Introduction to the Pool
Position Matters
Hand Positioning for Parents
When holding baby in the water, it is essential that you find a position that both supports baby and is comfortable for you. Your hands should always focus on supporting the head, neck and spine and keep baby’s face out of the water as much as possible. You can use your legs and body to support and steady your arms while you hold baby.
Hand Positioning for Baby
Back Float :
Babies can either hold their arms out to their sides or they may put their hands behind their head to make ‘wings’.
Upright or On Their Front :
Encourage baby to move their hands around in the water, help them reach and pull the water as you play with them. Encourage them to scoop up the water with their hands. Splash them with water and teach them to splash you back.
As babies get bigger you can have them reach through the water for toys. This will encourage them to want to move forward in the water towards an object. The beginning foundation steps to help aid future swimming techniques.
Legs / Feet Positioning for Baby :
Leg positioning will vary depending on the age of the baby. Very new babies will still be a bit curled up. This is okay. Around 10 months of age you will be able to start working with a baby’s leg and feet positioning in the water. At this point you can help, as much as possible, to encourage the older baby to keep their legs straight but if they wiggle their legs around don’t sweat it. In contrast with other programs, we don’t want to encourage kicking at this point because we want children to learn to relax in the water. Maintaining a relaxed feel in the water in the first few months of practice is essential to building the baby’s confidence.
Body Positioning for Baby
When introducing baby to water it is important to start good habits from the beginning. You can run your finger along their spine to encourage them to keep a good straight position while on their back in the water. Most importantly, make sure their chin is up and does not touch the water. A straight body position will help them be more buoyant, making floating easier. This position also strengthens baby’s stomach muscles.