Every parent is curious to ask from pediatrician as soon as summer approaches to your doorstep when their babies can go swimming?” With summer just around the corner, it is perfect to start thinking about enjoying the warm weather with infants.
As per the new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), babies can start swimming lessons at the age of one year. Earlier, the timing for signing up the swimming lessons for kids was under the age of 4. However, new guidelines have provoked more parents to let their infants learn this utmost skill of learning how to swim to help keep time in the water safe and fun!
The AAP also suggested parents keep their babies within arm’s length, supervise kids at all times when they are around water, and also create barriers like fencing around spas and pools to keep infants safe from drowning.
Watching babies giggle and grin as splashes around in the tube, going for walks, and playing with them in the parks are some of the favorite summer activities of many parents. It has been noticed that the bath is the baby’s happiest place during the summer season. So, when can parents sign up for baby swimming lessons?
Here, experts have weighted all the important strategies, tips on baby swimming classes, what to consider when selecting a class, when to start swimming classes, and how chlorine water can affect the baby’s skin. Let’s read about how to make swimming a smooth ride for your baby!
Why has the AAP Updated its Policies on the Best Time to Start Swimming Lessons?
The AAP was previously very cautioned against the starting period for signing up swimming lessons for those who are under the age of four. It was believed that young infants can’t learn to swim.
Though the babies can be taught to blow bubbles, and art to float, learning swimming is cumbersome to learn by small babies. Moreover, there were concerns that parents become less responsible and vigilant about supervising infants to attend swimming lessons.
However, now in the new reports, the AAP has reinforced its existing policies that young infants from one year to 4-year-old are also welcome to learn swimming. The new evidence claimed that babies between 1 to 4 years old are less likely to be drowned if they have had formal swimming instruction under keen observation.
When to Start Baby Swimming Lessons?
According to the newly-made swimming regime for small infants, parents are advised to get enrolled their babies in swimming classes at the age of 1 year old. Around 8 months of age babies start developing a concept of fear, and anxiety. So, if they are already familiar with what it likes to be around water by then, all will be better.
But if your baby has missed the mark of 1 year, though, don’t get frightened. Babies can be taught the art and lessons of swimming any time period when he crossed the milestone of an aging 1-year-old. A baby of 6 months won’t fully understand swimming, but he will start gaining preliminary skills and comfort with water.
As Nicole Steffens had said it, aquatic product manager for the American Red Cross, infants who participate in child and parent aquatics gain foundational knowledge, and relevant motor skills succeed in future swimming lessons than other infants.
Generally, infants learn to crawl before they start walking. Similarly, infants first learn to kick and paddle in the pool before learning the art to swim.
If parents are giving consistent lessons, a young child can easily learn to roll onto his back to float or grab onto the pool’s edge. Remember that infants should always be in strict observation, a few minutes can buy incidents and drowning situations before an adult come to the rescue.
Therefore, while looking for baby swimming lessons near your place, some things should be looked at carefully. Parents should take their babies to the aquatic facility because it helps to create an environment that promotes learning and an adaptive water ecosystem.
Remember that the facility needs to be safe, well maintained, free of odors, evidence of security rules, and clean. In fact, there should be requiring trained children faculty to help children learn the art of swimming in the pool.
Another place where parents can take their children for swimming classes is local community centers with a pool, where faculty is trained to help infants learn swimming. Moreover, always check the temperature of the water, it should not be higher than the 80s, especially for baby swimming. And last but not least, always look for a program where the child would learn to survive in drowning accident, but also have fun.
How to Make Baby Swimming Lessons Go Smoothly
As your baby becomes a toddler, baby-proofing the house becomes more important than any other thing. This becomes essentially true when you head outdoors this summer to hit the pool. However, one can’t deny the fact that every baby reacts differently to infant swim lessons.
Therefore, parents should be ready to expect a range of emotions from downright miserable to giddy. The primary key to make baby swimming lessons go smoothly is to stick with it and try to make every lesson as fun-loving as possible. Being a parent, if you are thinking of ways to attend a baby swimming lessons smoothly and calmly, below shared are some tips that should be considered.
Being a mother of a 1.5-year-old baby, I also got anxious when my husband told me that he wants to take the baby to swimming classes. At first, I didn’t allow him. But when I researched it properly and read suggestions of some other parents, I got a satisfaction factor that yes, babies can also learn swimming at the age of 1 to4 years old.
However, there should be a proper and keen observation of the baby’s activity, especially around water. In fact, I have also incorporated below shared tips in our swimming classes regime to keep baby happy and safe in the water:
Look for experienced and qualified instructors
The first and foremost tip to make swimming classes go smoothly is to look for experienced and qualified instructors and trainers. Parents should ensure that swimming instructors should be certified and trained through a nationally recognized learn-to-swim. The lifeguards should be present all around the pool who have First Aid Certification and have current CPR.
Start in the bath
The second most simple and easiest way to eventually gain a happy and safe swimmer is the bathtub experience. If a kid has experience in the tub, wiping water from their face, avoiding splashing, and keeping ears from getting wet, it becomes easier for your kids to learn swimming. In fact, when a baby gets used to having water poured on his head, he becomes more accustomed to this kind of activity.
Restrain your kids to eat right before swimming
Another tip to have a smoothing and fun-loving swimming session with your infants is restraining them from eating right before they are asked to come in the pool. It has been said that before getting into the pool, one should never feed them right. There should be at least one hour gap.
Make your child feel calm
Take baby steps to keep your baby feel calm and happy before getting into the water. If he is tired, crying, and irritated, chances are even a fun swim class won’t turn that around. There are more chances that this experience will make things worse for kids.
Arrive Early
Try to reach 15 or 30 minutes early before class is scheduled. In the meantime, the child will get enough time to get acclimated to the environment as compared to rush into the pool. Honestly, it makes an enormous difference for kids as well as instructors to help them learn swimming skills.
Are chlorinated pools safe for my baby?
It is pretty hard to find anything better on a humid and hot summer day than experiencing a dive at the local swimming pool. But if you want to take your infant in the swimming classes, ensure that the water should be clean and less chlorinated.
The chlorinated water shows irritating signs to the more delicate skin and upper respiratory tract of babies. To be more precise, sometimes, it also causes an increased risk of asthma, respiratory infections, rashes, and bronchiolitis. Therefore, make sure that your baby is safe and happy this summer at the pool.
Stay safe during non-swimming times!
This article is all about the perfect timing for taking small babies for swimming classes and tips to follow to keep them safe and happy at the pool. Honestly, many drownings happened when families don’t take care of their children in the pool or beach.
A few minutes of negligence can buy minutes to have accidents for your sweet kids. Therefore, always ensure that kids are fully supervised and have been equipped with the best swimming gear. Good Luck, and Keep on enjoying summer!
