baby swimming for a 13 month old

[Fodders]

took dd (13m) to the pool today - am exhausted now as she spent almost the whole time trying to "run" out of my arms....I had my work cut out trying to keep her safe. Particularly when she had a tantrum as I was taking her in a direction she didn't want!

I've been sticking to a no-floats-or-armbands policy as instructed by a baby-swimming teacher when she was 6 months old (we did a few classes but not at the moment). I think the idea of no armbands is that they should learn to hold onto you / the side of the pool until they can really swim. She's getting better at holding on, and is starting to hold her arms out and splash in a swimming-style action.

Anyone got any baby-swimming tips for this age?

ta in advance, Fodders

I've heard the advice about no armbands too - because they just learn to bob about without actually needing to do any swimming action. In fact they put them in a funny position which isn't right for swimming. But (courtesy of a wonderful mumsnetter) my dd has just got one of those swimming cozzies with built in floats around the tummy, and I must say it's brilliant. It isn't so floaty that she can actually float without paddling her arms and legs. If she does nothing she goes gently under or rolls onto her back! But it does give her more independence than if I was holding her and she loves it and is gradually getting the idea of swimming a bit. She is 2 by the way, but I know some people who've used these when their kids were much younger and have got on really well with them.

I think otherwise you have to resign yourself to chasing the nipper round the pool. If they are bent on independence I would imagine they will learn pretty fast to swim!! My own dd would have just stayed happily sitting in my arms till she ws 10 I think!

pidge where did u get that costume?

and can u get them for 12-18mnths?

im desperate

i need to try her swimming to help her stop screamin when i bath her. any other help for her very first swim outing would be helpful.

oh and what ar dd ds dh?????

mary

Fodders, is your DD used to going underwater? Having taken 2 children through baby swimming I'm trying to remember what we did at around 13 months.

Sitting them on the edge, saying , ready, go! and lifting them up off the side, straight under and up again. When they are used to this, you introduce "turn and hold on" after dunking where you turn them back to the side and put their hands on the edge. The theory being that, in an accident, they learn to turn back and hold onto whatever they've just fallen off.

"swim breath swim" where you hold them out under the arms in a swimming position, in front of you and facing you, and you walk backwards across the pool. You say " ready go" and dunk them under, walk backwards, lift them up saying "up and breathe", watch them take a breath and then start again. Blowing on their face encourages them to take a breath if they don't do it on their own. The theory behind this one is that they learn to take a breath when their head is above water. This can give them vital extra seconds for someone to save them in an emergency.

I'll try to dig out my old swim guides towork out what DSs did at that age. DS2 is 3 3/4 and can swim 10m unaided so it's been well worth it :)

marysavannah, DD = Dear daughter, DS = dear son, DH = dear husband... there's a whole list somewhere.

I've seen the swimming costumes in many of the usual baby catalogues.

hi. thank u so much

do u know if mothercare or asda or something sell them??

thanx

Your best bet is a sports shop rather than a baby shop. Mine have both had the floaty jackets - son number 1 can swim without it now (2y11m) and number 2 is really getting going with his (15m)
ood luck and have fun!

Mothercare sell the jackets, as do ELC and Boots. I got mine for about £25. Buy one in a bigger size than you'd expect, because they are rather snug.