My daughter loves the water! As I reflected on some time spent with some other mothers and their children at the pool today, I thought I would share some swimming advice.
*First of all, expose your child to pools at an early age (preferably before they are old enough to resist).
*There are some great products you can get for the pool for young children. You can get swimsuits with pads in them and inner tubes that are made specially for babies (many with canopies over the top to shade from the sun). Also at Target and Babies R Us, they have floaties that have a chest piece that keeps the head from going forward.
*Don't project your fears onto your child. Teach your child important safety rules at the pool but don't overemphasize the worst case scenario (e.g. drowning). You can be cautious without scaring your child.
*Be considerate of your child's fears. If your child is terrified, help her work through her fears one step at a time. It can be scarring to a child to throw her in to help her overcome her fear. Start slowly. Let her experience the pool with you. Then work on her holding on to the side. Then work on moving a foot or so away from you. Assure your child she will be okay and don't force her. Praise her for her accomplishments.
Being in the pool should be fun! Enjoy the bonding time with your child!
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