Personalised book for child scared of swimming lessons: your child and the Deep End

What happens in your child and the Deep End

1. Your child reaches the pool and spots the deep end beyond the splashes.
2. A fizzy tummy and curled toes tell your child that they feel worried.
3. A grown-up stays nearby while your child chooses to watch from the shallow steps.
4. Your child tries one manageable thing: sitting at the edge and dipping in their toes.
5. With support close by, your child tries a gentle float and feels proud of their chosen step.

How the first page could read

Your child stood beside the pool, holding a towel around their shoulders. The water was bright and blue, but the deep end looked a long way away. Their tummy felt fizzy, and their toes curled inside their flip-flops. A grown-up crouched beside them. “We can begin with one small thing,” they said.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

Swimming lessons can bring a particular mix of anticipation and uncertainty: echoing rooms, splashy noise, goggles, unfamiliar depth and being asked to try before a child feels ready. For ages four to seven, this gentle pool-side story gives your child words for noticing a fizzy tummy, tight shoulders or a wish to watch first, without treating those feelings as a problem to fix. The action stays small and practical: pause, tell the grown-up, sit at the edge, then try a chosen next step. Seeing themselves as the hero in a 32-page book created from one photo keeps the setting familiar and the focus on your child’s pace.

Reading it together

• Read it before a swimming lesson and pause at each small step to ask what your child might choose.
• Use the pool details in the pictures to talk about what your child can see, hear and feel at their own lesson.
• After reading, let your child pick one tiny thing they would be happy to try, or choose simply to watch first.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour can make the bright pool setting feel calm while keeping your child’s expressions clear and easy to notice. A sidekick idea: a calm little float called Pebble. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.