As a new parent, introducing your baby to swimming for the first time can be both exciting and a little daunting. You may be wondering, “When is the right time to take my baby swimming?” It’s a common question and one that many parents ask. In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about when to start baby swimming, the many benefits of early water exposure, and how to choose the best swimming lessons for newborns and babies to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for both you and your little one.
It might surprise you to learn that there’s no specific minimum age for taking your baby swimming. Water is a natural environment for babies, and many newborns are born with an instinctive reflex that causes them to move their arms and legs in the water. You may notice this during their first baths. However, under 3 months of age we recommend that the water temperature be at least 32c, and only for short periods of time, 15 minutes is ideal.
If you’re unsure or have concerns about taking your baby swimming for the first time, it’s always best to consult your health visitor or GP for reassurance. Additionally, make sure you’re using a suitable swimming facility with clean, temperature-controlled water to ensure your baby’s safety and comfort.
Baby swimming lessons are a fantastic way to introduce your little one to water with the guidance of trained, experienced instructors. For our lessons, babies should be at least 3 months of age before starting, and they should be a minimum 5kg in weight too. We feel that babies benefit more from our lessons when they’ve left the newborn stage well behind them, and are that little more active and alert, and ready to participate in lessons for their full 30 minute duration.
It’s important to remember that swimming lessons for babies aren’t just about learning to swim. Our swimming lessons incorporate songs, games and other fun activities, making them a social and enjoyable experience for both babies and their caregivers. These children’s activity classes provide a playful environment where babies can develop essential early skills.
Baby swimming lessons also offer a wonderful opportunity for other family members to bond with your baby, creating an inclusive and fun experience for everyone.
Starting baby swimming lessons early offers countless benefits for both you and your little one. Here are just some of the reasons to consider baby swimming:
Read more about the benefits of baby swimming.
When selecting baby swimming lessons, it’s important to find a qualified and experienced instructor or swim school. Look for instructors certified by recognised bodies like the STA (Swimming Teachers’ Association) or Swim Ireland, as these certifications ensure the instructor has proper training in teaching infants and understands the necessary safety protocols.
It’s also essential to choose a facility that’s designed for baby swimming, with the right pool temperature and child-friendly equipment. Parents should consider whether group lessons or private lessons are the best fit for their baby. Group baby swimming lessons provide a fun, social atmosphere, while private lessons can work well for babies who need extra individual attention. Ultimately, both options can offer great benefits.
Ready to start your newborn or baby swimming journey?
Learn more about Turtle Tot’s award-winning, child-led swimming classes.
We have baby, toddler and pre-school swimming lessons all across Ireland.
Find your closest Turtle Tots swimming lesson.
It’s a long-known fact that taking your little one to baby or toddler swimming lessons from a young age can offer them many benefits. This includes supporting their physical, social, language, and emotional development, teaching them a vital life-saving skill that, in turn, helps to build their confidence in the water, all whilst giving them the opportunity to do something fun alongside their parent or carer, encouraging bonding whilst creating special, life-long memories.
In this article, we look at the benefits of baby and toddler swimming lessons in more detail, helping you decide whether Turtle Tots is the right choice for your little one.
Swimming from a young age engages various muscle groups, promoting overall muscle development. Right from the first level of our award-winning swim programme, our kicking skills help to strengthen their muscles and improve co-ordination.
Our relaxed armchair swim introduces the concept of floating. Floating and moving in the water requires babies to maintain balance and control their body movements. Therefore, practicing this skill will help to develop better posture and balance.
Any physical activity promotes good cardiovascular health, even in babies. Swimming is an excellent way to improve lung and heart function, as well as general cardiovascular health.
The buoyancy of the water allows little ones to move their limbs in ways that may be difficult out of the water because of gravity. Many of our skills encourage stretching out their arms and legs in different directions, increasing flexibility at every stage.
Overall, baby swimming lessons encourage the development of gross motor skills such as crawling, walking, and running.
