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Back to School, Back to Swim school
Posted on 21st January 2015

It’s January, some of us will still be focused on New Years resolutions and some of us will have already given up (Sarah, design department!) but the one thing we all have in common is getting back into the swing of term time. Not just school term time but Swim school term time!

It’s cold, wet and no one feels like getting undressed in a chilly changing room and going for a swim, but if there is one resolution you should stick to in 2015 it’s that this is the year your baby will learn how to swim and how to protect themselves against drowning.

RoSPA have reported over 380 deaths in the UK from drowning in 2013, we are yet to see the report for 2014 but I doubt it will be much different. Without question one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is swimming lessons. Pre fundamental swimming is now available all over the UK and is a growing trend worldwide as more and more parents invest in these very early water experiences.

The ASA (the Amateur Swimming Association) states that “Babies are comfortable in the water as long as they feel safe”. Pre fundamental swimming is all about learning to be comfortable in water, having fun in the water and learning new experiences in the water in order to progress to stage 1 learn to swim.

Even very tiny babies can enjoy these early water experiences, from when mum feels better is usually a good indicator of what age to start. But typically the youngest babies in a class are about 6 weeks old. It’s a daunting experience but your specialist baby swim teacher will be able to set your mind at ease. For the most part and as long as they are warm and feel safe babies love water. If you are worried about babies being cold, have a look at our baby wetsuit section here.

If learning how not to drown wasn’t enough to get you booking lessons there are other huge benefits for you and your baby:

1.  Bonding and skin to skin contact. Within the soothing extra buoyancy provided by the water baby and parents can experience skin to skin contact which is so important.

2.  Swimming is the largest participation pastime in the country and one of the best loved family activities. Children when polled say it is their favourite family pass time so get them started early to build that all important water enjoyment.

3.  Swimming is proved to help improve coordination and balance in developing babies and children. Because almost all of your baby’s body is supported by water, the main focus for them is on maintaining balance. Research shows babies who swim have much better balance out of the pool.

4.  Swimming helps to build muscles and is effective exercise. Introducing this discipline as early as possible is an important life skill to help babies and children regularly exercise though out their lives.

5.  Swimming also strengthens your baby inside. Not only will swimming help to develop their muscles and joints, it will also improve the strength of their heart and lungs.

6.  Swimming can improve a child’s sleeping pattern. Extra physical and mental exercise will help to make your baby sleepier and calmer.

7.  Improve a baby’s appetite. Swimming and chilly water helps to make a baby hungry, so make sure you have some sort of snack or bottle for after they finish.

 

The key to great swimming with your baby is to remember not to pass on any uneasiness you may have about swimming yourself. Try our Find a swim school section and choose a school near you to book a test lesson. Or give our Splash Lab a call and we can help recommend someone in your area, especially if you have worries or concerns.

Go on, give it a go! You wont regret it.