In
what other medium are you able to bond face to face, skin to skin and
share the joy of learning together? A very special time and a
special place for you and your child.
Parents
are often drawn to the obvious benefits that swimming lessons can
offer their children, but many feel unsure at what age they should
start. It is natural to feel some caution. Parents might question
how children learn to swim when they are so young and what type of
activities they will be involved in. It’s
important to remember that before birth, infants were immersed in a
fluid environment inside their mother’s womb. So, we aren’t
really talking about when to “introduce” a child to the water,
but rather, when to “reintroduce” them to the element that they
called home for close to nine months.
For most parents, the family bath is probably the best and most
convenient place to continue developing the affinity that many
newborns have with water. This can begin once the baby is home and
the umbilical cord has healed.
The baby doesn’t even need to go under water at this early
stage. Using a secure and gentle hold let them feel the buoyancy and
the movement of the water over their skin. These early bath
experiences should be free from stress and a lovely way to build
rapport with the water. This is a special time for parent and baby
and can allow additional bonding, even for dad. Using a flannel and
eventually a cup, the baby can be introduced to the sensation of
water on their face. Starting from just a few months of age, lays a
great foundation for joining a regular swim program later on.
So, when should ‘formal’ lessons start? There are a few
different guidelines and opinions. However, most of recommendation
states that infants can start a formal program at 4 months of age.
Some of the reasons for waiting until 4 months are to allow a medical
history to develop, allow the infant’s immune system to strengthen
and allow bonding to occur with the primary caretaker. After 4
months, lessons in a gentle and developmentally appropriate program
can, be started right away.
Early swimming fosters a growing sense of self-esteem, confidence and independence. As a child’s ability to freely move through the water increases so does their sense of well-being . Early swim lessons set a positive foundation towards a lifetime of participation and enjoyment in a variety of water sports and aquatic venues on, in and under the water.
Researchers
have documented that
the
stimulating effect of infant/toddler swimming lessons has the
potential to increase intelligence, concentration, alertness, and
perceptual abilities. Improvement in social, emotional and physical
development has also been published. Of course, the manifestation of
such inspired cognitive, personal and motor development takes
time, patience and repetition. These babies eventually become
extremely peaceful and relaxed in the water.
Water
is a healer, its caressing and stimulating effect on children
with special needs is most remarkable. Its buoyancy is like an
invisible helping hand. Zero gravity allows for freedoms that do not
exist on the dry land. Optimal learning conditions, combined with
kindness and patience can even release a withdrawn or hurting child
from their shell. Also, over the years, we have
discovered that autistic infants, babies, toddlers and their parents
find the nurturing swimming experience to be an engaging, calming and
positive environment for developing and interacting.
In
our society of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, it is important for
children to be involved in physical activities that establish a
routine of fitness. Swimming offers one of the best activities for
good health with minimal risk of sport related injury. In fact,
swimming is a great activity that can last a lifetime. People of
almost all ages and physical ability enjoy exercise, recreation and
sport in the water. And, with infants there is the added benefit of
enhancing and stimulating their general development. For parents
involved in the water with their children, the close physical contact
and quality time helps strengthen the natural bond like no other
environment.
Physical activities like swimming have been shown to improve many
areas of a child’s development including academic performance,
language, maths, fine and gross motor skills, confidence and
coordination. Getting a good start can make a big difference later
on.
Ultimately, the learning experience should be an enjoyable one.
If children have a great time at the pool they will continue learning
in their lessons because they are so much fun. The main benefits are:
- Babies can exercise more muscles in the water, they are less restricted by gravity and their ability to sit or stand. This increased strength often manifests itself in early acquisition of physical skills like walking.
- Swimming improves babies cardiovascular fitness. Although babies are limited in how much they can improve their endurance, swimming does have a beneficial effect.
- Early mastery of water movements gives children a head start in learning basic swimming skills.
- Water helps improve co-ordination and balance by forcing babies to move bilaterally to maintain their equilibrium.
- Warm water combined with gentle exercise relaxes and stimulates babies appetites. They usually eat and sleep better on swimming days.
- Doctors often recommend swimming as the exercise of choice for asthmatics. For many asthmatics, exercise produces bronchial hyperactivity. Swimming stimulates less wheezing than other forms of exercise, possibly because the warm, moist air around pools is less irritating to the lungs.
- Babies flourish in the focused attention their parents lavish on them during swimming.
- As babies learn how to move in the water on there own their independence and self-confidence blossom.
- Swimming provides babies with lots of skin-to-skin contact with their parents that psychologists say may deepen the bond between parent and child.
- Learning to swim is not only fun, healthy activity but a
safety measure as well.
So,
parents, take it slow, have fun, enjoy the journey - the pay off is
for life!
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