Turtle Tots swimming lessons are taught in small groups and many of our activities include some level of group interaction. Group settings provide opportunities for babies to interact with each other, observing and engaging with their peers, developing an understanding of social interaction and communication skills from a young age.
Some of our skills are taught in the round where each child and their parent take their turn to demonstrate their skills in front of the group. Turn taking helps little ones to understand the need to cooperate – learning to wait, share equipment and engage in interactions with other in the pool.
Babies naturally learn through observation. By taking part in a group activity such as Turtle Tots, gives them the opportunity to watch and mimic their peers’ behaviours, helping them to build an understanding of friendly and cooperative actions.
Emotional regulation is a hot topic. When swimming, babies and toddlers may experience feelings of joy, excitement, or frustration as they try to learn a new skill. Learning how to navigate these emotions with the comfort of their caregiver, and in a safe and positive environment will ensure that your little one grows up to be more socially competent.
One of the benefits of baby swimming is language development. Early Childhood Ireland state that, “…infants that were spoken to more often had higher communication scores than those that were spoken to less frequently… language based activity had a significant positive effect on infants problem solving abilities too, highlighting the importance of chatting to babies, even though they don’t necessarily understand exactly what is being said and can’t talk back”. They recommend mimicking your child’s facial expressions and sounds, back and forth conversation, gesturing to your baby and responding to their actions, as well as singing songs, poems or rhymes repetitively as some of the great things you can do to bring on your child’s language skills from day one.
The social environment of an organised children’s activity such as a Turtle Tots swimming lesson, provides opportunities for children to be exposed to language and communication from a very young age. Through the close interaction a child has with their parents and teachers during our lessons, and the skills instructions, games and songs they learn throughout their journey with Turtle Tots, our swimmers will acquire a rich vocabulary of fun and exciting words that they can take with them for life.
The Turtle Tots baby and toddler swimming programme has been developed with water safety in mind. Our aim is to provide children with the vital, life-saving skills they may need to build confidence when they are in or near the water.
Early exposure to water from a young age helps to build familiarity in the environment. This comfort can help to reduce fear and panic if they find themselves in a tricky situation, giving them time to adopt the skills needed or call for help.
Skills like turning onto their backs, floating, or grabbing at the edge of the pool are crucial survival skills. Mastering these can significantly increase a child’s chances of survival in a water related emergency.
At our swimming lessons, we introduce pool and water safety rules within our programme to ensure that every child, and their parent or carer, understands the potential hazards they can face within these environments in a safe and supportive manner. These generally transfer to all water-based activities as they grow.
In summary, teaching water safety and swimming skills to babies lays the foundation for water safety and can help prevent drowning incidents by instilling safety habits and skills from an early age.
Learning to swim at a young age can boost a baby’s confidence and sense of independence through their small weekly achievements. The positive interactions that each child has with our highly trained teachers, and their peer group, helps to develop trust and confidence in a social situation. Feeling comfortable and secure in the water with other children and adults around them, can help a child to overcome shyness or anxiety through social engagement.
Parent bonding plays a crucial role in child development. Our lesson programme, the skills we teach, and the pools facilities that we choose, are all designed to provide the best opportunity possible for a new parent and their little one to enjoy a fun and supportive time together.
The positive interactions they have together at a baby or toddler swimming class strengthens the parent-child relationship. Bonding with their parents creates secure attachment which is essential for emotional well-being. Responsive parenting teaches children that their needs will be met helping them to manage their feelings and cope with stress more effectively.
Bonding with their parents provides little ones with opportunities to learn new words, engage in conversation, and begin understanding non-verbal cues, as well as learning about empathy and cooperation with their parents, their peers and others within their family and wider community.
When a child feels loved and accepted, they are more likely to develop a positive self-image and confidence in their abilities. Taking part in an activity that gives you the chance to encourage and praise your child will help to develop e strong sense of self-esteem.
Now that you know more about the Turtle Tots 6 benefits of baby and toddler swimming lessons, what’s stopping you? FIND A LESSON near you and get started on your baby or toddler swimming journey today.
