Swimming Tips For Babies And Toddlers - Is She Wearing Pants?

Since I’ve been posting my baby swimming videos on YouTube I’ve noticed that I get a lot of comments asking if I am wearing pants? I find this quite a funny comment because something that is normal and common sense to me obviously isn’t for others. So here is why I wear a t-shirt in the swimming pool. We always encourage parents to wear a t-shirt in the pool during learn-to-swim lessons for babies and toddlers. Wearing a loose fitted t-shirt in the water will give your baby something to grip and hold on to. Not only can children experiment with floating skills while they grip and support their own body weight but they can also perform independent recoveries when they submerge underwater. Wearing a t-shirt during the swimming lesson is very important for encouraging independence in the baby. Even from a very early age we can encourage baby to grip and hold on. By maintaining the baby’s natural grasp reflex we can build their independence and self confidence. Independence may one day save your baby’s life. They start by gripping on to the t-shirt and then advance to skills like holding on to the side of the pool and moving along the pools edge to wear they can climb out. Importantly if you always catch a baby when they go underwater they will think that someone will always be there to pick them up. But if we teach babies to grip onto the t-shirt and performing an independent recovery they begin to learn their capabilities and limitations in the water. This simple activity helps to develop a respect for the water. All baby swimming classes must be conducted in a safe and positive learn to swim envrionemnt. Each Baby and Toddler should be encouraged to learn to swim according to their individual readiness. The learn to swim process should follow a step by step process including water familarisation, breath control, submersion, floating and propulsion. Adult supervision is always required when in and around the water. To learn all about how to teach swimming to babies visit my website and get my online porgram at https://babyswim.info/