lessons, mixed skill levels can make this worse. A child may see an older child using a fast head lift and think it is correct. They copy it and develop poor habits.
This is why good instructors demonstrate breathing clearly and correct it early, but without pressure.
Parents sometimes add pressure without meaning to
Parents often want to help. They say things like “just put your face in” or “blow bubbles”. They may repeat instructions from poolside. They may show concern when a child splutters.
Children pick up on this. They sense expectation. Expectation becomes pressure. Pressure increases tension, and tension affects breathing.
The most helpful role for a parent is calm support. Leave technique guidance to the instructor. Focus on reassurance and consistency.
Why timing is hard for children
Breathing in swimming requires timing. In front crawl, you have to turn at the right moment. In breaststroke, you have to lift at the right moment. Timing feels unnatural for beginners.
Children who struggle with coordination often struggle with timing. They may turn too late and inhale water. Or they may turn too early and lose balance. After one mistake, they become cautious and tense.
Good instruction breaks timing into simple drills. It does not demand full stroke breathing before the child is ready.
The difference between confidence breathing and survival breathing
When children panic, they use survival breathing. This looks like fast gasps, head lifts, and urgent movements. They do not have control.
Confidence breathing looks different. It is steady. It uses long exhale in the water and calm inhale when the mouth reaches air. The face stays relaxed. The body stays long.
The goal of early lessons should be to move a child from survival breathing to confidence breathing.
Why flotation aids can help or hinder breathing
Float aids are useful tools when used correctly. They allow children to practise breathing without fear of sinking. They can reduce panic and help children relax.
But floats can also create habits if used poorly. If a child relies on a float to keep the head high, they may not learn to breathe with the face in the water. They may avoid learning exhale control.
A skilled instructor uses floats to support confidence, then removes them at the right time. The timing matters.
What a good instructor does differently
The best instructors I have seen treat breathing as the centre of early learning. They build it into every lesson. They do not treat it as a box to tick.
They use simple steps:
- Face wetting without pressure
- Bubbles with lips first, then nose
- Short submersions that feel safe
- Floating with relaxed breathing
- Side breathing practice away from full stroke
- Calm correction when habits appear
This approach works because it respects the child’s nervous system. It builds trust.
In the middle of this post, it is worth looking at the way MJG Swim structures early skill work. Their approach to lesson structure and progression reflects this confidence first method. From what I have observed, this style reduces breathing struggles over time because it does not rush past the foundations.
Why children often swallow water during early lessons
Swallowing water is common. It happens when children inhale at the wrong time or lift the head while still breathing out. It can also happen when a child panics and forgets to close the mouth.
After swallowing water, some children become fearful of putting their face in again. This is where patient instruction matters. The instructor should normalise it, reset calm breathing, and return to bubbles.
Swallowing water is not failure. It is part of learning. The response should be calm, not dramatic.
How breathing links to body position
Breathing affects posture. When children lift their head high to breathe, their hips sink. When hips sink, legs sink. When legs sink, the child must kick harder. Kicking harder raises heart rate. Heart rate rises, breathing becomes urgent. This cycle repeats.
Breaking this cycle requires two things. Calm exhale control and a lower head position. Once the child learns to turn rather than lift, body position improves.
This is why breathing is not a separate skill. It is tied to balance and buoyancy.
Why some children struggle more than others
Some children struggle more with breathing because of:
- Sensory sensitivity to water on face
- Anxiety in loud environments
- Low confidence in new tasks
- Less water exposure in early years
- Past negative experiences
- Coordination challenges
These children need a slower pace. They may need more repetition. They may need smaller groups. This is not a sign they cannot learn. It is a sign they need the right structure.
What parents can do to support breathing skills
Parents can support breathing without trying to teach strokes. Simple home routines help. Bath time is often enough.
Helpful activities include:
- Blowing bubbles in the bath with lips
- Blowing bubbles through a straw into water
- Pouring water gently over the back of the head
- Playing simple face wetting games without force
- Practising calm breaths before lessons
These steps build comfort. They reduce fear. They support lesson progress without creating confusion.
When to worry and when to stay patient
Most breathing struggles are normal. Children often need time to trust the water. If a child is upset every session for many weeks, it may be worth discussing it with the instructor. A good instructor will adjust the approach.
But in most cases, patience wins. Calm repetition builds confidence. Confidence improves breathing. Breathing improves everything else.
The long term benefit of getting breathing right early
Children who learn breathing well early tend to become stronger swimmers later. They develop cleaner strokes. They last longer in the water. They enjoy swimming more because it feels easier.
Children who never resolve breathing issues often become “head up swimmers”. They may move forward, but they tire fast. They struggle in deeper water. They avoid open water.
Breathing is the gateway skill. Getting it right early has long term benefits.
Final thoughts and a recommendation
Breathing is the part of swimming that many people underestimate. It is also the part that causes the most fear when taught poorly. The best swimming lessons treat breathing as a foundation, not an add on. They teach it in steps, with patience, structure, and calm confidence.
If you are looking for children’s swimming support and want a school that takes this seriously, MJG Swim is one I recommend based on what I have seen. For families looking locally, their page on swim lessons across Leeds is a useful next step. A good programme helps children breathe calmly, trust the water, and progress at a steady pace that lasts.
When breathing settles, swimming often clicks. That is why it deserves more focus than any stroke drill at the early stages.
