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Infant Swimming: When Can a Baby Start Swimming?

Playing in the water, whether it's learning to swim or just splashing and paddling, is lots of fun for babies and young children. And knowing how to swim is an important skill that can help keep your child safe all through life. That's why getting started with swimming lessons once your child is old enough is a smart strategy. Even if your baby isn’t ready just yet, you might consider doing water play to get her primed for swimming lessons in the future.

Find out when you might start your little one on swimming lessons, and the signs of readiness to look for.

Water safety is a top priority at every age and stage. Read on for some essential water safety advice that you should follow whenever your baby, toddler, or preschooler is in or near water.

When Can You Take Your Baby Swimming?

Experts recommend that you can start taking your little one to parent-child swimming classes as early as age 1. Because every child is different, though, you may find your little one isn’t ready to start swimming lessons until a little later.

It’s important to know that newborns and infants younger than 12 months old aren’t yet able to raise their heads above the water to breathe, so swimming lessons aren’t yet appropriate for them.

In your baby’s first year, you might like to do parent-child water play classes with your baby to help him get used to being in water. This can

• get him accustomed to being in a pool

• be an opportunity for bonding as you play together in the water

• help him get over any fears he may have of being in the water.

When deciding when to start your child on swimming lessons, take into account his

• emotional maturity

• physical and developmental abilities or limitations

• interest in learning to swim

• comfort level in water.

Most children are ready for regular swimming lessons by the age of 4 when they can grasp basic skills such as

• floating

• treading water

• finding a way out of the water.

If you’re ever unsure when to start your child on swimming lessons, ask your child’s healthcare provider for personalized advice.

Benefits of Swimming Lessons

Knowing how to swim is very important, as it can help prevent drowning. Studies have shown that swimming lessons can help reduce the drowning risk for toddlers and young children between the ages of 1 and 4, so you may like to take this into account when deciding when to start your little one on lessons.

Still, know that swimming lessons don’t make your child “drown proof.” You will need to carefully supervise your child whenever she is in or near water. And, if you have a pool at home, it's crucial to block access when you’re not there to supervise. You can learn more about this in our section on water safety.

On the bright side, swimming and water play can be fun activities for your child. Like many sports, swimming can help build confidence and it can be a steppingstone for developing other life skills.

What Kind of Swimming Lessons Should You Enroll Your Child In?

Toddlers and young children may benefit from classes that focus on swim readiness skills. Parents are often included in these classes, and can pick up pointers on how to safely supervise their child.

By the time children turn 4 years old, they are usually ready for standard swimming lessons. These would include learning stroke techniques as well as water survival skills such as

• getting back to the water’s surface from under water

• propelling a minimum of 25 yards

• getting out of the water.

When choosing a swimming instructor for your child, check that the instructor

• is qualified and certified to teach swimming

• will give you the chance to observe a lesson in action before you make a decision

• offers an atmosphere that is appropriate to your child’s age and development

• encourages safe habits such as never swimming alone or without permission from an adult

• can teach your child what to do if he falls into water by accident

• allows you to be near or alongside your child in the water

• requires your child to take multiple lessons so that there is noticeable progress

• evaluates how your child is progressing and gives you feedback after lessons.

Besides all of this, you should check out the swimming facility firsthand. Ensure that the water is clean, disinfected, and chlorinated. Ideally, the water would be heated to between 87 and 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperature is especially important for children under the age of 3, who are at a higher risk of hypothermia.

To locate good quality swimming instruction near you, check with the American Red Cross or your local YMCA.

How Do You Ensure Water Safety for Your Child?

Providing constant, focused supervision is the most important thing you can do for baby or young child who is learning to swim or is in or near water.

Childhood drowning is more common than you might think, and young children can drown in just an inch or two of water. It pays to be extra vigilant when your child is around water.

Here are some important steps to take to help keep your child safe when she is swimming or is anywhere near water:

• Always give your child your undivided attention. Don’t think that because there’s an on-duty lifeguard by the pool or at the beach that you can read a book or use your smartphone.

