Questions (FAQ) About Baby Swimming
Here are some of the more common questions we receive about baby swimming.
At what age can I enroll my child in baby swimming lessons? Every baby is unique in their development. While many babies can begin infant swimming lessons by the time they are 3 months old, we encourage every parent to pay particular attention to their child's needs and abilities. If your baby can support his/her own head and has good muscle control, they are probably ready to be introduced to the water. We have discovered that younger babies usually have an innate love for the water and take to it quickly. This is likely due to their recent environment in the womb. However, as infants grow they can slowly lose this natural response. Thus, we encourage parents to begin introducing their baby to the water early on. Most children who take baby swimming lessons before the age of 18 months learn very quickly and love the water. Introducing an older child, after 18 months, can sometimes be a little more challenging because they have much more awareness of their environment and the possible challenges that come with learning something new. However, with our holistic and loving approach, children of all ages will quickly learn to adapt and enjoy our playful, interactive infant swimming lessons.
How often should we attend class? We highly recommend four days a week for four consecutive weeks. Of course, not everyone's schedule permits this, and we offer shorter infant swimming lessons for those with busy schedules. Your baby will learn much faster when they come more consistently. Baby swimming is like walking; provide them with plenty of opportunities and encouragement and they'll progress at an often-times astonishing pace! Will my baby like the water? There's no question, most babies love the water, especially when they are introduced to it early on. We encourage parents to get their babies wet often, whether in a bath, shower or pool. A big part of our education is water introduction that meets the pace of the child. We have lots of fun activities that allow your baby to get wet in a playful manner so by the time they are ready to go under water it is a pleasurable, fun experience. When will my baby start swimming? We believe that "swimming" is any fluid movement through the water. Some parents want their child to immediately start doing strokes that will propel them toward stardom! Our goal is to guide your baby through the natural developmental stages in a fun atmosphere so they not only learn all of the essential basics and safety but also develop a passion for swimming. We discourage parents from pushing too hard because this is not only stressful to your child, it also tends to discourage them from truly enjoying this beautiful activity. There will come a time later in their life when a more disciplined approach will enhance their skills. Let's not put the cart before the horse, so to speak.
Watch one of our baby swimming videos!
I've been to or heard about aggressive schools that repeatedly dunk babies and force them to roll onto their back. Is this necessary for their safety? We all agree that safety is an important issue. Babies develop life-long patterns in their formative years. Aggressively forcing a child repeatedly to perform a certain task, whether it's potty training, walking or swimming has long-term consequences. Think about how you teach your baby to do other things. Do you scream and yell at them, hit them, break their fragile spirit? Think about the old way of "breaking horses". Compare that with a gentle approach of a "horse whisperer". Which horse do you think enjoys life and the learning process? Repeated submersions and forced back floats can introduce large amounts of water into your baby's stomach, lungs and sinuses creating a life-threatening condition called hyponatremia. Any swim school that has to closely monitor an infant's vitals is too aggressive and should be avoided. It takes time to learn any new skill and even longer to master it. Just because a baby learns to float on their back does not mean they are safe! While this may buy some time should they fall into water, it is not a substitute for adult supervision and proper safety. Rushing your baby to learn such a skill can elicit negative responses. When your baby is crying and screaming, they are experiencing fear, and even worse, perhaps permanent psychological, emotional and even physical damage. The babies that come to our infant swimming lessons learn all of the necessary safety skills in a fun, enjoyable way so they have a desire to continue learning. We do not have crying, screaming, frightened babies at our school! It is so unnecessary and counter productive over the long term. There is no question in our mind that your baby will be happy, safe, and respected in our baby swimming lessons. Will my child be "drownproof" after swim lessons? There is no such thing as drownproof. We teach you and your child skills to swim and be safe around water. Without question, there is no substitution for adult supervision! In addition, there are many "child-proofing" techniques that we encourage to reduce the possibility that your child will come into contact with water unsupervised. Be sure to check out our
pool and water safety
page for additional information. Don't sacrifice your child's well-being by imposing a premature and accelerated swimming program in the name of "safety" or "accelerated learning".
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children are not developmentally ready to learn to swim until they are 4 years old. We believe most children do not develop the necessary skills to properly implement formal strokes such as the crawl stroke, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. However, at a very early age they can learn to hold their breath and move through water comfortably. It is important to distinguish between the two. Children who are introduced to the water as babies and learn to enjoy and appreciate the water will be equipped to learn the formal strokes easier and faster when that time comes. Most doctors agree that a proper introduction to water in a safe, fun, playful way will set the stage for more advanced learning later in life. There are always many more questions that parents have, so if you have not found an answer here, please don't hesitate to
contact us.
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Swimming For Babies c/o Optimum Health Center 1200 Cirby Way, Suite G Roseville, CA 95661 916) 521-7888
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