Taking your infant/toddler swimming

I remember taking my daughter Isabella swimming for the first time when she was a few months old. Predictably she didn’t enjoy it at all! She disliked bath-time so I thought she might not like the pool. We also took her to the beach when she was about 4-5mths old, and of course she didn’t like that either.

But still I persisted with taking her to the pool occasionally. Gradually she started getting use to the water. Then when she was 15mths old, I started taking her swimming regularly after we moved and found a great indoor leisure centre nearby. Now I take her swimming once to twice a week and she really enjoys it. She’s even mastered the small water slide at our pool now! (While I watch her like a hawk and catch her at the bottom so she doesn’t go under!)

I thought I’d share some tips/ideas on what’s helped me help Isabella get more confident with her swimming and enjoy it more.

Some kids are real water babies. For others, like my daughter, its best to ease them into swimming. Maybe start by taking them once a week/fortnight and start off by being in the water with them for 5-15mins until they start getting use to it more.

If your infant/toddler is enjoying their swim sessions, then make it a regular time each week to take them swimming. It can provide them with a sense of security if they know when they’re about to go swimming.

I don’t have my daughter doing swimming lessons as I don’t feel she’s quite ready for it and wouldn’t get the full benefit from it yet. Though swimming lessons with an instructor is another great way to build their self confidence and skills in the water. And its a good way to build your confidence too, knowing they’re getting taught by a professional. So once you feel your baby/toddler is ready to be taught how to swim, then definitely consider booking them in for lessons.

Bringing water toys can help your child enjoy swimming more. Isabella loves bringing one of her toy balls to the pool. It makes it more fun for her carrying and splashing her ball around the pool, and she also loves throwing it to me now. Toy buckets and beach toys are other fun things that can be taken to the pool.

These can be great to increase your toddler’s confidence while swimming too. Start off by hanging onto your toddler even when they are supported by the floaty. If they’re enjoying it, let go and see if they want to have a kick on their own! It can also leave your arms free for a moment to give you a short break from holding them. But always remember to keep your eyes on them no matter what.

Kids can build up quite an appetite being so active! Isabella is usually starving after swimming for half an hour. So make sure you bring plenty of snacks that are ready to eat once they get out of the pool.

Even as your infant/toddler does become more confident in the water, never take your eyes of them. Babies can drown in just a few centimetres of water. I’m never more than a few metres away from Isabella even when she’s only in 10-20cm of water (she’s about 88cm tall) in the toddler pool. I’ve only just started letting Isabella go down the little water slide at our pool ‘by herself’. I’m still right behind her as she goes up the 4 steps to the top and I’m there to catch her at the bottom of the slide (its too deep for her at the end of it anyway). Just taking your eyes off them for a few seconds is enough time for them to get into trouble. There should be lifeguards at most pools, but that doesn’t mean they replace close supervision by parents.

I bring two towels for Isabella - one to drape around her as soon as she gets out of the pool (keeps her warm, especially now leading into Winter) while we walk to the change rooms, and one to dry her with once we get into the change rooms. The first towel is usually pretty wet by the time we get to the change rooms, so its nice to dry her off with a completely dry towel before she gets dressed.

When we get into the change room after swimming, I usually dry and change Isabella first and strap her into the pram and give her something to eat while I get dressed. That way she can’t run out of the change rooms while I’m getting changed.

So I hope that helps with anyone thinking about taking their little ones swimming! It really can be a fun time for both you and your child. I have a ball watching Isabella in the water now. She’s come a long way from the anti-water newborn she once was!

Happy swimming!