baby swimming

[MRS SILLYSALLY]

I just want to know what age can a baby go swimming.

Hello, I'm an ASA qualified advanced swimming teacher currently teaching parent and baby where I live (Croydon).
According to health officials you don't have to wait for your baby to have any jabs before you take them swimming, but my opinion, proffessionally and personally is I wouldn't recommend going until at least after the first lot of jabs.
I started taking my youngest son (I have 4 kids) at 4 months, and he has swum twice a week ever since (he's now nearly two and a half).
The other thing I will say on the subject is Aqua tots isn't necessarily the place to go either. They are fantastic at what they do - they teach babies and children until they're 3years, but they teach them to swim under the water. When the children then have to move onto "proper" swimming lessons, we have such terrible trouble teaching them to float hence breathing becomes more difficult etc.
Shop around if you can, some public pools have parent and baby classes and there are plenty of private swimming lessons all over the country. Just remember that the cheapest isn't necessarily the best!
Hope I've helped (and not bored you!), lots of love, Debi ***.

[MRS SILLYSALLY]

Thanks for your reply i'v just gone out and brought him a lycra swim outfit.Hope to go swimming this friday.Tell you how he get's on.

[heidi335]

so how did the swimming sesh go then? i tuk my daughter wen she was about 4 months too.. problem is getting them out!!! lol... she loved it that much she didnt want to leave.. think there should be more swimming baths that are better equiped for adults that go swimming with kids by themselves.... best pool i went to was tall trees at yarm.. single cubicle showers with shower gel and shampoo at the redy and a space for kids to play in so u can get dressed without multitasking!! lol... and that was gud advice debi... neva knew sum ov the advice u gave ***

Glad to help! It's kind of a bit of an obsession with me - I think it should be compulsory for kids to learn to swim. They're lucky if they even get swimming lessons with the school these days!

[heidi335]

well its a gud and simple way of keeping ur child fit and healthy, aswell as the parents!!! lol... and when i was at school we didnt go swimming that much.. dont even think i got ne certificates!!! still cant reely swim!! ***

It's not only the fitness side of things (it's the best form of exercise for asthmatics and people with physical disabilities), it's the safety aspect that worries me. We are a country completely surrounded by water, we take our kids to the beach in the summers and most streets have a pond or paddling pool in their garden. Children have a natural fascination with water, how can any parent put their child at risk by not giving them the opportunity to learn to swim. Even if they only take lessons long enough to be able to save themselves if they ever got into difficulty somewhere or accidently fell into some kind of body of water. A child only needs an inch of water to drown in!
I know I'm sounding off about it but we teach our kids about fire safety, road safety and other things - give them half a chance and TEACH THEM TO SWIM!

***

[heidi335]

Originally Posted by debi

It's not only the fitness side of things (it's the best form of exercise for asthmatics and people with physical disabilities), it's the safety aspect that worries me. We are a country completely surrounded by water, we take our kids to the beach in the summers and most streets have a pond or paddling pool in their garden. Children have a natural fascination with water, how can any parent put their child at risk by not giving them the opportunity to learn to swim. Even if they only take lessons long enough to be able to save themselves if they ever got into difficulty somewhere or accidently fell into some kind of body of water. A child only needs an inch of water to drown in!
I know I'm sounding off about it but we teach our kids about fire safety, road safety and other things - give them half a chance and TEACH THEM TO SWIM!

***

Good points debi.... neva reely thought of it like that!!! she is learning to swim reely well...with the aid of armbands neway....hopefully they will have swimming lessons wen she starts school.... ***

As long as you're taking her, she'll get there eventually!

[MRS SILLYSALLY]

I took my son swimming on tuesday he loved it.He wos looking around everywhere kicking his legs.After 10min he fell asleep in his ring lol.Im going to take him weekly now.I hope he stay's awake longer next time.