Baby Swim | Harper 4 Months Grips Fingers and T-Shirts

Wearing a loose t-shirt in the water will give the baby something to grip and hold on to. This is very important for encouraging independence in the baby. It is important to maintain the infant’s natural grasp reflex and build their independence and self-confidence. We can also teach baby to support their own body weight in the water while gripping fingers. Remember the water will provide baby with natural buoyancy and they will not be supporting their entire body weight. When we start with gripping on the adults’ fingers we have baby facing the parent. Here we can establish good eye contact and ensure nice social referencing. During the initial stages, parents can help by clasping babies’ hands between their thumb and index finger. When parents feel the baby grip tight, they can lift the index finger so that baby is holding on independently. Be alert in case baby lets go, particularly if they have not been conditioned to go underwater. As we advance baby through their swimming lessons, they will enjoy self submerging underwater and recovering independently by pulling up on the parents t-shirt. As with any swimming skill, parents must ready the child’s body language. They must also stop if they’re showing signs of discomfort or stress All baby swimming classes must be conducted in a safe and positive learn to swim environment. 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 familiarisation, 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 program at https://babyswim.info #swimming #babyswim #babyswimming #baby #learning #learntoswim #swimclass #swimlessons #swimschool #swimmingpool #swimmingforbeginners #learnswimming #teachswimming #swimteacher #swimcoach