What Parents Should Know About Parent and Toddler Swimming Lessons.
Beware: if the lessons are taught badly they can be positively detrimental or even dangerous. This is what parents ought to know.
Can a Parent and Baby swimming programme make my child water safe? Absolutely not, and beware of any teacher claiming otherwise. I have seen only a very few eighteen month old children able to swim in a fashion and come up for air in a controlled environments. Babies simply do not have the strength and co-ordination and it would be dangerous to think otherwise.
I have observed babies and toddlers inadvertently fall into water. A baby lies motionless and makes no attempt to move. Experts say this is an instinctive natural life preserving mechanism. What happens is the babies metabolism slows down and more blood is sent to the brain in order to survive in the water longer. The baby will remain like that until rescued or until unconsciousness and death occurs. I have witnessed three-year-old children, who can swim, fall into the pool fully clothed and unable to take a breath in a panic situation.
I argue that even children who have just learned to swim may even be less safe as they are more likely to put themselves in a risky situation. The message to parents is that no swimming course can guarantee drownproofing and children need constant vigilance at least up to the age of ten.
A while ago Parent and Baby lessons became popularised through film footage of Russian super babies happily submerged. Such claims where even made that these babies where climbing trees when ordinary babies where learning to walk. The theory being that babies spend the first nine months of their lives in fluid and therefore swimming comes quite naturally. This led to a proliferation of baby swimming courses and even Parents wishing to have their baby delivered in water.
Well-intentioned Parents where keen to submerged their child in order to encourage swimming and drownproofing. It is instinctive that babies hold their breath however babies older than three months tend to swallow any water that gets in their mouth. It has been found that excessive dunking can lead to water intoxication known as hyponatremia. It occurs when the concentration of blood salt is altered and may lead to drowsiness and convulsions. This may be an extreme example yet moreover many babies become quite stressed by being dunked repeatedly.
Your teacher will have lots of activities to help your child become at ease in the water. Submerging is done only sparingly. Your teacher will show you the best ways of helping your child submerge. Fortunately most pools are now ozone filtered and submerging does not sting the eyes as chlorinated pools do.
When a child is old enough to take formal lessons, those who are comfortable putting their face in the water and are happy learn to swim quickly. Remember the aim is for your child to be water happy. A child who has repeatedly been put in a frightening situation will be put off swimming. You are the best judge of whether your child is under stress or not.
Children who suffer debilitating illnesses and have their growth stunted have the ability to catch up later. Much is the same with junior swimming. A non-swimmer or a poor starter has the ability to catch up very quickly. The point being is that more patience is required for some children than for others. If your baby shows fear and screams at the start of the lesson there is nothing you can do but wait a while and try again later.
If taught properly Parent and Toddler lessons provide a wonderful experience for the child to explore and exercise their limbs freely against the resistance of water. This in itself can help develop motor skills. If a happy environment is set we believe the experience will create a water happy baby and strengthen that special bond between parent and baby. Babies are known to sleep better and have a healthier appetite. Children who are happy in the water are easier to teach when they become ready for formal lessons.
Older infants who are in their two’s get use to a group environment where they get to learn to listen and follow instructions doing activities they enjoy. Your Multi-Sport teacher will have lots of fun ideas and activities all designed for exercise, enjoyment that facilitate water happiness and swimming.