Connecting with your Baby through Swim Lessons
One of the ways that we as humans connect to one another, is through shared experience, and this is no different for mums, dads and babies. Swimming together offers precious time together, as you support your baby with their coordination, balance, and tend to their every emotion in the moment. This undivided attention and responsiveness to their emotions in the moment, from joy to shock to excitement – all contributes significantly to their emotional development. It can also be a welcome escape from the demands of modern life, and from emails, social media and instant messaging.
As you physically connect by guiding your baby through the water, you foster a deep trust between you and your baby. The physical contact can also stimulate the release of oxytocin, also known as the “love” or “cuddle” hormone, strengthening the emotional connection you share.
Water itself offers enormous sensory stimulation for your baby, which can be both exciting and soothing for them. Experiencing the feel of the water on their skin as they move their legs through the water, the splash as they hit the water from above, and the sight of bubbles, all contribute to your baby’s sensory development.
Regularly attending swimming lessons can offer routine and predictability for both parents and baby. This can be useful for your own stresses and anxieties, helping you to be a more patient, well-rounded parent at a time that you also need to engage in self-care and soothing or enjoyable activities.
Parent and baby swim time is so much more than just an enjoyable past time, it is time that deserves to be prioritised, and protected.
The Science Behind the Mental Health Benefits of Aquatic Activities
Water has been scientifically proven to have calming effects. When we are submerged in water, we are able to move our bodies in a way that reduces physical strain and protects our joints, as opposed to running on a treadmill for example. Swimming is also proven to improve lung capacity and endurance, to the extent that it can even reduce symptoms of asthma. Swimming will not only provide parents with such benefits, but will also help baby to develop strong lungs that may carry long-term health benefits.
The rhythmic nature of swimming; moving our arms and legs in the same fashion repeatedly, is also highly relaxing to our nervous system. It is a very mindful experience, allowing you to focus on the sensations within your body and your breathing, helping to reduce stress levels and anxiety. Not only does swimming provide the physical and psychological benefits of cardiovascular activity, but the slow, controlled breathing that we practice whilst swimming activates our parasympathetic nervous system – the “off-switch” to our stress response. This can be why we feel so sleepy after swimming – not only have we been working our bodies, but we are relaxed!
Water-based exercises and activities can also trigger the release of endorphins – our body’s natural painkillers and feel-good chemicals. This can help us to feel more positive and to feel a greater sense of wellbeing, which can be especially useful for parents who stereotypically put their needs last.
When swimming is done with others, such as during a parent and baby swimming lesson, all of these benefits multiply. Parent and baby swimming can become an activity to actively look forward to, helping to break up the week and improving your resilience during times of stress.
Combating Postpartum Challenges for Mums
After childbirth, many mums experience challenges with their mental health and well-being. Navigating significant changes in hormones, recovery from childbirth itself, adapting to the new baby, and adapting to changes in your sleeping patterns, eating habits; postnatal mental health difficulties are common – and understandable. Swimming has been shown to have benefits for mental health and wellbeing, including for mums with postnatal mental health difficulties.
Swimming with your baby can help to stimulate the production of oxytocin, a chemical associated with social bonding. This may be particularly important for mums who have been struggling to adapt to post-partum life or struggled with bonding. Swimming with other mums and babies by attending lessons can help to alleviate feelings of isolation, at a time that mums may be adapting to their new role as a parent. Feeling this sense of belonging to a community can be a powerful protective factor against poor mental health.
Feeling in tune with your baby and their differing facial expressions whilst swimming can improve self-esteem for mums. It can help improve confidence in your ability to understand your baby and meet their needs. This can be a great morale booster, and lift a mum’s mood and spirits.
The relaxing benefits of swimming don’t end with mums and dads either. The rhythmic movements of swimming, combined with processing their sensory experiences can help to relax babies. This can lead to babies developing better sleeping patterns, which in turn can support parent’s sleep and overall mood and wellbeing.
