Baby Swimming is the New Swimming Trend

I started swimming so young, I can’t even remember my first lesson. My guess is that I started off in floaties (like most of us) and then ended up getting lessons around age 2 or 3. Which is pretty young. But some people start off even earlier. Lately, even babies are swimming!

Well, not most of them… but enough to marvel and awe at it! I decided to look a little further into this new trend and learn more about it.

What Type of People Teach These Classes?

Keri Tom is a drowning prevention specialist at Infant Aquatics in San Diego.  With a wide variety of training and education, Keri brings many approaches and techniques into her craft.
She is the most well renowned aquatic survival specialist for both the east and west coast in the United States.
Her mission is to spread awareness and training for drowning prevention across the country. Not everyone can be Keri, but many people in this field are very well trained. As they should be. It’s your baby we’re talking about!
 

How Old Does Your Child Need to Be to Start Lessons?

At infant aquatics, the minimum age requirement is six months old. At first, lessons are one on one, 4 days per week for 4-6 weeks.
Then, the child graduates to weekly group lessons for further learning. Some private baby swimming classes even start as early as FOUR WEEKS!
Can you believe that? But even most private instructors want to wait to start until at six weeks. Most “baby and me” classes for mommies and babies start at six months old. They often have classes like these at places like the YMCA and other health clubs. “Whenever infants and toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, practicing ‘touch supervision.’ “
 

How Early Do You Want Your Child to Start Swimming?

Many parents fear that their child will drown. Especially if they buy a home with a pool.
I can understand the desire to start swimming lessons early. My wife loves swimming with my nieces and nephews and holding the babies in the pool while listening to music on my Underwater Audio waterproof iPod.
But I’d feel even more safe with them if they already knew how to swim. How early did your children learn to swim? What are your thoughts on the matter? Share your thoughts in the comments section below: