Admin 05 Aug 2024
Taking your infant to the pool when they are too little to walk could seem foolish. Yet, playing in the water and sliding through it can have so many benefits.
When your baby kicks, glides, and slaps in the water, billions of new neurons are created in their bodies, stimulating their body in a way that is entirely unique to them.
Doctors usually advise parents to keep their infant’s distance from chlorine pools or lakes until they are six months old due to their sensitive immune systems.
However, you don't want to hold off on introducing your child to the pool for too long. Infants who wait until later to get their feet wet typically have lower strength and unfavourable attitudes toward swimming.
Younger children are less resistant to trying a new skill such as floating on their backs which can levitate stronger muscle growth.
Here’s a guide of potential benefits of infant swimming:
- Swimming may improve mental performance. Your baby's brain develops more quickly when it performs bilateral cross-patterning movements, which involves activity of both sides of the body to complete an action.
- Cross patterning movements develop neurons throughout the brain but particularly in corpus callosum. This makes it easier for communication for all the different parts of the brain. They receive improved inputs and modulate one another.
Later, this also helps –
- reading ability
- language acquisition
- spatial communication
- Swimming can boost self-confidence. Infant swim lessons include activities such as Water play, music, and skin-to-skin contact with parents or caregivers. Youngsters start to learn how to work in team as they engage with the instructor and parent. These factors, along with the enjoyment of picking up a new skill, might raise your baby's self-esteem.
- Increases quality time between the infants and caregivers/parents. A parent swimming with their child allows one-on-one bonding time, even if you have more than one child. Identify professionals who give swim lessons. During a class, you and your child are solely focused on each other, making it a great time to spend together.
- Increases muscle strength by benefitting the baby from swimming time when they are still developing critical motor skills and control. Infants develop the muscles needed to hold their heads up, move their limbs and engage their core in coordinating their legs.
- Because of the increased energy from all that swimming lessons, you could notice that your child sleeps better after a swim session. If taking a nap after spending time in the pool is part of your schedule, you might need to fix your bedtime on the days when swimming is scheduled.
- Nothing fills you up faster than spending a whole day at pool/ beach and newborns are no exception. They use a lot of calories from their physical exertion in the water and the energy reduced from their small bodies to stay warm. Your baby's appetite will most likely grow following frequent swimming time.
- Never leave a newborn or infant alone near a body of water, whether a bathtub or a swimming pool. Remember that a toddler can drown in as little as one inch of water is critical.
Conclusion:
Your baby gains confidence from swimming they can apply outside of the pool. Because they will have taken swimming lessons together with their parents/caregiver, he or she will be able to socialize with other kids and adults.
As they get older, toddlers who continue their classes form bonds with their swim mates. Swimming is an enjoyable sport for youngsters as water is crucial and both instructors and parents should always take the necessary precautions.
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