Water babies - more for us?

[newmumabouttown]

I’ve completed a term of water babies and did a photo shoot today. I felt very…uncomfortable, during it. I really do think it’s more for the parents. I am not sure the babies will really learn anything, and I think water confidence can be built without going underwater. The babies all just seemed a bit shell shocked, and I worry whether it was 100% safe.

Ours loved it. If you're not comfortable with it then don't do it. They can start swimming lessons at 3 if that feels better to you.

If you aren't enjoying it and neither is your baby, then there is absolutely no need to do it. I don't know of any babies who actually learnt to swim at Water Babies / Aqua Tots. Mine really learnt to swim when they started going to proper lessons on their own (age 3+). The baby swim lessons are imo just for fun, getting them used to the water, to tire them out a bit.

I think infant self rescue courses in countries where people have pools in the back gardens can be life saving, but they involve more than Water Babies etc and seem quite cruel (to me) if you don't need them.

It is more for the parents and I stopped for the reasons you state. On the other hand my son did teach himself to swim aged 4 and he swam underwater first- so I think it may have worked! It certainly didn't seem to do any harm.

The only true purpose it serves is as a social thing for you. If you like and they like it then continue but if you either of you aren’t feeling it then quit and save the money. They don’t have the muscle town to properly swim before aged 3-4. A bit younger and survival skills can be taught like rolling onto their back if they fall in but it’s not swimming and it’s never a substitute for proper supervision. Water confidence is never a bad thing but you can get that taking them swimming yourself.

If you aren’t enjoying it I’d stop, there’s not a huge benefit at that age, other than building confidence in the water but you can do that by taking them swimming anyway.

If your baby likes the water you can always try a baby swimming class that doesn’t focus on going underwater. We do one at a local leisure centre that’s much cheaper than waterbabies and DD seems to enjoy it (although I don’t think or expect it to teach her to swim - it’s just for fun and being familiar with the water). I have never dunked her underwater in this class. I find the class is a bit more relaxed than going to the open sessions where there are lots of older noisy kids on the water as well.

I personally would recommend water babies. My baby loves it but I can already see the benefits of it after 8 lessons. He has started to push himself back to the surface on release under water swims and hold on the side well. He’s only 15 weeks old. Next week we are moving to vertical swims so no matter which way they land in the water, they can make their way up. I know he’s not learning to “swim” yet but I do feel it’s giving him skills/reflexes which could be life saving. It’s also given me confidence to have him in the water and I’ve overcome my own personal fear of going under water as the instructors have also guided me (without applying any pressure).

Wish we'd saved our money! We stopped after a year (baby started at 4 months) as none of us were enjoying it and we couldn't see any progression. Took DD to the pool occasionally as a toddler/preschooler for fun. She started lessons in Reception and is now aged 8 and a great swimmer.

Both my DDs have loved Water Babies, they both started aged 6m. They enjoyed them and so did I. Lots of exercises and ways of using toys that I wouldn't have thought of doing, and it was a great bonding experience. We did other lessons with another private conpany and a couple of different council pool lessons, and WB were the best. We would also do a weekly swim with DH so you can do family swims as well as lessons. I'll have to stop my youngest DD's sessions in September though as she will be going to preschool.

I stopped water babies after about 6 lessons. I saw my sons face underwater and he looked distressed. He was 5 months old.

We've started again age 3 with Turtle Tots and it's so much better and kinder!

I found Water Babies quite militant and way too fast paced. Plus the photos cost a fortune.

Yes I deeply regret doing it. When my DS started he loved being in the water but the classes made him afraid of swimming pools. We stopped because he would cry nonstop until out of the pool. It took us a year to get him over the fear of swimming pools.

I stopped for the same reasons. It was just a social thing and I worried about the risk of secondary drowning + likelihood of catching colds etc. It made absolutely no difference to dcs ability to swim and the felt very uncomfortable treating the dcs almost as a toy doing something so against my instincts. It seemed almost to be using them as a prop. Horrible!

I did it and had no concerns as such but not sure ds got much out of it. It got me out of the house though which was good at the time!

nobody I know continued with it after going back to work so unless you want to do that and really see your baby progress I think possibly a bit pointless.

I then started ds at regular swimming lessons aged 4ish, he learnt to swim just fine I don’t think we can credit the water babies sessions tho!

We did turtle tots initally for first 10 months until I returned to work after mat leave and then moved onto water babies as it was the only one that was available working around my work hours, and stay with water babies until dd was about 15 months, only quit as cost of living meant I couldn't afford to continue.

I did regret having to cancel as my dd loved her water sessions.. she became very confident in the water and was fine under water etc. It was much hard to find time to continue in my own time on a regular basis due to session availability around working hours and weekends just being packed. However having gone to the classes it did give me ideas of things I could do with dd when we did manage to go.

I would just take them yourselves at your local pool for fun - a lot cheaper too. At this age it’s just like any other baby group - for the parents really! They’re not going to learn to swim yet. Then start lessons when they’re older.

Did water babies during Covid as was the only class open. Started very young, around 12 weeks i think. As soon as rules relaxed started taking her to local lessons at the leisure centre, same type of class just half the price. She is now almost 4 and in the preschool group, is very confident in the water, will go under with no issues, can jump in and also knows safety skills.

DSS on the other hand has never really done any swimming classes, he is 10 and still hates going under water and it getting in his eyes.
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DD absolutely loved it, we did it for 3 years, but she did not learn to swim. If anything she was overconfident in the water when she started proper lessons, struggled to swim on the surface (though I was the same as a child to be honest, always under the water rather than on it).

Yes it's 100 percent for parents.

But that's ok if your baby enjoys it