Baby Swim SchoolsThere are many baby swim schools to choose from these days. Many will entice parents with promises that they will get immediate results. Others will use fear tactics to get you to fork over your money and enroll your child before they drown. It is extremely important that parents and caregivers educate themselves about baby swimming and the swim schools available in their area. Here's what to look for... Agenda A good school will always put the child's well-being ahead of the agenda, whether it's safety, drownproofing, pushing to excell physically, etc. Babies need time, patience, love and support in the learning process. Pushing too hard, too soon can create long-term problems for both children and parents. Crying Most babies cannot communicate like adults. Their emotions are all they have until they can speak, and even then, they may continue to display their emotions as a method of communication for many years to come. A crying baby is an unhappy baby. Whether your infant is scared, hurt, hungry or tired, it's your responsibility and obligation to consider their needs and take care of them. Babies need to trust you. Turning them over to a stranger who repeatedly dunks them and forces them to immediately roll onto their back is traumatizing. If your baby is screaming and crying something is wrong! Playful environment 
Babies and children of all ages love to play. They will learn quickly given the opportunity. Children of all ages will learn a great deal from each other when given the chance to mimic behaviors. A good swim school will offer group classes of all ages with plenty of playful children's games and toys to take advantage of this. One on one lessons, although appropriate in some cases, are usually too stressful and place unrealistic demands on a child. Remember, the key is to allow your child to learn in a pleasurable way so they develop a love for the water and learning process. This will maximize the results later in life.Holistic approach An excellent swimming school will adopt a natural, holistic approach towards teaching. Baby swimming lessons require patience, love and consideration for the child. Sometimes this requires the parents to step back and look at life through the eyes of their child. Everything is new and often times scary. We must nurture our babies in order that they may grow confident and secure later in life. Hardline approaches to learning, whether it's swimming or any other skill/activity can lead to psychological, emotional and even physical complications later in life. Anyone can force a child to do something. It takes a combination of love, respect and compassion to properly "teach" a child. We want the best for our children, right?! 
Parental involvementYour baby trusts you like no other. It's important that you maintain that trust and show them by example how to learn. Look for swim schools that allow you to participate; after all, your child will be mimicking you every day for many years to come. Parents should be encouraged to show their baby how fun the water is through gentle play. Parents who learn these skills along with their baby also have unlimited opportunity to practice with their baby outside of swim school.
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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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