The physical and psychological benefits of swimming for mums, dads and babies cannot be overlooked. Modelling to your baby from such a young age that prioritising your mental and physical health is essential can help your baby to grow up with an awareness of their wellbeing, and being proactive in taking care of their own.
Every minute of every day, 300,000 nappies are dumped into landfill, incinerators, and oceans around the world. If that wasn’t shocking enough, it takes each of those disposable nappies 500 years to break down in landfill. When they do finally fragment, those nappies turn into tons of tiny pieces of micro plastics that poison our water courses and enter the food chain.
Arguably, having babies is one of the most harmful things a human can do for the environment. Each little bundle of joy and happiness is responsible for adding 58.2 tonnes of Co2 to the atmosphere each year, that’s 10x the average of a fully grown adult. Enough to make any new parent a little uncomfortable about procreation. However, we’re not suggesting a future of abstinence is the way to go. Instead, we’d like to help our parents make some simple and effective choices along the way.
As a national swimming company teaching thousands of babies and toddlers in the pool each week, we are acutely aware of the contribution our industry makes on the statistics above. We take our responsibilities for reducing the environmental footprint Turtle Tots has on the planet very seriously.
Keeping the pools we teach in clean and safe for all our customers is one of our highest priorities. ‘Code Browns’ (or poo in the pool) equals a full pool closure which, in turn, means lesson cancellations, disruption for our customers, and significant cleaning costs. To avoid such occurrences, we operate a strict double nappy system policy which means that all our swimmers must wear a Happy Nappy – a innovative reusable swim nappy that reliably protects against faecal leaks into the water – with a disposable or reusable swim nappy underneath.
Whilst we have actively endorsed the use of reusable swim nappies in the past, many of our customers still opt for the disposable despite them costing around €7.50 for a pack of 10! Historically, reusables come with the reputation of being unreliable and lacking in the convenience stakes, making them a second choice for lots of parents.
But now… after four years in development with leading virologists, our baby and toddler swimwear partners has developed and launched a special silver lining fabric for reusable swim nappy liners that is scientifically proven to destroy pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and E-Coli – the germs that enter the water from our little ones, little accidents.
They decided to create the Happy Nappy Duo – an all-in-one double nappy system which means there’s no need for a reusable OR disposable swim nappy underneath it, helping the environment and making life easier! The Duo fits snugly and has a leak proof outer layer just like a regular Happy Nappy, but inside is a highly effective silver lining which is extremely gentle on your child’s skin, but highly effective at preventing any accidents in the pool.
So there really is no excuse … it’s time to ditch the disposable swim nappy!
Visit our shop to purchase a Reusable Under Nappy or a Happy Nappy Duo today.
Last month the MyBump2Baby podcast interviewed Joanna Wood, our Head of Aquatics. In this episode Joanna talks about the franchise opportunities available and shares some tips on finding the right baby swimming lessons for you and your baby as well as some tip tips to help your swimming lessons run as smoothly as possible. Click here to listen.
Across Ireland, thousands of babies and toddlers are, or will soon be, taking their six-week break from Turtle Tots swimming lessons for the summer holidays. For some parents, a break from routine is a welcome change, a chance to relax and enjoy some much-needed downtime. For others, time away from their beloved parent and child activities can fill them with a feeling of dread.
Firstly, it is ok to feel either, or even both things at once. It is perfectly natural. We thoroughly encourage a break from the norm and hope that all our lovely customers enjoy this time with their families.
However, for those of you who would prefer not to take a complete pause from their baby or toddler swimming journey and would like to continue building on their recently acquired water safety and swimming skills, here are some great summer holiday swimming skills you can practice at home in the bath, or in the pool, until your lessons begin again in the Autumn Term.
Learning and practicing your summer holiday swimming skills at home, at your local pool, or on holiday can be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. However, first, it is important to ensure that the environment is safe and suitable before you get started. Whilst it is much easier to check the cleanliness and temperature of your bathtub and water at home, do make sure that your local pool, or hotel pool on holiday, is adequately heated and treated for your child’s age before you get started.
