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.
Whether you join our toddler programme after finishing the baby levels, or join us as a toddler ‘newbie’, these lessons are all about building up your child’s confidence and independence in the pool through fun, games and songs, cleverly disguising the basics of swimming technique and safety practices.
The benefits you see from baby swimming are still very prominent at this stage. Lessons are great for building children’s confidence in social situations, it helps their coordination, eating and sleeping habits, and teaches them a skill that will stay with them for life.
Life with a toddler is invariably busy and so by having lessons with us, it also makes sure that your child has regular time in the water, which isn’t easy to do on your own once you factor in other children, work and a million other things on your weekly to do list.
So… what to expect?
Repetition, repetition, repetition!
The majority of the skills your child will learn during their toddler lessons are introduced in the baby lessons and so we take the time at toddler level to practice those skills and perfect them. If you join us in the toddler levels, don’t worry, you can easily catch up as toddlers love to learn new things. There is no fast track way to teach your child to swim and so through repeating and practising an 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. Whilst this can sometimes feel a bit tedious for a parent, it has been proven that this is how children learn best (just think of their ability to watch that episode of Paw Patrol for the umpteenth time!). Toddlers also tend to be wary of change, so in our toddler lessons we build up a familiar structure that little people come to recognise and feel comfortable in. This allows them to gain that all-important confidence and before you know it, they are ready to take their first attempt at solo swimming (be that with woggles, floats or going solo).
Confidence building
It is not unusual for a toddler to be wary or have developed fear of the water; we have lots of parents starting lessons at this stage precisely because of this. Building up a child’s confidence in the water is one of the key aims of the toddler programme as once they have confidence, they are happy and ready to learn the skills they need to be able to swim. We adopt a purely child-led approach to our lessons which means they are never pressured into joining in or doing something that they don’t want to do. Because of this, they can take their time, watch their classmates and then try things out when they are ready. This no-pressure approach also allows them to build trust in their carer and in the teacher, so they are more likely to want to take risks and try out new things. We throw a lot of toys, games, songs and activities into our lessons so there is always something going on to get them engaged too.
Skill development
Throughout the toddler levels, we build on what’s known as core aquatic skills. These are the building blocks to independent swimming, so things like being able to float, tread water and learning how and when to breathe when they swim, all form part of this. Although our lessons may look like a lot of games and play, we incorporate these skills into all of our games and lessons. This all helps them prepare for independent swimming when they are ready.
Give them choice
Toddlers being toddlers, they like to let us know who is the boss (and let’s face it, that is them most of the time!). We sometimes see toddlers go from loving the water, to refusing to do certain activities. To help with this, we try to offer them choices, so for example, let them choose between a blue woggle or a red one, or between a fish and a ball. These small changes give them a feeling of control over the activities and can distract them from their refusal and before you know it they are taking part again. A refusal to take part in something in lesson is no different from children asserting their will outside of the pool and whilst it can be frustrating as a parent, with a bit of patience, consistency and encouragement, we usually see them back to their splashy selves in no time.
Plateaus and Progress Leaps
One thing that becomes more obvious as your little ones grow, is that children don’t learn in a linear pattern. A characteristic of this stage is something we call plateauing; so, your little one could attend lessons week on week and you may see little progress. This can be disheartening as a parent (especially if you look at other children in the lesson who may be doing something your little one is struggling with) but in this plateauing time, they are taking in information and processing it. This often leads to a progress leap where they suddenly gain a new skill or bunch of skills and are eager to show them off to everyone. This makes the weeks of practice worthwhile.
Conclusions
When you consider that 1 in 3 children in the UK between the age of 10-16 cannot currently swim (STA May 2017), getting your toddler in the pool and confident before they even start school is giving them a huge head start. The toddler years offer challenges to both us as teachers and you as parents, but they also offer great rewards. Seeing a confident toddler getting to grips with independent swimming and really loving the water makes it all worthwhile. It is also lovely to witness the friendships that are formed between our turtles and also with us teachers. Practice, Patience and Praise will open the door to some great new splashy adventures!
