Planning for Introducing 6-8 Month Old Baby to Water Activities

I don't think we can think of a 6 month old as taking swim lessons. However, I call it the same thing. My son and I are doing the same thing in May and he is now 6 months. The requirements are 6 months of age at the pool I am going to. All the class is, is to make the babies more familiar to the water, which I want to do. I was a swimmer my whole life and feel that the sooner the better. I am planning on having him wear a shirt and board shorts with a hat to keep him less slippery. Best of luck to you and I hope you have fun, that's what it is all about!

hi S.!
i am a former competitive swimmer and swim coach, and i just introduced my 6 month old son to the water! we are taking a mommy and me class and he is doing so well with it. we sing songs and splash around and he is dunked under the water once. he's a little surprised by the dunk, but does not cry, and each week he is getting more comfortable and relaxed in the water. it's a joy to see! we are going to a wonderful swim school called "splash" in san ramon, but i am familiar with other classes in the bay area that take infants, if you need further recommendations. most of these school offer indoor pools that are heated to about 90-95 degrees, which is perfect for babies. if swimming outdoors, i think sunscreen is important and probably a hat, too.
don't worry about baby being too slippery to handle. it's not an issue.
i think it's wonderful that you want to introduce your baby to the water early. the longer you wait to do so, the more of a chance there is that he'll be afraid and protest.
there had been some recent controversy lately about the "dangers" of introducing babies to the water too early. my take on it is this...no child is safe near water whether they've had swim lessons or not. it's up to us as parents to keep our eyes on our children at all times. introducing you son to the water now will simply help him to enjoy the water, but at the same time, help him to develop a healthy respect/fear for it.
hope that helps and have fun in the water!

Fantastic! I am a former swim instructor and I have taught mommy and me classes and toddlers. As some mommy's said before, it is not really a class for learning as more of an introductory to the water and a wonderful bonding time for you two.
I don't think 6 months is too early, and if I had access to a pool I'd be taking my 4 m.ol. in now. They hold their breath in the water, it's a natural reflex.
You can buy the little swimmers diapers, and Landsend.com has cute swim suits that fit over diapers.
I would definitley recommend if you are in an outdoor pool to get the shirt with the UV protection, I think it's a body suit too. I would be more concerned with the sun than the harm of the pool water!
Have fun, and remember they are not water safe until they are much older.
Oh, and he won't be slippery. Just don't lotion him up before you go in, also the UV protection body suit will make it easier to hold him.
You can start formal swim lessons at age 2 at Anderson's in Pacifica. She's been there for over 25 years, and there is a 6 month wait, so get there early.

Hi S.,
My daughter, now 10 months old, and I have been taking swim lessons at the American Swim Academy. They 3 locations. Fremont, Dublin, and I think Hayward. We have been going for a few months now and we love it. They initially get you both used to the water and then proceed to teach them how to hold their breath and then onto learning to grab the wall and pull themselves out. Believe it or not, the babies really pick up on what to do. My daughter immediately kicks to come up when I dunk her and reaches for the wall. She is almost climbing out, but isn't quite strong enough yet. As for when you can take them in the water, our doctor told us 6 months. I think the earlier you get them in it, the less likely they will develop a fear. Just don't push anything. If they don't want to do something, just let them hang out.

Hi S.,
I did a baby and me swim class with my oldest. Not so much for "swimming", but to have fun with him. I also wanted to be comfortable holding him in the water. It was fun!

Hi,
I've heard 6 months is youngest suggested because it can be VERY dangerous if babies swallow large amounts of water (in baby-swimming lessons they used to do that) that's very unlikely if you're holding him. I have a sunshirt that's extra SPF protected. I've also heard of wash-in sun protection that stays in for up to 20 washings. (Sorry I can't think of the name of it). We're very fair so I'm probably more sun-paranoid than most people, but long sleeves AND sunscreen AND a hat are all great ideas. If the baby isn't naked, he shouldn't be too slippery.
Have FUN!