Skill No.1: SUBMERSION: Getting faces wet.
There are many different ways of getting faces wet which are fun for your baby or toddler. If you have just finished Turtle level, your baby will be familiar with lots of sprinkles and cheek dips so make sure that any bath or pool sessions start with a similar activity. Introducing pouring and sprinkling toys and games is a fun and engaging way to practice this skill.
Mimicking and modelling adults is a great learning technique for children – so why not hop in the bath and show your little one just how happy you can be whilst pouring water over your own face.
With toddlers, get them to pour water over your face then pour it over themselves. Keep smiling and laughing throughout to let your child know just how fun and easy it can be.
For those in Seahorse and above, Underwater Peekaboo will now be a regular part of your warmup routine. In the pool, complete the warmup sequence and Underwater Peekaboo skills to remind your child what to do whenever they are in the water.
Skill No.2 BREATHING: Blowing bubbles.
Breathing is another fundamental water skill that you can continue practicing with your child at home or in the pool.
From the very start of your Turtle Tots journey, we start teaching breathing techniques by blowing bubbles on the water surface. At first, we ask the parents to show their baby their bubble blowing so that they can model them, before encouraging them to give it a go themselves.
Continue this technique independently and practice bubble blowing to whatever stage you are at in your lessons. For example, level one babies may only dip a little of their faces in the water momentarily whereas Toddlers might be happy to lay on the tummies, stick their face in the water and blow bubbles alongside you.
Whatever stage you are at, let your child take the lead and do not attempt to push their faces into the water.
Skill No. 3 FLOATATION: Lying flat with ears in the water.
Practicing floating in the bath or pool over the summer break will help your child immensely when they return to lessons in the Autumn term. Simply taking some time to calmly lay your baby or toddler back in the water will help to build confidence with this skill. Start in a shallow bath for very little ones and then progress to deeper baths as their confidence grows. You can support under the head with one hand to allow little ones the sensation of floating.
In the pool you can float together using a woggle to support you both, like we do at the end of classes for ‘Float Little Turtle’. Little ones who are reluctant to lie back in the water may be happier to relax back with the support of an adult behind them. Older or more confident toddlers may be happy to float in the pool with just your hand supporting their head. If so, see if you can reduce the support a little tiny bit at a time until you are using just one finger.
REMEMBER: Watch out for the righting reflex! Babies may not feel happy to lie flat depending on their developmental stage. So, if your little one is struggling to stay upright then just leave out the back floating until they are ready.
Skill No. 4 PROPULSION: Kicking legs.
Anyone who has completed Turtle or above will know the earworm that is the Turtle Tots kicking song.
‘In the pool we go kick, kick, kick…’
Well, this is a great song to use at home to help your baby or toddler practice their kicking skills. For babies, support your child either cheek to cheek, on their backs, or their tummies, and start singing the song, encouraging them to kick their legs is as much as you need to do at first. For Toddlers, get them to hold on to the side of the pool and kick, swim with an adult and practice kicking together, or even bring a few toys to the pool for your toddler to chase will make this water skill fun and easy to practice.
Skill No. 5 SAFETY: Ready Steady Splash and Holding on.
Ready, steady, splash Is one of the first skills we introduce at our Turtle Tots swimming lessons. It is the first opportunity for us to show our babies what it feels like to enter the water chest first. As babies progress, they also learn to turn around and hold on to the poolside – this skill is the most important safety skill you can teach your child before they can swim independently.
For newborns and very little ones, this skill is practiced with lots of support and with gentle movements but as your child grows, they will be able to complete this skill with more independence.
Be mindful of the stage you are at in your lessons and practice your ready, steady, splashes whenever you go to the pool. Remember to encourage a big lean forward into the water (no bottom shuffling!) If your little one is sitting up securely and keen to lean forward, then let them try a submersion. Stand back a little and let them see the gap between you and they will tell you if they are happy to give it a go. The first moment a baby or toddler submerges themselves from the poolside is a proud moment for both parents and teachers.
