Swimming for babies: the benefits of swimming for children’s health
Fun and stimulating, baby swimming encourages little ones’ natural ability to move around in the water with Lifeguard certification near me. A fun moment of pleasure shared between parents and children!
After nine months of pregnancy, all babies are comfortable in the water! Until about 1 year of age, babies still have the swimming (or apnea) reflex: underwater, babies automatically close their mouths, block breathing, and move their arms and legs. How about taking advantage of this natural disposition to give your baby some swimming lessons?
An activity that contributes to the health of the child
Proposed in several pools, swimming for babies is not intended to teach babies how to swim, but to contribute to the sensory development and motor development of babies: in the water, babies become aware of their body, learn to move and differently and experience new sensations.
This activity encourages babies to be more confident, to have greater autonomy and to be more social, thanks to the presence of the group. In short, it is a privileged moment of complicity and pleasure between parents and children. What more can we want?
The classes
Each baby is accompanied by one (or both) parents, and the group is guided by a specifically trained swimming with Lifeguard certification near me teacher. The water is heated to a temperature between 32ºC and 37ºC. Is your baby still not able to do it? No problem! It may take several classes for the baby to succeed: each baby has their own rhythm. According to their age and personality.
During the classes, different aquatic supports are used according to the age of the little ones: balls, boards, mats, buoys, slides… Plenty of opportunities to explore new sensations and to have fun, with parents and other children.
If you start to notice that your baby is tired or cold at the end of the class, don’t insist: get out of the water and wrap him in the towel. The main purpose of swimming lessons for babies is fun!
Practical swimming lessons
You can start swimming lessons for babies from the moment the baby is vaccinated. With the first two mandatory vaccines, that is, around 4 months. A medical statement will be required at the time of application. Use specific bath diapers to prevent leaks in the water.
Classes have a maximum duration of 30 minutes up to 18 months. And about 1 hour between 18 months and 6 years.
After the age of 6, children can attend real swimming lessons. Very comfortable in the water, having attended baby swimming with lifeguard certification near me lessons, these children with Lifeguard certification near me learn to swim extremely easily! At the end of the class, have a meal, breastfeed, give the bottle or a small snack.
Depending on age: these moments in the water require a lot of energy and therefore whet your appetite. At home, give your baby a bath and moisturize to eliminate all chlorine residues, soften and nourish the skin. Serene and rested, your baby will sleep, without a doubt, a nice nap to recover!
A pleasant activity
Currently, many gyms offer swimming with lifeguard certification near me lessons for babies. The goal is not to teach babies to swim. But to stimulate their sensory awakening and help develop their motor coordination. When they are in the water, they are more aware of their body shapes.
Learn how to move differently and discover new sensations. This also helps to increase confidence. They become more autonomous and develop their social skills by interacting with the rest of the group. And it’s a special moment of togetherness and fun shared between parents and children. What more could you want?
How are the classes
Each baby is accompanied by one or the other, or both parents. The entire group is supervised by a specially trained teacher. The water is preheated to room temperature. Your child enters the water with you holding him in your arms, as calmly as possible. During classes, a variety of aquatic sensory awakening accessories will be available for children.
Depending on their age, and will include balls, floats, round floats, floating mats and slides. This will make babies have fun and have new sensations, with their parents or with other children. If your baby seems tired or cold before class starts, don’t force it. Remove it from the water and quickly heat it on a soft towel. The main purpose of baby swimming lessons is fun!
Practical information
When your baby is 6 months old, you can join a parent-child swimming with lifeguard certification near me lesson. You will be in the water with your baby during these classes. Your child will likely not develop enough to participate in formal swimming lessons until age 3 or 4 at the earliest. In the meantime, exercise extreme caution with your child in or near water. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: “Whenever infants and young children are in or near water. An adult should be within arm’s length, practicing touch supervision.”
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