My son was 9 months old when I finally got around to getting him in the pool, and I to this day I wish I had been able to do it sooner! We are extremely fair skinned, and I was very satisfied with the Water Baby infant sunscreen; all he wore was that and a washable swim diaper, and never once got burned, even after 40 minutes in the pool! At first I was terrified that he would slip out of my grasp, but was surprised at how easy it was to hold him and we both had a great time! I also had a floating thing that he sat in when he wanted a little independence, but it wasn't covered. I've since moved from the apartment complex that had a pool, so we haven't found a place to swim yet, but I'm looking. Above all, have fun! Our pool memories from last summer are some of my most treasured!

Hi S.,
Personally I would wait at least a few more months. Babies can start learning to swim, to some extent, but why the rush? Often when children learn to swim at a young age, they are not nearly as self-sufficient in the water as they or we believe. My almost five year-old has been taking swim classes for about nine months, and after just a few months he had caught up with the kids in his class who had started in mommy and me classes years before. I'm sure there are kids his age in other classes who swim at a higher level, but he will catch up (we're not exactly gunning for the Olympic here!). There's no reason not to take your son into a pool now and again to get him acclimated to water, but why lessons? However, to answer your question and put my personal opinions aside, I checked the website for where my son takes swim lessons, and their mommy and me classes start as young as two months. All they do in those classes is sing songs and "create a nurturing aquatic environment" by playing some games, and theneventually teaching parents how to submerge their babies. At 18 months (14 for "more active" kids"), kids can start to sort of learn to swim (still with a parent in the pool). They kind of learn to dog paddle a bit with fins and goggles and they make balloon faces and then put their heads in the water. At 36 months, the kids can graduate to "real" swim lessons. The place has an indoor pool (the pool is used for nothing but children's swimming), though, so sun is not a concern. Also, please keep in mind that babies need the water pretty warm (80 degrees plus) to be comfortable. In the sun, I would put him in a wetsuit looking SPF protection suit. You can find them online. Make sure they specify the level of SPF. The rash guard (short sleeve shirt w/ mock turtle neck)we got for our son is SPF 50. The brand name is Xcel. We used it in Hawaii and he did not get a sun burn. We did not need to apply any sunscreen under the rash guard except around the edges in case it moved.
K.

I took my daughter when she was 6 months old to the community pool for baby swim lessons. At that age, you're really just getting your baby acclimated and used to being in the water. The lessons take place in the shallow end of the pool and the instructor will work closely with you. You will be holding your baby the entire time in the water, and it is not a slippery as bath time b/c soap & shampoo are not involved. The cold water is usually what babies don't like the most. If it is really sunny, a wet suit or rash guard shirt along with sunscreen will help protect your baby's skin. Otherwise, a swim suit/diaper and sunscreen should work fine.

Hi,
I started swimming class with my daughter when she was 7 months and she loved the water. It really didn't "teach" her much but gave us some great memories while we were playing in the class with her other classmates.
She didn't use any floating device during the class (I just held her) but she did wear a sun bonnet and lots of sun screen along with a swim diaper under her little bathing suit.
I will be signing up my son (who will be 6 months when the classes start) and I cant wait!
Enjoy the class and have fun!

Good reading for your question...
http://www.babycenter.com/408_when-can-my-baby-take-swimm...

I started taking my son in the pool at 5 months. By 7 months he could "swim" (the same action as crawling on land) back and forth between my husband and I. Now, at 2, he dives in from the side, circles back to the wall and climbs out, gets rings from the bottom, and can swim about 20 feet on his own. I think the early start has everything to do with his current level of comfort and skill with the water.

We never did a mommy and me class because we had access to a pool on our own and I felt quite comfortable swimming with him, but the class will give you a chance to introduce him to the water under the eye of an instructor, so the anxiety piece can be avoided.

Good luck and have fun!!!

T.