This is the Skill Every Baby Can Master

15th March 2018

By Lucy Wyndham

Babies cannot walk, talk, or care for themselves, but they can learn to swim only after a few days they’re born! BabyCentre UK tells us that babies can be introduced to the water as early as six weeks old, though most do not begin swimming lessons until six months old across the UK.

This is because humans are naturally able to manoeuvre in the water. However, many people avoid learning to swim from fear of the water. Introducing an infant to the concept early helps curb this fear and fosters a love of being in the pool.

Babies Take to it Naturally

It is perfectly natural for a human to be in the water, and playing in water is a terrific early sensory activity for babies. Life begins in liquid for nine full months, so there is little reason to keep baby away from it after birth. Children will better enjoy the environment if they are continuously immersed in it, and will not develop the aforementioned, unnatural fear of swimming. Further, as babies age, they enter a stage during the toddler years where they are afraid of many things in a world they are struggling to control. If the baby is around water all the time, the fear of water is less likely.

Early Swimming Keeps Baby Safer Throughout Life

Teaching small children to swim helps keep them safe in case of an accident, such as slipping into a pool. Any family with a youngster at home must have a safety fence with a lock on the pool, but not every family that has a pool has the responsibility of a child. Children are fast and make quick getaways in a split second. An unguarded pool is a temptation, and a possible fatal attraction, for a child. Teaching baby to swim as early as possible helps keep little one safe if a fall should happen. Of course, children must always be watched around a body of water and never left alone to swim, but the level of safety does increase for a child who knows how to tread water.

Teaching children to swim in a pool is also safer than using a natural body of water. A pool’s chemistry is perfectly balanced to reduce bacteria, which makes the children protected from microorganisms often found in nature. Furthermore, the rules of these structures are made clear at an early age, so children will grow up understanding how to be safe around every pool. Between the chemical regulation and likelihood that children will see numerous pools in their lives, teaching a child to swim in this environment is a wise choice.

Enjoying More Places

The worry of a parent is a universal concern. Many new parents may avoid the beach or local pool because baby is simply too young to be around the water. However, a family who teaches the child about water from the beginning has more options when it comes to outdoor family time. The confidence that comes with teaching a child how to act in different environments helps a family enjoy a wider variety of bonding experiences.

Children who know how to interact with the water have less fears about swimming, are generally safer, and have richer experiences at a younger age. Babies take to the water naturally. When accompanied by a parent or guardian, young children have a terrific time during water play.