We know that our families are set to have lots of fun in the water over the summer and we hope that practicing these fundamental skills will help your children continue to build on their confidence in the water during the break.
Don’t forget our TOP TEN WATER SAFETY TIPS whenever you’re visiting new places to swim during your holiday. But most of all, remember that swimming at home can be a fun and bonding experience for all involved. It’s a way to maintain the skills that they have gained and will only help to develop their strength, coordination, and water confidence for the future.
Happy holidays!
To many new parents, taking their baby swimming for the first time can be a little daunting. That’s why, we encourage all mums and dads to consider signing up to baby swimming lessons rather than going it alone.
At Turtle Tots, we have more than a decade of experience creating the right swimming environments, building a team of world-class teachers, and developing a swim programme that keeps babies and toddlers safe in the water and is super fun.
However, if you do fancy popping along to the pool as a family before embarking on swimming lessons, you might be on the search for some sage advice. So, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 questions that we are often asked by our new customers when they are thinking about starting lessons. Hopefully, the our answers will help you prepare yourself and your little one for their first watery adventure.
If we asked our customers whether they enjoy swimming with their babies the answer would undoubtedly be a resounding YES!
However if we then asked them how much they enjoy the changing rooms afterwards the responses might be a lot less enthusiastic 😉
During the early weeks of our new Level 1 babies starting with us, the sound of the changing rooms after class is usually that of ten hungry and tired babies crying – not a relaxing sound for any new parent. We often see Level 1 customers coming out of the changing rooms looking very harassed!
Fast forward to the end of the first term however and things have usually improved a lot, both carers and babies have got used to the routine of getting changed after swimming and there tends to be a lot less crying. Enjoy this golden time as once babies get mobile things tend to get interesting again…..
Remember getting changed after swimming before your baby was born? Nice hot showers, time to wash and dry your hair, moisturize, put a bit of make up on maybe? Well you can forget all that once your baby gets mobile…. Now you’ll be lucky if you can even dry yourself before getting your clothes on!
1. By far the best thing of all is an additional adult. Babies who come to our weekend classes often bring both mum and dad with them. This means one parent can stay dry and the one in the pool gets to hand over their little one and go off and get changed in peace and quiet – highly recommended!
2. If this isn’t an option (and it won’t be for many people) then don’t despair, it is possible to do this by yourself and remain calm and collected – It’s just a case of some forward-planning.
3. If not already provided, ask the venue or the swim school about a travel cot or playpen, as this makes things a whole lot easier, but don’t forget that babies must always be supervised when in the travel cot.
4. Clothes – think carefully about what you both wear to the pool – loose fitting clothes that are easy to put on and off, this is no time to worry about fashion. Trying to get skinny jeans on quickly when you’re still wet and your 18 month old keeps trying to run away and get back in the pool is not easy!
For babies a babygro is so much easier and quicker to put on than separates – save the cute outfits for another day. Go one further and just bring your baby along in their PJs if your class is in the morning.
5. A poncho-style hooded towel is a great investment for a mobile baby or toddler, you can pop it over their head as soon as you get out of the pool, keeping them warm and dry while you get yourself dressed. Then you can tackle them. It is always a good idea to dress yourself first and your little one last, otherwise they tend to have got themselves, and their clothes, soaking wet on the floor by the time you have dressed yourself.
6. Bring something along to distract your baby while you are getting them dressed, a favourite toy or book is ideal. Try to avoid snacks in the changing rooms as they tend to get dropped on the wet floor and get all mushy and horrible, but a drink in a bottle or sippy cup is fine. Save the snacks to entice your little one out of the changing room once dressed, Yes it’s bribery but it does work!
7. Lastly, treat yourself afterwards if you can – a coffee and chat with friends after class is a great way to restore your sense of calm and equilibrium that you had after swimming, but lost somewhere in the changing rooms – go on, you deserve it!
