Teaching infants to swim has a positive effect on their body. Physical activity in water improves digestion, induces appetite, strengthens muscles and joints. Swimming skills in children are preserved from the moment they are born. Before birth, the baby swims in amniotic fluid in the womb, so he will be familiar with being in water up to 3-4 months of age.
Instructions
Step 1
Swimming should be started no earlier than 2 weeks after the birth of the baby, when the umbilical cord heals. Classes should be carried out with increased caution, since the head of a newborn child is heavy in relation to other parts of the body, then it must be held by the chin so that the baby does not take water in his mouth.
Step 2
During the first lessons, you need to immerse the child in the water on his back, starting with the legs, and slowly drive through the water in different directions. Then you can try tummy swimming. From the age of one month, you can start holding the breath, immersing the child's head in water to the level of the nose for 5-8 seconds, and also increasing the time spent in the water, but not more than 5 minutes.
Step 3
The water temperature can be lowered with each swimming lesson, gradually from 37 to 31 degrees (0.4 degrees every month). When the baby reaches 1 year old, you can lower the water temperature by 1 degree every month.
Step 4
Independent swimming in the pool should be taught from 2 months, while the child should be able to row with his hands and master the skills of holding his breath. In order for the acquired swimming skills to be not in vain, classes in the water should be at least 4 times a week, and in the pool - 2 times a week.
Step 5
It is necessary to engage in swimming with the child, focusing on his mood and behavior. Activities in the water should be fun and enjoyable for your baby. When conducting classes with a child, it will not hurt to communicate with him, say how to move and explain to him that he is swimming. If you teach a child to swim from infancy, he will grow healthy, and the body will withstand many diseases. Swimming also contributes to the development of thinking and orientation in the baby.