• Don’t drink alcohol or use drugs when supervising your child

• If your child is learning swimming at a younger age, it will be important for you to do “touch supervision,” which entails you being close by or joining her in the pool

• Don’t leave your child in the water under the supervision of another child

• If you’re hosting or attending a pool party, assign the job of a “water watcher” to someone who can keep a constant eye on the children in the pool. Rotate the job in shifts so someone else can take over the responsibility after a short time. Make sure that the water watcher knows CPR and knows how to swim.

• Keep an extra close watch on toddlers and young children between the ages of 1 and 4 as they are at the highest risk of drowning. If your child is in this age range, she’s naturally very curious and can easily sneak away from you even when it’s not swimming time. This is why it’s important to secure your home swimming pool if you have one.

• If you’re at the beach, a lake, or a river, make sure your child wears a life jacket that fits properly and has been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. If your child isn’t a strong swimmer, she may also need to wear a life jacket at the pool or water park.

• Be prepared to respond if your little one’s in trouble in the water. It’s a good idea for you to learn CPR and rescue techniques. Classes are available through the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Your local fire department and other community organizations may also offer first-aid classes.

Keep in mind that whenever your child is swimming outdoors you should also make sure that her skin is protected from the harmful effects of the sun with sunscreen.

Home Swimming Pool Safety

If you have a swimming pool at home, you'll need to follow certain rules while it’s in use and keep it secured when it’s not being used.

When your swimming pool is in use, follow these guidelines:

• Don’t let children run around the pool or push one another into the pool

• Don’t let your child use an inflatable mattress or floating toy, as he may slip off it into deep water or it may deflate unexpectedly, endangering your child’s safety

• Make sure that the deep and shallow ends of your pool are marked, and never let your child dive into the shallow end

• Remove the pool cover completely before letting anyone swim

• Don’t let your child walk on the pool cover while it’s covering the pool, as he could accidentally fall in the pool and get trapped underneath

• Make sure your pool’s drain covers are properly maintained, as suction from drains can trap swimmers. You may even consider installing anti-entrapment drain covers

• It’s a good idea to have a safety ring connected to a rope or a shepherd’s hook near your swimming pool.

Here’s how to keep your swimming pool secured when not in use:

• Surround your pool (including above-ground and inflatable pools) with a fence on all sides

• The fence should be a minimum of four feet high and have no opening in the slats wider than four inches

• The gate of the fence should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be at least 54 inches above the ground, and the gate should open away from the pool.

• Make sure that the gate is always securely locked

• It’s a good idea to keep your pool covered, but a pool cover should never replace the use of a fence

• Check your local laws to find out whether there are any additional safety requirements for your home swimming pool

• Don’t leave toys in or around the pool, as these are enticing to children even when it’s not swimming time

• If you have a spa, hot tub, or whirlpool, keep it covered and locked when not in use. Keep in mind that children under the age of 5 should not be allowed to use these to help reduce the risk of drowning or overheating. Also, remember: Never leave your baby or child unattended in the bathtub not even for a moment.

Enrolling your little one in swimming lessons once he’s old enough can give your child lifelong skills and confidence in the water. Even in your baby’s first year, you can consider water play classes to familiarize your baby with water and to set the stage for learning to swim.

Whether your little one is playing on a beach, splashing in a tub, or paddling in a pool, remember to always practice good water safety habits. Enjoy this time together!

How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.

When and how to teach a child to swim?

You came to the sea or to the river in the village, laid out a towel on the beach, and your child looks enviously at his peers who are splashing in the water, because he cannot swim? Or, on the contrary, are you trying with all your might to shove the baby in for a swim, but he doesn’t, says he’s afraid? It seems like an adult already, it's time to learn! Or maybe it's better to leave him alone, everything has its time?

When it's time to teach a child to swim and what needs to be done so that these lessons are not a burden for him, but a pleasure. At the height of the summer season, the editors of Tlum.Ru decided to answer all these "water" questions. Here are the advice of doctors and the opinions of experienced mothers who have already taught their babies to stay afloat. nine0003

Should babies and toddlers swim?

