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Teaching children to swim at an early age helps increase their confidence, safety and enjoyment in water as well as keeping them fit. At Dolphin Club our aim in running parent and Baby Classes includes the following To assist the child in gaining confidence, whilst training the parent to guide their child into having a respect for water and its safety.
For the child to gain balance, propulsion and independence as their physical and mental development allows
For the child to progress from independently propelling itself through the water, supported by bouyancy aids, and to gain the ability to swim without them.
At what age can your child start? We would recommend that your baby be at least 6 months old before starting lessons. By this time the baby should have been immunised and be used to going in a big bath at home. What should babies wear in the pool? Baby swimming nappies/swimming pantse are required and can be purchased on poolside. Please avoid using plastic pants or normal nappies as these absorb and retain the water and will cause your baby to sink low in the water. The chlorination of the pool will adequately deal with the normal accidents and anything more serious is usually detected by the parent before it happens! When not to go swimming Babies should not be taken swimming if they seem even slightly unwell. They should not swim if they have a cold or any nose, throat, chest, ear or eye infection. Iif they have diarrhea or any type of stomach upset. Experimentation At no time do we experiment with babies in the water - throwing in, holding under water etc. Last but not least! It is important to remember that although your child will become water confident, great care and attention must be observed when playing near water. While it is possible to teach toddlers to propel themselves in the water, parents should not expect babies to learn the rules of water safety or to know how to act in an emergency. We hope you find pleasure in sharing this importat part of your baby's physical development.
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