For newbies

How newborns swim underwater. Benefits of swimming for babies. Benefits of baby swimming

It is possible from one, after the umbilical wound heals well. You can trust a professional - some children's clinics have baby pools. Accept there since two months. The child will be taught by one of the parents under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Before visiting the pool, the baby needs to pass medical tests. Children are in the water in special diapers for swimming.

If you wish, you can work with the crumbs on your own in a regular home bath. The water temperature is advised to gradually reduce to 33-34 ° C - in cool water, the child moves more willingly. You can do without a hat, supporting the baby's head with your hand.

The baby first learns on its back. Mom supports his head with one hand, the hips with the other, and moves the baby along the bath. Then one arm remains under the head. Gradually accustom the baby to the idea that he will swim on his own. To do this, change hands under your head during the movement, increasing the intervals when the child is without support. Focus on the mood of your little one and on his success.

The second step is to learn how to swim on your stomach. At first, the child is supported with one hand under the chin and with the other under, allowing them to get used to the new sensations. Then, when the baby is comfortable, they also move him along the bathroom, insuring with one palm under the chin.

The next task will be to teach the baby to dive. To do this, command: "Dive!" - and blow in his face. When the child involuntarily holds his breath, in a calm movement, dip on him with his head. The reaction of the baby, most likely, will be bewilderment - what happened? Your task is to show with a smile and voice that everything is fine. Over time, the baby will get used to it and will hold its breath on its own.

The so-called "mermaid cap", which is a cap on which foam blocks are fixed, can help you in training. So the baby's head is kept afloat. Mom, with the help of long ribbons sewn to the cap, controls the movement of a small swimmer lying on his back. As the baby begins to float on the water, the bars are taken out one by one. You can buy such a cap in children's stores.

The mood of the mother is very important during classes. You must be calm and confident that your condition is transmitted to the child. With obvious signs of displeasure, do not force events - this way you will only consolidate the fear that has arisen. It's best to try again after a while. Let the main goal of your classes not be to teach your baby to swim under any circumstances, but the good mood and joy of your little one.

Can be done immediately after birth. This early learning has its advantages and disadvantages. C can be done in a large bathroom at home. It is not necessary for this to go to the pool. This is very convenient, especially if it has flowering (). With such a rash, the pediatrician simply will not issue a certificate for the pool.

In order to teach a baby to swim, parents need to have some courage. This is especially important for diving. If the mother's hand trembles, then the baby will definitely feel her excitement and cry, and in the worst case, she will begin to be afraid of water. For the first lessons, you can invite a specialist to your home. He will show you what exercises you can do with your baby. In the future, it is desirable that the mother herself teaches the baby, since it is with her that she has the closest emotional contact. This will help her to easily understand the condition of her child and respond sensitively to it.

In addition to the fact that a baby can swim at home in the bathroom, there is another plus of early learning this skill - the absence of fears in a child. The baby's body still remembers how it was in the womb in the aquatic environment. Therefore, water for him is not alien and terrible. There are very rare cases when the newborn himself initially does not like or is afraid to swim.

There are also newborn reflexes, based on which you can easily teach him to swim.

Breath holding reflex

It lies in the fact that the baby holds his breath when water or air flows on his nose and face. Initially, the duration of such a pause is 5-6 seconds. With regular classes, by the year you can teach a child to be under water for up to 40 seconds. That is why a newborn can easily be taught to dive. You just have to be extremely careful: the duration of immersion in water must be increased very gradually.

Swimming reflex

The second reflex, which is very useful for swimming, is called swimming. When immersed in water, the baby begins to actively move all the limbs, thanks to which it can even stay on the surface for several seconds without support. Such activity has nothing to do with really swimming. But on its basis, you can easily teach a child to work properly with his arms and legs, that is, to strengthen the muscles necessary for swimming. Initially, the baby carries out movements at the level of a reflex, there is no awareness in them. The exercises that are performed with the baby to learn to swim are remembered at the level of muscle memory.

A child can master coordinated swimming movements at the age of 2.5-3 years. But if they were engaged with him before, then muscle memory will allow the child to learn to swim many times faster and easier.

Both of the reflexes listed above fade away by about 6 months. Therefore, it is easiest to start learning to swim just before reaching this age. The older and more conscious the child becomes, the more meaningful actions he performs. Therefore, he will perform any exercises in the pool only if he wants to and understands how to do them. With age, there are already more than various fears that can also interfere. For example, the fear of diving or the fear of being in the water without the support of the mother, that is, to swim on their own.

Based on all of the above, the mother must decide for herself when to start working with her child, since this can potentially be done from birth.

Modern parents are fond of all sorts of techniques with which you can start developing your child from an early age. One of the most popular destinations today is baby swimming. To teach your baby to dive, you don’t have to buy a swimming pool, you can conduct elementary lessons at home, in the bathroom. To do this, you only need a hat and a circle around your neck. Swimming for babies is fun, healthy and improves motor skills.