Little ‘accidents’ in the nappy department can close pools and cause lessons to be cancelled – hugely inconvenient for everyone concerned. At Turtle Tots we insist on the double nappy system – an under-nappy (ideally re-usable) covered by a correctly fitting happy nappy.
However not even the best nappy can replace vigilance on the part of the parent – this is the most crucial thing by far – if you have even the faintest suspicion that your baby or toddler might be filling their nappy then it is important to get out of the water as quickly as possible, check and perform a ‘pit stop’ if necessary before getting back in.
As teachers we are all on the lookout for signs that a baby’s nappy is too small, too big, or starting to show signs of wear and tear and therefore needs replacing. If the happy nappy doesn’t fit correctly or if the Lycra band at the waist has begun to degrade then it will not work effectively.
All our fabulous, colourful Turtle Tots swim nappies are made from soft and supple neoprene (the same material as wetsuits are made of) and the waist and leg bands made from high quality Lycra.
A correctly fitting happy nappy may feel like a bit of a struggle to get on the very first time but it is essential that it is a snug fit – the Lycra band must sit snug against the skin on both the legs and the waist, with no gaping. You should be able to fit a finger comfortably against your baby’s thigh in the leg opening, but no more. The happy nappy should be pulled right up to the top of your baby’s legs before you attempt to pull it up over the under-nappy and up to the waist. The manufacturer size guide is HERE.
The waist band should sit comfortably high, and completely cover the under-nappy. If you find the nappy keeps slipping down then it either doesn’t fit correctly, or the Lycra fibres in the waistband have degraded. You can test this by gently pulling the waistband and letting go, it should immediately pop back and sit snugly against the skin, if there is any bagginess in the Lycra then it is time to buy a new nappy.
To look after your neoprene and ensure the Lycra lasts as long as possible it is important to care for it properly:
If correctly cared for your happy nappy should last until your little one outgrows it, you will find that the medium and large sizes get outgrown quite quickly but once your baby gets into the extra-large sizes they will last a lot longer.
If your little one has just had a growth spurt and needs the next size up then visit our shop and we’ll post you one out ASAP.
Seeing your baby swim under the water is a magical moment for any parent. It’s a special time that you can share with your little one.
There are, however, some important reasons why you should get underwater with your baby and wear goggles when you are there!
Babies’ behaviour is their language, and we can tell a lot from body language if we are looking closely. Babies are communicating with us all the time, below and above the water. We encourage you to bring your own goggles and go underwater with your little one so that you can see how happy your baby is under there.
Without goggles on, or if adults remain above the water, we may miss the subtle signs that can tell us when little ones are ready to progress with their independent swims and stay swimming for a few seconds longer.
Equally we may miss the signs that tell us that baby needs your help to surface straight away. Careful attention to your baby’s cues and communication in the pool is essential for building and maintaining the relationship of trust in each other, and in the water.
So what are the signs that your baby is happy under the water?
Look out for bright eyes, a relaxed face, relaxed kicking and body movement.
And what signs should we be looking for to indicate that baby is not so comfortable under the water yet?
We look out for a cluster of signs (not just one!) including tension in face or body, tongue poking out, arms splayed out or fists clenched and back arched.
Why do I need to wear goggles?
Many parents tell us they don’t need goggles to be comfortable underwater. The goggles are not for our comfort, they can help us accurately see and read babies body language, which is much more difficult without goggles as they are just a blur!
Which goggles are the best for swimming with my little one?
The best goggles to buy are ones with clear straps and lenses, as babies can still see your eyes, rather than mirrored or very brightly coloured goggles which can unsettle them.
Babies get used to seeing you wearing goggles each time you swim, right from the start of their swimming journey, and tend to accept them as normal from the beginning.
Toddlers and goggles
Toddlers can start wearing goggles from the age of around 3 years old, although many other children will continue to swim without goggles for some time to come.
When toddlers start to wear goggles it can open up a whole magical world, when they can see clearly underwater!
