Why teach babies to swim?
March 16, 2022
So why teach babies as young as three months of age to swim?
At The Swim Factory Australia, our passionate, experienced teachers don’t just teach little ones to swim, they’re preparing them for a lifelong journey of self-confidence, achievement, physical development, health, resilience, fun, and adventure.
Children who commence swimming at an early age (we recommend from as young as three months) tend to be happier in the water and are less likely to develop the fear and anxiety about swimming that some older children struggle with.
After three months, lessons in a gentle and developmentally appropriate program, like we offer at The Swim Factory Woodend (Ipswich) and Springfield, can and should be started straight away.
So why teach babies as young as three months of age to swim? Why not wait until they are older? There are so many benefits!
- Young babies accept the water more readily than older children.
- Fear of water is acquired as children grow older. The longer a child is kept away from the water, the more likely it is that they will develop aquaphobia.
- Swimming is a gentle exercise that works the whole body, encouraging your baby’s muscle, lung, and heart development. Although babies are limited in how much they can improve their endurance, swimming has a beneficial effect.
- Babies can exercise more muscles in the water, as they are less restricted by gravity. This increased strength often manifests itself in early acquisition of physical skills like crawling and walking.
- Babies that begin swimming early show long term health benefits in the form of better balance, catching and grasping skills
- Swimming encourages mental development. Babies that start swimming early are up to 15 months ahead of their peers in math, counting and language by the time they start school.
- Early mastery of water movement gives children a head start in learning basic swimming skills.
- The whole family can enjoy swimming together as part of an active lifestyle. With obesity levels rising it is important to establish healthy habits early in life.
- Movement in the water helps improve coordination and balance by forcing babies to move laterally to maintain their equilibrium.
- Gentle exercise, together with warm water, will help your baby to eat better and sleep longer, especially on swimming days.
- The pool is a place free of distractions where you can focus exclusively on your baby. Enjoy those precious bonding moments with lots of skin-on-skin contact, cuddling and splashing.
- Lavishing praise on your child as they begin to master their swimming strokes is great for baby’s self-esteem and independence. Babies flourish with this kind of attention.
- Teaching your young baby to swim isn’t just about fun and development, it’s also about safety. Did you know that drowning is the major cause of accidental death in Australia for under-fives?
To register your interest in teaching your baby to swim and learn more about The Swim Factory Way by securing your free trial lesson.
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