Swimming with Your Baby This Summer

This post gives you basic tips for safe swimming with your baby and the answers to the frequently asked questions on swimming for babies.

Summer is here. Play time in water is one of the favorite activities that kids enjoy during summer. They enjoy their long and frequent baths.

A visit to a water park is something that we did this summer and I was amazed at the number of kids who knew how to swim!!

My little one will turn 2 this year and these thoughts just crossed my mind.

What is the right age to introduce kids to swimming?

How do you encourage kids to learn to swim?

How to make them overcome their fear of water (if it exists)?

Swimming is a great exercise for young and old alike. It helps build confidence and is a great play time apart from helping in water safety.

• What is the right age to start swimming for babies?

Generally swimming coaching in India starts around at 4 years of age. That’s precisely because the pool requirement and the safety measures are higher for toddlers.

There are lots of videos and articles which say that even babies can swim. Yes they can provided there is enough vigilance and infrastructure.

• How to introduce your child to water?

If not swimming, you should definitely introduce your kids to water.

Get them the feel of a pool with you being around.The tendency of fear of water creeping in is higher if they enter the pool for the first time at their coaching center.

Ensure your child enjoys his water play time before you enroll him to a coaching center.

The right age to introduce your child to water depends upon how comfortable you are with the pool. It can begin with a small indoor pool ( you get a lot of inflatables ) and move to baby pools gradually.

Bath time toys can definitely help. So carry a ball the next time you take your kid to a pool.

• What if your baby or child has fear of water?

It’s a normal tendency among kids to be scared of water in a pool.

If you have taken your kids to a beach or a riverside before and you know that your kid has a tendency to be scared of water body , then it’s better to get rid of this before you enroll the kid to swimming lessons.

You need to spend some time in the water with your kid. Make him enjoy and play in the water.

Buy your kid a nice swim suit with a cap and other safety accessories. Keep him afloat all the time and close to you. Hold your kid and never leave him unattended.

Do not scare your child while in water and don’t expect them to be waterfriendly just in a couple of days. You may need to revisit the pool for them to attain confidence in water.

• How can I ensure the safety of my baby in water?

Safety comes first.

Ensure that you personally take care of the safety measures at the pool.

Never leave your child unattended. The duration for which he or she is in the pool, stay around. Even if there is an instructor, it’s better to be around till they gain complete confidence.

Hope your kid has a great time in water this summer with these tips.

Happy Swimming!