Photo credit: “yellow toy duck swimming ” by Nick Harris is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
If you’re a swimmer yourself, chances are you want your baby to learn to love the water as much as you do. Although your child won’t be ready to start learning formal swim strokes for several years, even a newborn can get accustomed to being in the water. (But do check with your paediatrician before you begin.)
You can help get things off to a good start by making a gradual, low-key introduction to the water.
– Start in the bathtub. Don’t make bath time strictly business. Provide fun bath toys and get your baby used to playing in the water, splashing around and getting wet all over. You can even join your baby in the bathtub and play together.
– Be prepared when you head to the pool. Minimize stress by taking water toys, swim nappies, a towel (with a hood) or terry-cloth robe, snacks or a warm bottle, and moisturizer to apply after rinsing off.
– Make sure the water is warm enough. Babies can’t regulate their body temperature as well as adults, so the water should be about 32°C. If your pool doesn’t have a special baby and toddler pool and the water is cooler, you’ll need to get out and warm up every 10 minutes or so, or if you see that…
