BabyWhispererForums.com
ACTIVITY => Activity Time & Toddler Activity => Topic started by: michaeljacknnugg on June 03, 2016, 18:03:13 pm
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We take Mr Baby along to the leisure centre on a Saturday morning while the big one has his lesson. It's special because he gets fussed over by all the big kids. He has a little Warm In One suit and we play for up to an hour in the big pool, surrounded by friends. He loves it!
So I'm not going to go to any baby swim classes with him; he will get lots of exposure just by coming with us. I'm just wondering what kind of things I can do with him there that will help his water confidence and get him swimming once he's ready.
He gets splashed a lot! He loves being lifted onto the side and then 'jumping' in. I also hold him on his front and back, bounce him etc and chat to him. He has a little go in the swim ring but is mostly with a person, being held.
I don't dare dunk him!
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I don't dare dunk him!
Mine used to love a very quick dunk! ;D
I think probably the main thing to get him used to as a pre swimming thing is getting his face splashed and in the water and blowing bubbles in the water. He's probably a bit little for that yet but you can work towards it with the splashing and taking small light toys to blow through the water when he is able to. The early stages of swimming lessons where my kids go had shapes they stuck with suction pads on the pool wall just below the waterline at first for them to peel off and they gradually got deeper below the water line. They also used a plastic colander to make a shower of water over their heads.
Sounds like he's off to a good start!
Laura
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Dunks are great, actually! A trick I learned: Blow on baby's face, then dunk, really quickly, then when they come up, make happy noises. Eventually they come to not just expect it but ask for it. :)
This book is no longer in print but some libraries carry it: http://www.amazon.com/How-Teach-Your-Baby-Swim/dp/0812819462 This one is new and I haven't seen it, but worth a look-see perhaps: http://www.amazon.com/How-Teach-Your-Baby-Swim/dp/075700198X
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Following
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Dunks are great, actually! A trick I learned: Blow on baby's face, then dunk, really quickly, then when they come up, make happy noises. Eventually they come to not just expect it but ask for it.
This ^^
When I taught Mum's & Bubs we'd say to blow in their face - gets them to close eyes & mouth & start by just dipping their chin & mouth & then move more... just make it a slow progression.
Have some songs you sing & kick his legs or move his arms as you sing & he will start to associate the song with the actions.
He has a little go in the swim ring but is mostly with a person, being held.
I'd actually have to say he should ALWAYS be held even if in a flotation device as they aren't even 50% safe. Even a child in a swim vest unless they can swim 15m without one shouldn't ever by out of arms reach of an adult & if they can't swim a single stroke they should always be held in flotation devices.
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Oh yes, he is always held in the device! Just wanted to say he's mostly 'in arms'.
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I think blowing in their face makes them hold their breath too doesn't it?
It's what they did at the baby swim class we went to. DS also would hold his breath when just out on a windy day.
My DS never liked his face to be wet, splashed or to be dunked or to have a little shower over his head, just hated all of that. I'm not even convinced that he would have got used to it, he just hated it, just his character I suspect. At his class they did the blow in the face followed by a shower of water on the head...and when they could manage that they did the blow and dunk. always counted down so the LO got used to when the blow and dunk would come (although my DS never did this).