Not many people know that little children can swim perfectly from birth. They can hold their breath and dive, have fun splashing in the bath. This trend is explained by the fact that the baby has an innate reflex, because in the mother's womb he was in a liquid medium for 40 weeks.

The ability to swim disappears 3 months after birth. Pediatricians recommend doing certain exercises with the child while bathing so that he does not lose his skills to stay afloat. In addition, baby swimming is very beneficial for children's development.

Why swimming is good for babies:

Regular water procedures are useful for anyone, especially young children. This allows the body to more easily learn to relate to temperature changes.
Systematic exercises contribute to the formation of a beautiful and even posture, strengthen the spine.
Doing exercises at home in the bathroom helps maintain normal hemoglobin levels.
Diving leads to the fact that a small part of the water enters the baby's nose. This is an excellent prevention of the common cold, and such a “washing” also removes allergens and bacteria from the mucous membrane.
After bathing, the baby's heart rate improves.
If you teach a child to swim from a very young age, in the future he will not be afraid of open water.

Teaching a small child to swim at home in the bathroom and dive is not such a difficult task for parents. Try to adhere to the recommendations presented as much as possible and you will be able to get the maximum benefit from the classes.

Helpful Hints:

Swimming in the bathroom at home: exercises for babies

Many parents believe that teaching young children to dive is difficult, requires a lot of nerves and is not at all interesting. It should be noted that this is absolutely not the case. Here are some exercises.

Tremors. Hold the baby firmly, bring him in a circle to the edge of the bath so that he learns to push off.
Turn baby over on tummy. The cap and circle must be removed. Hold the baby by the chin, let him splash.
Now we need to teach the child to swim. The starting position is exactly the same as in the previous exercise, without special attributes (circle). We put one of his favorite toys in front of the baby on the water so that he reaches for it.
After the baby is already able to swim in a straight line, you need to teach him to change direction. This exercise can be performed with or without a circle. While bathing, draw a figure eight in the water with your child.
Gently lower your baby's body up and down, while holding him by the chin. You don't need a circle for this exercise.
Now let's move on to diving. This is the most difficult part of the lessons. Parents are afraid that their child will suffocate. However, it is worth noting that a baby from birth can perfectly hold his breath, he just needs to be reminded of this. Come up with a keyword such as "forward" and abruptly lower the child into the water for a few seconds. Of course, the first few days the baby may cry, but then he will get used to it. 10 days of such bathing and you will be surprised how much the child's attitude to water will change.

Contraindications

Unfortunately, not every child can be taught to stay on the water. Such exercises have their own contraindications:

congenital heart problems;
the period of a viral disease;
convulsions and other nervous disorders;
problems with the musculoskeletal system.

As you can see, baby swimming is fun, educational, and rewarding. If you do not let your child forget these skills from childhood, in adulthood he will have problems with the fear of water, he will feel great in this environment.

You are unlikely to meet a child who is indifferent or negative to water. On a hot summer day, it is almost impossible to pull a baby out of a pond. This is not surprising, because the resulting sensations are radically different from those that can be experienced in the bathroom.

Growing up, your child wants to be independent. Therefore, sooner or later you will wonder how to teach a child to swim. In fact, this process is not so complicated, because the ability to swim is given to children easily.

You are unlikely to succeed in teaching a child to swim in a year. But this period is the most suitable in order to adapt to the water. The most favorable period for learning to swim independently is the age of 4-7 years.

The main mistake made by parents when learning to swim

Before teaching a child to swim correctly, it is important to understand the main mistakes that many parents make. The main mistake is that they try to explain to the baby how to stay above the surface of the water.

Dad teaches his baby not to be afraid of being underwater by diving with him

They tell the baby how to keep his head above the water, how to stretch in the water, row with his hands and flounder with his feet. At the same time, they support the child in such a way that he barely touches the surface of the water.

But how can a baby keep his head above water if he does not even know how to swim correctly? After all, for this you need at least to row your hands correctly. For the sake of experiment, try to stay on the water yourself, moving your legs and arms in a disorder, or simply being without movement.

Using this method, you will teach your child to swim for a very long time. Therefore, first of all, you need to teach him to feel confident underwater. After all, if he is afraid to be under the surface of the water, then his movements will be constrained, and the desire to swim is unlikely to be strong.

Many children are simply afraid of the depth when they do not feel support or just the bottom under their feet. Ultimately, they simply begin to be afraid of the depth and there is no longer any talk of learning to swim.

Little girl learns to swim in special inflatable swimming sleeves

But the sleeves will support him on the water. In addition, it will be possible to move away from it a little. The child will feel more independent seeing you from a distance. The sleeves do not hinder movements, the baby can easily paddle with his hands. In this regard, an inflatable vest is less preferred. But it provides almost complete security. Even an inflatable ball can be used as support.

Where can you teach your child to swim?

The child receives the first swimming lessons in infancy, lying in the bathtub. To do this, it is enough to put the baby on his back or tummy. He will instinctively begin to flounder with his legs and arms. In infancy, the little one feels comfortable in the water, because he spent nine months in the amniotic fluid.