To begin with, it is worth saying that the truth is "everything has its time." Teaching a child to stay on the water from infancy, as is now popular, is not always correct, and sometimes even harmful. Doctors advise up to 4 years to give the child the right to just swim without teaching him any techniques. Let him enter the water shallowly, splash with water and get used to this element. So he will learn not to be afraid of water, he will understand that nothing bad will happen if it gets into his eyes, nose or ears, he will swallow a little and in general he will be ready for learning. nine0003

At this time, you can teach the child to lower his face into the water, exhale into it, push off from the parent with his legs, lie on the water. You can put glasses on your child and send him to study objects at the bottom. You should not let him go free swimming, it is better to tow the child by the handles on the surface.

As for the sea, if your baby no longer tries to swallow water and enjoys swimming, all the same procedures can be done there from a very early age. The only recommendation is that the water should be above 24 degrees. If the water temperature is lower, then only short immersions in the water in an embrace are suitable for you so that the child does not freeze. nine0003

Parents' opinion:

“We have been swimming since a month, the child is delighted. First, with an instructor, a few lessons, as soon as I learned to hold my breath and dive well, we were moved to a large pool, where I already work with him myself.

“We started swimming at the age… it was 10-11 months old, I don’t remember well) the first two lessons I cried, it was cold for him, I bought a suit… Now you can’t pull it out of the pool by the ears… it’s already the third year))”.

_{THE BEST CARTOONS ABOUT THE SEA}

“We’ve been swimming in the sea for two, but I don’t know how it happened) Somehow I took it and swam, we just were given a diva))) and since then somehow with arms and legs He’s been trying for a year now, we’re thinking of giving him to the pool, he really likes it!!”

“At 3 years old, a child can (and should!) be taught, if not to swim, then to hold his breath in the water. This is a vital skill, since in sleeves and in a circle and in a boat you can turn your face into the water, and the child should not be frightened, not confused, but simply hold his breath. Therefore, I advise you not to put a circle on the child right away, but first to play "hide and seek" in the water, learn to dive and hold your breath and get used to the large volume of water and space. nine0022

Teaching a child to swim

After the age of 4, you can begin to slowly teach your child to swim. All experts recommend doing this in a suitable pool where the water is no higher than the bottom of your baby's chest. The length of the pool must be at least five meters. You should start with "asterisks", "floats" and "arrows".

"Asterisk" - the child lies on the water, legs and arms spread out to the sides. "Float" - the child wraps his arms around his knees, lowers his head to his knees and hangs on the surface of the water. "Arrow" - the child pushes off the side of the pool and slides, stretching his arms and legs along the surface of the water. nine0003

_{POPULAR RESORTS OF 2017}

You need to teach your baby to breathe correctly. A quick inhale through the mouth, a long exhale through the nose and nothing else. It is best to exhale into the water. In no case should you hold your breath while swimming. These exercises will not only help the child to swim correctly, but also strengthen his immunity and increase endurance.

When it comes to swimming movements, you should first learn to glide. Then work is added to it with the feet, then with the hands, then inhale-exhale. You need to move slowly and continuously, without straining individual muscles. You can also work on the technique on land. nine0003

Of course, you must be close to your child during the whole course and not leave him alone. Having lost sight of the parents, the baby may become confused, panic and go to the bottom. Therefore, try to always be in sight during the first swims or, if you are swimming for insurance a little behind, constantly let us know by voice that you are nearby.

Parents' opinion:

“He will learn by himself. My son is 12. From the age of 6 he floundered in the summer in the river in the country. Rowing the bottom with my hands. After 2 weeks I look, and he swims. Last summer we bought him fins, a mask, a snorkel – he dives and swims like Ichthyander.” nine0022

“Cut out a board from the foam to hold onto it or sew a belt in this way. or buy ready-made. but my opinion is to study in the pool, they will explain what if what!

_{8 SUMMER CAMPS FOR ACTIVE CHILDREN}

“We put on the armlets and gradually (during 2-3 months) blew them off. True, every day in the pool a couple of times. Learned. He moves his arms in a breaststroke, and his legs in a crawl. But he began to swim very quickly. Then they hired a coach who, in 3 lessons, taught him to swim breaststroke perfectly (so far) and dive properly. We started it all at 4.5 years old.” nine0022

“I taught mine at sea when I was 5 years old. Without armlets, without anything, but under supervision and only from mom to dad, you increase the distance and, lo and behold, a fish is swimming)”.

