3) Begin In Calm Waters
Select a calm body of water and definitely avoid rivers and surf breaks for starters. Calm water makes it easier for little ones to gain confidence and feel stable. Start them off sat on the front of the board or in between your feet. Be prepared that they will probably move around so make sure you have a stable board and are ready for any unexpected movement.
Plan your route carefully before you set off. On rivers, the current can help or hinder you more than you think, so we always make sure we go upstream on the way out and downstream on the way back home, which means we are not fighting the current when we're tired. If on a canal, think about the wind rather than the current - so paddle into the wind on the way out (when you're fresh) and downwind on the way back.
4) Teach Safe Ways To Fall
It is important to remember that at some point you probably will both end up swimming, either by accident or on purpose but make sure they are familiar with how to do this safely. Usually, we don’t have much choice of how we fall, but teaching your kids to fall to the side of their board will protect them from injury. You want them to avoid bracing their fall on their hands because they could sprain their wrist if it catches on a rail. Teaching them to get back up on their board is straightforward, but will take practice. Unfortunately, injuries can and do happen, so make sure you bring your first aid kit along just in case.
5) Relax & Have Fun
Throughout this process, it is important to relax and have fun. Get them to help spot landmarks, dunk their feet and hands in the water, or look out for fish as a way of entertaining them on the board. Even get them their own paddle so they can assist and potentially do all the hard work while you sit back and relax (we won't judge).