Little boy in a swimming cap and goggles learns to swim in a paddling pool

At a young age, it is better to teach children to swim in the pool. Ideally, it should be located at the children's health center. In such a pool, the water contains less chlorine, it is softer. Over time, you can move to the adult pool, but limit yourself in time so that irritation does not appear on the sensitive skin of the child. The advantage of the pool is that the baby can be accustomed to the depth gradually.

Often small children are not taken to the pool. This is motivated by the fact that they are not yet able to ask for a potty. It is also important to consider the temperature of the water. If it was not possible to sign up for the pool, then the bathroom is also suitable for obtaining basic knowledge of swimming, which can be fixed on high water.

At 4-5 years old, you can safely move into the pond. But you should prepare means to ensure the safety of the child on the water. In the process of bathing, in no case be distracted! Always keep the baby in your field of vision!

Teaching a child to swim with the help of the game

When learning the basics of swimming, it is best to use games. The duration of classes is selected taking into account the physical characteristics of the child. It is important that he has enough strength, and the exercises themselves are attractive.

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The following main types of exercises can be distinguished:

"Float". The child, having taken a breath and holding his breath, should sit down under the water. Let him clasp his legs bent at the knees and press them to his chest. Due to the air in the lungs, it will float;
"Asterisk on the back". The child, standing waist-deep in water, should spread his arms to the sides and gently lie down on the water. Divorced arms and legs will create a kind of star. The ears and part of the head must be submerged in water;
"Asterisk on the stomach." The child, holding the air, should lie on the water with his hands up. At the same time, his face should be lowered down;
Leg exercise. Holding on to the side of the pool or your hands, the child should begin to make intense movements with his legs, creating as much splash as possible. A foam board can be used as a support. Under the influence of the force created by the working legs, the baby will swim. This will make him even more interested.

After mastering these exercises, you can move on to the hands. At the same time, support the baby under the chest. When learning to swim, be sure to ensure that the baby does not hold his breath and breathe evenly.

Given the fact that many children flirt and simply do not have the strength to swim out of the depths, it is important to teach them to relax. To do this, teach him to dive under water. Holding your breath allows you to make it more even.

As you can see, teaching a child to swim is not so difficult. It is enough just to be patient and approach this process consistently. It is important to interest your baby, then you will not have problems in the learning process.

Ekaterina Morozova

Reading time: 11 minutes

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Staying on the water is a useful skill for every person. Therefore, many modern parents strive to teach their baby to swim in the first months of life. In this regard, they have many questions: “Is it harmful for the child? What is the best age for a child to start swimming? Where is the best place to do it”, etc. That is what we will try to answer for you today.

Video: Baby swimming in a home bath

To the question "Is swimming good for newborns or not?" there are different answers. The older generation insists that this cannot be done. “The pools are dirty, which will exacerbate atypical dermatitis. And in general - you should not dip a small child into the pool and force him to hold his breath for a long time.
But still many pediatricians believe that swimming is very useful for babies:

Video instruction for new parents: Swimming newborns

Swimming for newborns - when and how to start classes?

You can start teaching swimming to kids from 3 weeks of age . By this time, the umbilical wound had completely healed, and the child had already become accustomed to the environment a little.
It is best to start acquaintance with a large body of water in a regular bath . Classes can be done on your own, but if you are afraid, then invite a specialist home. Remember, during classes, you must feel confident, otherwise your fear may be transmitted to the child. Because of this, he will behave restlessly in the water, or even get very scared and begin to be afraid of water.

Water temperature and lesson time for teaching babies to swim

For the first water procedures of a newborn water temperature should be at least 34-36 degrees C . Loan gradually the temperature can be lowered. However, children under 3 months are not recommended to swim in water with a temperature below 32 degrees C.
During classes, the child should feel comfortable. The water should not be too warm, because then the baby will not have the desire to move. Therefore, for each child, the ideal water temperature is selected individually, depending on his behavior:

If during a dive baby starts crying and does not calm down for 3 minutes in the water, then the water is most likely cold for him;
If during a dive a child starts crying but then quickly calms down and begins to actively move the legs and arms, which means the water temperature is optimal;
If in the water the child behaves relaxed and passive means the water is too warm.

For babies up to 4 months, the duration of classes in the water should not exceed 15 minutes, then the time spent in water can be increase daily by 10-15 seconds.

Basic swimming exercises for newborns; a photo

It is necessary to start each swimming lesson from vertical immersion in water. Raise and lower the child several times into the water. Be sure to talk with the baby during classes, as well as maintain eye contact. After the baby gets used to the water, it can be transferred to a horizontal position.

Basic swimming exercises for newborns:

Swimming for babies: diving

Diving is an integral part of teaching a baby to swim. Having correctly taught him this exercise, you will be calm when the baby plays in the water.
You need to learn to dive gradually, in several stages:

After the child has mastered swimming in the bath and he is six months old, you can safely go to the pool. There should be classes together with specialists who are always ready to help you.