Basic mistakes

The first mistake is sleeves, circles, vests, flippers and other means of helping the child. For training, only a swimming board is suitable for you and that's it. All of the above means hinder learning and reinforce harmful vertical skills. When swimming in armlets, the child gets used to holding his head vertically above the water, relying on his armpits, which means he does not feel his body and cannot learn to swim on his own. nine0003

For those who still use armlets, experts recommend gradually removing air from them so that the baby begins to feel his weight and position on the water. The swim ring also keeps the child upright in the water, and flippers spoil the kicking technique.

_{ON THE PLANE WITH THE CHILD: BASIC RULES}

The second mistake is to teach the child to swim on his stomach at the very beginning. You should start by swimming on your back, so the child will not be afraid that water will get into his nose or mouth. The baby can be supported by the head, the stomach can be lifted up to reach a horizontal position. nine0003

The third mistake is ignoring children's fears. Parents say: “Oh, what is there to be afraid of, it’s not deep right there. Enough already, go swim!”. But what seems easy for you, for a child, is a real test that you need to decide on. Children's fear cannot be ignored, but it can be deceived. Start with swimming, splashing, playing in shallow water, the child should get used to it and only then will he want to try to swim.

Parents’ opinion:

“Stop wearing a vest, it keeps it in an unnatural position on the water, it’s like standing in the water, but it should lie on your stomach or back, in this sense, armlets are better than what he himself needs keep the body in the right position in the water, and the armlets just don’t let you go under the water. ” nine0022

“Yes, he will learn what to teach there))) let him look at others and repeat, like a dog first, then on the back, with a bater there, with all sorts of strokes. Small ones don’t need to swim at all, from the age of 7-8, when interest in this appears, they themselves are already learning.”

_{OWN TRAVELER}

“Despite the fact that the child was swimming in the pool regularly, up to 5 years in the sea only in a vest or next to his parents. For some reason, I don't trust sleeves. If someone suddenly pushes into the sea in the game, they want to "sink" - as children sometimes play, a vest is better here. And if the child is a lover of calm swimming, then armlets. nine0022
The circle is nothing at all, you can fall out of it once or twice.

“My first was afraid to swim, I didn’t care, but my husband insisted, in the end I threw him in the middle of the river from the boat. No, the son swam, swam to the boat, climbed in, but he didn’t approach either the water or the husband for another month))))”.

!vote|44!

Interesting materials:
At what age should a girl start wearing a swimsuit?
5 ways to keep your child busy on the beach

Swim before you walk: all about baby swimming

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October 03, 2017

Blog for parents Swimming pool

Why is it important to practice baby swimming? What are the benefits of classes and what are the pitfalls? We analyze all the nuances and aspects of this exciting process together with Olga Filina, the swimming coach of the Magis Children club.

nine0007

MAIN QUESTION: WHY IS IT NEEDED?

The benefits of baby swimming leave no doubt. Swimming baby develops all major systems of the body: cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, nervous. Swimming stimulates blood circulation and strengthens the child's immunity. Children who are accustomed to water from an early age are distinguished by stronger immunity and physical endurance.

Learning to swim at an early age is an excellent prevention of scoliosis, postural disorders, and muscular dystonia. In addition, swimming gives the child pleasure and joy, and also affects the development of personal qualities: discipline, self-control, courage, determination, independence. Children who swim from birth are more sociable. Psychologists have established that children, diving and swimming at a depth, overcoming the water column, develop in themselves such personality traits as purposefulness, determination and courage. nine0003

CHANGING THE STEREOTYPE: SWIMMING DOESN'T MEAN SICKING MORE

Children who go in for swimming at an early age harden their bodies. The water temperature in the baby pool is 36 degrees. Gradually, the children move into the pool with a temperature of 32 degrees. How exactly does this happen? Of course, smoothly and gradually. We advise parents to combine pool activities with swimming at home. When the baby has been swimming in the pool for up to three months, studying at home, the parents gradually make the temperature lower, gradually lowering it from 36 to 32 degrees. This process lasts about 2 weeks, then the children move to a small pool with a lower temperature, and a hardening effect occurs. It is important to follow all hygiene rules after being in the pool: wipe the whole body dry, especially the ears, warmly dress the child, do not walk in the wind and do not get caught in drafts. Then the child will in no case get sick after classes in the pool. nine0003

AGAIN ABOUT IMMUNITY

There are several stages of development and strengthening of children's immunity. The first stage is from 0 to 1 month, the second stage is from 2 to 3 years, and the third stage is at the age of 6-7 years. This is the time when children in principle start to get sick, regardless of whether they go to the pool or not. And swimming is exactly the tool that will allow the child to get sick much less often due to hardening and general strengthening of the body.

