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Mini Moonsailors
Travel gear for Kids |
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Teaching Your Children to Swim
It’s a good idea to introduce babies and children to water as young as possible to help build their confidence in readiness for swimming. Here’s a few tips on teaching your child to swim…
From about 6 months, babies can venture into a public pool for the first time (provided they’ve had the necessary vaccinations and are otherwise healthy). Many pools and leisure centres have special areas set aside for baby swimming or offer special sessions for mother and baby / toddler swimming. Check with your local pool for details.
Make sure baby is wearing a waterproof swim nappy or try a baby wetsuit (with floats built into it) or a ‘My First Swim’ set: see www.minimoonsailors.co.uk/shop.
Swimming with Toddlers and Older Children
At most public pools, children under 12 will need an accompanying adult and should be closely supervised at all times. Make sure the child knows how quickly the pool’s depth increases and aim to keep them in a shallow area where they can touch the bottom easily. Consider using flotation aids to help build up their confidence: armbands and floatsuits are ideal. You can find plenty of online advice on teaching your child to swim but there are also numerous swimming courses available, many of which are free. Check with your local council first for details.
Generally there is a sequence of learning stages when teaching your child to swim – for example, blowing bubbles under the water, breathing, kicking, and finally learning the strokes and putting it all together.
At the Beach
Swim vests and armbands are ideal to aid flotation for smaller children. Older siblings might prefer a swimjacket – these typically contain a set of floats which can be removed individually as the child’s swimming confidence increases.
Useful Links:
Swimming Teachers’ Association: www.sta.co.uk
Amateur Swimming Association : www.britishswimming.org/
MiniMoonsailors : www.minimoonsailors.co.uk/shop
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