Shanice Chapman - Comfort Aquatics Parent & Baby Specialist

Swimming for adults is not only a sport that can help with overall fitness, it is very much a low-impact, therapeutic and healing hobby that can have fantastic effects on both mental health and the heart.

For babies, it is just as significant. Swimming supports the natural steps for any growing person in many, many ways; all whilst being a useful life skill!

THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING FOR BABIES

Through gentle, relaxed and creative teaching methods, the list of inevitable benefits for child development, babies and toddlers alike, is long. It helps regulate temperature control, strengthens their hearts, lungs and limbs, all whilst their motor skills improve. Simple actions such as splashing and bouncing also greatly help with vestibular reflex. It is a widely known fact that baby swimming is proven to help with your little one’s eating and sleeping patterns. Rotational movements lay the foundations for all land and aquatic movement milestones; there is no other freeing environment quite like being in water.

In our experience and through independent studies, babies who have swimming lessons show improved motor skills, build strength and balance whislt stimulaing the vestibular system as well as supporting their coordination and sleeping patterns. Don’t foregt that swimming is also incredibly social and helps babies to develop their social skills and build confidence.

OUR TEACHING APPROACH

We know that it is unrealistic to believe that babies and toddlers will go into the water and immediately be able to swim by themselves. That is why at Comfort Aquatics we offer an inclusive, non-competitive, non-judgmental space where adults and babies can learn and connect lovingly in the water. We thoroughly plan fun and safe lessons, with a week-to-week guideline scheme to help illustrate student’s progress. We teach ages ranging from 3 months to 3 years old with courses that progress as the young people grow and develop physically, mentally and socially.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

The simple answer is this; the best way for babies to start to learn how to swim is by building a positive relationship both in and with the water. On-going, positive approaches each week help build and develop a baby / preschoolers ‘feel good’ feeling about themselves.

“THE ART OF TEACHING IS THE ART OF ASSISTING DISCOVERY”

We encourage all our teachers to be mindful of the child’s facial expressions, body language and to allow the child to choose if they wish to participate in an activity or not. It is our job as teachers to promote relaxing and reassuring lessons as we listen, observe and adapt to every child’s needs.

COMFORT AQUATICS PARENT AND BABY SWIMMING CLASSES

Our parent and babu classes are avialble for all parents to enjoy the water with their babies and toddlers from ages 3 months to 3 years. We ask all children to wear the double nappy system, which is a disposable/reusable swim nappy underneath a happy nappy/splashabout neoprene nappy. You can buy these directly on their website or via Amazon etc. The nappy should be hugging the legs and waist.

We highly recommend a splash about baby wrap to wear over top to keep them warm particularly for younger babies, so you don’t have to fight to get their wee arms into the arm holes! For older children the all-in-one suits or the wetsuits are great, as are the baby wraps still.