WHEN AND HOW TO START? nine0031

Baby swimming can be practiced at home approximately 7 days after birth. In the pool, a child can start exercising when his umbilical wound has completely healed: depending on the characteristics of the body, this happens after 3 weeks - 1.5 months.

The most comfortable age to start classes is 1.5 - 3 months, when the child has not yet lost the unconditioned swimming reflex. From 3 to 6 months, this reflex fades.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU TO LESSON? nine0031

For pool activities you need to take a special swim diaper, a changing pad on the changing table, a towel. When the baby's hair begins to grow, you need to take a bathing cap to class. In groups of advanced infant swimming, children who have been practicing in the pool from the first months wear swimming goggles from the age of 4 months.

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN?

The main task of infant swimming, in addition to health improvement, is the acquisition by the child of the skill of independent swimming. It can be easily mastered up to 1 year if you start practicing from birth. By 4-5 months, the child can begin to swim independently and without support. nine0003

HOW DOES A CLASS WORK?

Like any activity, it is built from a warm-up, the main part and a hitch. At the warm-up, we do special rocking exercises and prepare the child's body for the main part of the lesson. The structure of the main part of the classes includes a set of exercises for all muscle groups, swimming on the stomach, on the back and diving (diving). In the final part of the lesson, we do relaxing exercises, hydromassage, massage with special balls.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT POOL

• First, be guided by the territorial features: a big plus is the pool's walking distance.
• The second important point is the choice of a coach. Before choosing someone, study it - according to reviews on websites and social networks (many trainers maintain their own blogs and pages), according to the recommendations of parents with experience, according to information about the achievements of the trainer presented on the swimming pool sites. It is important to study the trainer before training with the baby so that you do not have to change the teacher if you do not like his teaching method. Beforehand, be sure to meet with the coach and talk with him about what his methodology is, how many years he has been practicing teaching infant swimming, what are the principles of his life. Align your training goals with the goals that the trainer sets in his classes. nine0213
• The third point is the technical conditions in the pool, hygiene and water purification system. The safest water purification systems do not use chlorine, which is not found in every pool.

IMPORTANT! WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM

When you enroll your child in the pool, find out which water treatment system is used in it. As we have already mentioned, the safest water purification system is without chlorine, which, for example, is used in Magis Children pools. Water is disinfected around the clock with an ultraviolet lamp, quartz lamps, and is processed with a sand filter. In addition, the Italian HTH water quality control system is installed in our pools: every two minutes a sample of water from the pool is taken and its quality is determined. The system automatically adjusts the quality level: thanks to a perfect filtration system, the water is completely renewed once every 30 minutes. Every day, 30% of the water in the pool is drained and the water is manually cleaned by technical staff: special reagents are added and water is added to the desired level. Water is taken daily for chlorine content: it is always 0.

HOW LONG IS THE CLASS AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I ATTEND THEM?

Toddler session lasts 30 minutes. To achieve your goals, you need a system and regularity of visits: 2-3 times a week. If the training is prescribed by the doctor as the minimum course that you need to complete for recovery, we also recommend that you complete a full course with a frequency of visits 2-3 times a week.

EXERCISE GROUPS WITH MOTHER: WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

The main focus of the baby's activities with his mother is to support tactile contact. Often mum's group sessions are seen as helping with the transition from swimming at home to swimming in the pool. With mom, you can get the initial swimming skill, a lot of useful emotions, and start getting used to the water. The first crisis, which happens when a child is teething, is much easier if the child is engaged with his mother. Since mom is not a professional swim teacher, naturally, the best results can only be achieved with a personal trainer. nine0003

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January 19

Reopening of renovated kindergarten groups after renovation!

Dear parents! HURRAH! Repairs in kindergarten groups at Vzletnaya, 25 have been completed! Come to us for a trial day to see everything in reality, to get acquainted with.

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