CHILD DEVELOPMENT GETTING BABIES STARTED IN THE WATER
Getting your baby used to water early is important from a safety point of view. It’ s also great fun! Since all babies originate from the watery environment of a mother’ s womb, the sooner the baby is placed in water after delivery, the easier the transition will be for the child. Babies have not been pre-conditioned to fear water hence the baby is more likely to be inhibition free, enabling him / her to become confident and relaxed in the water.
Parents used to be advised to wait until initial immunizations had taken place before taking their babies to public pools; however health experts no longer believe this to be the case, so it is really up to you when you start taking your baby into the water.
Early childhood development in the water directly relates with the overall mental and physical development of babies. In recent studies, it has been discovered that movement and exercise increase the efficiency, function and size of the important memory and learning area of the brain. With water being a natural environment for babies, movement and exercise in this setting creates an ideal environment for development. Furthermore, being in a body of water, a great example of gravity, allows for the babies’ brain to learn more complex things. Gravity stimulates the brain to activate the neck muscles so the infant raises his head, which allows the baby to become more fully aware of his body and the environment around him. The pressure of the water over the entire body also helps to stimulate the nervous system, helping the child experience their body using all of their senses.
In the warmth of the pool, similar to the environment of a mother’ s womb, babies will positively connect the familiarity of the water to their own safety. However, noisy public swimming pools may be daunting for your newborn, so searching out quiet facilities or more quiet times in the facility schedule, semi-private or private programs with small class sizes will increase your baby’ s comfort level. Swimming classes can emphasize the importance of the bonding between the parent and child, as well as the social connection that will occur in the class environment.
Babies feel and respond to everything. The pool provides babies and children the opportunity to experience new situations and therefore grow their competence and self-esteem.
Lauren Sanbrooks and Kelly Paley of We Teach Swimming( WETS).
Tips for helping your baby become comfortable in the water:
• Make every bath time( right from birth) a fun and relaxing experience. Let your baby explore kicking and splashing. Move them gently through the water on their back. Get them used to having water on their face by gently squeezing a sponge of water over their head or using a colander to“ make it rain”.
• Blow bubbles in the water – this helps show babies what they should do with their mouth.
• Visit the pool when it is likely to be quiet, maybe asking a friend with a baby to come along too!
• In the pool, make sure you keep the baby’ s face close to your own and maintain eye contact.
• Be animated and upbeat – Every experience in the water should be positive and fun. If your baby is accidentally splashed, react with a big smile and praise and move on to a different activity. If you freak out about it, your baby will pick up on the negative and learn to fear getting his / her face wet.
2013 Okanagan4Kids. com Baby & Toddler Guide 17