At what age should we teach a child swimming? What are psychological nuances that should be kept in mind, and what should we start with? How not to miss the most favorable time, and understand that it has come? We offer you advices and recommendations on how to teach our offsprings swimming. Everyone should be able to swim, and the sooner he learns, the better.

The main question: When?

“Swim before walking!”-The appeal formulated by early swimming initiators and recently sounded almost paradoxically, is becoming increasingly common today. Hundreds of children practically confirmed the possibility of such a course of events, hundreds of parents saw not only swimming, but diving babies on TV …

An example is contagious, although in the last minute, many mothers are stopped by fear. After all, even the first bathing of a newborn baby in a small bath caused so much anxiety and excitement! How can we allow this tiny, helpless creature swimming in a bath filled to edges, so enormous for it?

Beginning in the late 70-ies of the last century, water studies with children became so widespread that now, perhaps it would be difficult to find a child aged fom 0 to 3 years, which has never swim, and “splashed.” The fact we can see babies that learned swimming before walking only on photos in books or on the Internet seems even more strange. Even swimming 2-year old kids are an unprecedented rarity. Perhaps this is because parents do not understand the purpose of swimming classes. They put a wrong purpose, go in the pool with their kids, despite all child’s screams and protests, risking to completely discourage him from contact with water.

Swimming with children under 3 years has a suitable motto: “The sooner the better.” And this is based primarily on the fact that until about three months age, a child’s swimming reflexes have not died yet, and he can automatically hold breath when submerged in water and move independently in water. Actually, the whole swimming “training” during the first year of life is to support this reflex and develop it gradually into a steady habit during the process of training. So the optimal date of classes is between the age of 10-14 days (when the umbilical wound heals) to 3 months. However, if you decided to start swimming with a baby later on, do not be upset. Starting is never too late. Just in case, if your child turns more than 3 months, you have to re-teach him holding breath when submerged in water.

You can start learning swimming with kids after a year or two years, but in this case, classes will be adjusted to a child’s age. Those entries you can do with babies, of course, are no longer fit to kids. It will take all your mother’s experience and teaching talent to interest a toddler in a swimming pool, work out his positive attitude to water, conduct classes in the form of fun games. Older kids should just learn breathing in water when submerged. The older a child is, the more active he will be able in a classroom, the more training games you will be able to offer him.

Second question: How?

All children are different, and it is impossible to develop an unified approach, especially in such a tender age. Someone is stronger, he can get a heavy load at once. One more like it when he is driven in water on his back, the other just tries to turn over on his tummy. Sometimes, kids do not like when water gets to their face, then diving training may take longer time. Therefore, if possible, invite or visit an experienced instructor, whom you trust. He will explain how to properly hold a baby, give useful advice on just your child.

Separate classes for children require a big impact from mothers. Do not systematically perform all you read in books or online - listen to your child, look at his reaction, invent your own elements - the main thing is that they should bring a child pleasure.

1. Specialists of many countries believe that swimming: promotes child’s health and helps him developing properly. Aquatic exercises have pronounced revitalizing and firming effect: water normalizes muscle tone, relieves stress, strengthens muscles, quenches, develops vestibular system (sense of balance). Thus, aquatic exercises stimulate child’s mental and physical development.

2. Lessons in water lead to improvement of circulatory system and respiration.

3. Water removes load on spine and forms correct posture.

4. Active movement strengthens bones and prevents development of flatfoot.

5. Nervous system is also strengthened.

6. Dream and appetite improve, overall body tone increases.

7. Movement is improved and stamina is increased.

8. Adapting to aquatic environment enriches experience, gives a new impression, what is especially important for small children development.

9. Water gives mom and her baby precious moments of communication, strengthen connection between them, establishing mutual understanding and trust. Water exercises help mother making her life fuller and more interesting, teach feeling her child better.

All these undoubted pluses of swimming classes bring a benefit of themselves, and the result of child’s ability to swim at an early age - is not already so important, when compared to them.