We would advise that you let your toddler play and practice wearing goggles in the bath before wearing them in the pool, otherwise you may find you spend the whole lesson putting them on and off!
Suitable goggles for toddlers are available from our Turtle Tots shop.
So… first things first… Our aim from the baby levels is not for your child to master the perfect front crawl before they are 18 months. Our aim is to introduce your baby to the fun, splashy world of swimming in a gentle, child-led way. Through play and building strong trust bonds in the water, children learn key safety skills and take the first steps to learning how to swim. We want them to play, splash and light up when they see the water. If they do this… we have done our job.
In the baby levels we are laying the groundworks for them being strong enough and big enough to take on independent swimming when they are in the toddler or big swimmer levels. Digging a little deeper there are several things that we aim to promote when swimming with babies.
Bonding Time
Firstly, the water is the perfect place to spend some one-on-one bonding time with your little one. It is lovely to have that time away from the distraction of screens, housework and other pressures every week where it is just the two of you. Water creates vulnerability and so babies are even more dependent than they are on land. By tuning into your baby’s communication, you can help to build strong trust bonds between you and your little one. This trust is so important in an aquatic environment as a child needs to feel safe and secure before they will start to enjoy playing in the water and experimenting taking risks. Take time to enjoy this (it really does go by too fast!).
Expect Repetition
As a parent or carer, you may find our lessons repetitive but children love that repetition (think how many times they have watched that episode of Peppa Pig or how they smile when you launch into Hickory Dickory Dock!). A slower pace of learning is optimal for child’s learning as a baby takes 6 times as long to process sensory input. This means that through repeating a skill or exercise, we are helping to strengthen the neural pathway in their brains and the movement becomes more refined and efficient. In short, the more times they do it, the better they become at it. We also use repetition as a way of setting children at ease – they know what to expect and what is coming next, they have a sense of comfort and ease. This again makes them more likely to experiment and take risks which all helps the path to independent swimming.
Modelling
Modelling is another really important aspect of our baby programme. This is basically showing children what you want them to do and letting them copy. By babies seeing someone they know, love and trust doing something such as blowing bubbles or going underwater, they then know that this is a safe and positive thing for them to do and so they copy. We understand that not every parent or carer is confident in water and so our teachers are always happy to stand in and help with this.
Progress to Independence
As your child grows and progresses through the baby levels, we start to introduce progressions towards independence in water (so, getting them ready to be able to swim on their own). This is done in small steps and only when they are ready and ‘progress’ can be anything from mastering a skill after practising it lots, to increasing the time and distance they swim for. It can also be seen through decreasing the amount of support your little one needs; Consider the difference between the forward-facing swim position from level 1 compared to side swim or sandwich swim in later levels. We also start to introduce swim aids (catamarans, woggles and floats) which switches the focus to your little one holding on to something, rather than being held on to. Although our lessons can look like a lot of singing and playing around, we are introducing you and your child to the core aquatic skills that form the basis of swimming.
Underwater Adventures
The underwater aspect of our lessons is always something parents are interested in. This is an important part of our lessons but it is certainly not the focus as there is much more to swimming than being underwater. We strongly believe that submersions should be something your child chooses to do and it is not something that is done TO them. Basically, this means we don’t dunk your babies just like we wouldn’t dunk you! Babies choose to swim underwater when they are ready to (and this can change from week to week!). Through this gentle approach, we find children are much more likely to enjoy swimming underwater, they build trust with their carer and their teacher and they enjoy the water and swimming much more as a result.
Perfect Pace
Underlying everything is the belief that children should be allowed to learn at a pace that is right for them. Swimming isn’t disconnected from other parts of life, so children will do things when they are ready to. Crawling, walking, submerging, bubble blowing, rolling over and splashing will all happen for different babies and different times. Allowing them time to do this, will result in happier, splashier turtles!If you are interested in starting your baby swimming, or would like more information, please go to our website for details www.turtletots.com.
