You may be surprised to hear about newborn babies or little ones under six months of age taking swimming lessons. Can babies really swim, you wonder? You've seen pictures and perhaps videos of babies underwater and you may be curious about it.
Newborns can begin learning movement and safety in the water from two months of age. Initially, they will be bonding with a parent, and learning to love the water. From there, they will learn how to backfloat, something which newborns do not have the innate ability to do. All they need are swim diapers and they are ready to go!
Infants do possess two reflexes that may make it look as if they know how to swim. The first reflex is the diving reflex, which means if your baby goes underwater they will naturally hold their breath. You won't see this reflex after six months of age, and that is why it looks so remarkable in babies who are just a few months old.
The second reflex is the swimming reflex. If you place a little one stomach-side down in water, they will move their arms just like they're swimming. This reflex, too, will begin to fade after about six months after birth.
By the time your little one gets to be six months old, they can participate in swim lessons in Phoenix, that will begin introducing them to baby learning games, backfloats, and rollovers. Imagine that! By this time, they are perfectly comfortable in water and they will love the feel and movement all around them.
Babies at this age will be swimming with you, so get ready for a fun time with your little ones while in the water. Children progress at all different stages, just as they crawl and walk at different rates, too. Introductory swim classes have different levels for different abilities. All the while, your baby will be learning water safety skills.
You are always in the water with your infant, learning right along with them. Children usually love their bathtime, and being in the warm, conducive pool environment is an extension of bathtime, in a sense. The water is warm and comfortable, making it easy to teach them about water safety, movement, and balance in the water.
Infants and babies may not be doing the breaststroke or freestyle swimming just yet, but there will be baby learning games they will be processing as they grow month to month. It's amazing what children learn, and the ways they learn can have a huge effect on their overall development as they grow.
