Little Fishes Swim School starts at six months-old, but there are many things you can do at home to prepare your child for a life-long love of the water.  

Children are not born with a fear of the water. It surfaces in the toddler years. The earlier a child becomes acclimated to the water, the quicker they become comfortable. When a child is comfortable and confident, then they can focus wholly on developing their motor patterns and acquiring the skills they need to swim.

What you can do at home from 0 to 6 months to encourage comfort in the water:

• Slowly drip water on the baby’s face. If they show signs of distress, distract them with a toy or song. Increase the amount of water you drip after they become comfortable with the initial amount. Then you can introduce splashing. Babies love to splash and it provides another opportunity to increase their comfort.
• Fill up the tub and get in with your child. This provides more water sensory stimulation than they receive in a baby bath tub. Our bodies feel very different in the water than air and you want to introduce the unique sensations of moving and balancing in the water. To expose your child to the feeling of buoyancy, hold them lying on their back, face up, with your fingertips behind their shoulders and cup their head in your hands so your child cannot turn their mouth into the water.
•  Keep your attitude relaxed and happy. Babies can sense stress from your facial expressions, body tension and voice. They will react to this.
• Use clean, clear water. Soap and chemicals will irritate their eyes
• Make sure the water is warm (82 – 92 degrees) so the baby can relax and be comfortable.
• Repeat the exercise at every bath time, or at a pool. Consistency and repetition is the key to developing comfort with a new skill.
• When your child turns 6 months old, enroll them in a Little Fishes Swim School - Water Babies class. You will learn water acclimation techniques and other skills to help your child continue to thrive in the water.

Your patience and persistence will insure your little one enjoys a lifetime of safe swimming.