Swimming/water awareness
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26010
Printed Date: 09 September 2025 at 10:42pm
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Topic: Swimming/water awareness
Posted By: JessDub
Subject: Swimming/water awareness
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 9:14am
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We want our son to be a waterbaby so he can hang out with Dad in the weekends and go surfing etc.
Should I be taking him to water/swim lessons from an early age to get him used to water do you think? Or is 6 months still too young? ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: monikah
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 9:23am
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our boy will be getting used to the water from 6 weeks with me and DH and swim lessons/water confidence lessons from 6 months. i think its a great idea, the drowning rate is so high now and if you leave it to late some kids grow up scared of the water. my dad has a yacht and DH wants a little fishing boat which is why we are starting so early. lol ------------- 
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Posted By: RBsMama
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 9:25am
Hi, I know the local pools here in chch having swimming lessons for babies starting at 6 months. I've been told that it's due to the chlorine levels and the 5 months imms that 6 months is the earliest you should start lessons in public pools. I can't wait until my DS is 6 months, as we'll be taking him.  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: crakars
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 9:26am
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We wil be taking ours to water babies at 6 months - never too early i say -------------  http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 10:05am
| We started swimming lessons at 6 months (but went to the pool from 3 months) and will be starting out 5th term soon. Daniel loves it and is such a water baby and gets really excited when I ask him if he wants to go |
Posted By: JessDub
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 10:50am
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Thanks ladies, we're in - should be fun! -------------
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Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 11:48am
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Swimming lessons are fun!
You can also introduce bubbas to water on their face quite early (like 12wks old) in the bath - say 1,2,3 and on 3 drip a bit of water on their face. They quickly learn to anticipate the water coming on "3" and close their eyes etc. You can increase the amount of water up to a cup etc as they get used to it. I found this great preparation for swimming lessons. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 5:49pm
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We've just started taking C in our pool in the past week, he LOVES it. I'm really hoping he'll be a water baby too as I grew up loving swimming and the water but DH didn't (neither of his parents swim).
Thanks for the tip about getting used to water on the face in the bath DJ, great idea! ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 6:10pm
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Issy started swimming lessons at 3 months (its the earliest you can do it in Auckland) .. hence to say she is really good around water now.
Elias (who will be a winter baby) .. will probably start later, just due to the fact he will be a winter baby, but we know all the "drills" and we can probably do them in the bath with him at bathtime. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 6:10pm
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Swimming lessons are fun but really expensive and not really necessary at such a young age, you could just make regular visits to your local pool. Of course you miss out on contact with other parents that way. Swimming lessons only actually become necessary at an older age, like 3.
Are you a member of any of the clubs in Singapore? |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 7:17pm
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C started just before 6 months .
By the time she was 3 she could swim without being held onto and could dive 8 ft underwater, she could do forwards and backwards rolls under water at 4 - i didnt learn til I was 10 . Shes my little mermaid ------------- 
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Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 20 April 2009 at 7:28pm
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We started Maddi in swimming lessons at the beginning of the year (she would have been about 10 months) She loves it!!! She is the smallest in her class but is by far the most confident.
We did it for 1 term and are taking a break over winter (its cold and would end up cost heaps) We are hoping to take her swimming ourselves (now we know exactly what to do) and hopefully get her back into it next summer where she can really start to lear to swim. Keira has always been shocking around the water, couldn't go to the beach for a whole summer because it was too close to the sea. We started her at the beginning of the year too and I was really impressed how quickly her confidence has grown. Really like DJ's idea!! I would say definitely go for getting them used to the water really early, even if you take them into pools yourself - at 6 months it is just to build up confidence anyway. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 21 April 2009 at 12:50am
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Best part about C being confident in the water, I don't have to hold onto her all the time , I watch her , of course, but she swims in our local pool from the shallow end to the deep end,dives off the side, all over the place.
Im going to have to get used to actually being NEEDED in the water soon ! how will I cope ! 
A few people that have seen her in the water assumed she was 9 because of how confident and good she is (can do freestyle etc) *is proud * -------------
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 21 April 2009 at 1:41pm
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Jake loves the water I took him to the pools from 5 weeks. The imms thing didn't bother me coz he wasn't getting them anyway.
He taught himself how to blow bubbles in the bath (I thought he was farting rofl it was hilarious) and he 'swims' up and down the bath very excitedly. He adores the pools and kicks and floats and wants me to let go  i love having a clever child!-------------   
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 21 April 2009 at 3:49pm
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Same .....I hope Tyler is too .
Althhhoooouuuugh , the baby pool at our local pool is nice and warm , so perhaps actually having to be in the water with him , wont be so bad -------------
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 21 April 2009 at 4:25pm
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LOL wuss -------------
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 21 April 2009 at 4:55pm
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haha, I know , i hate cold pools ,takes me half an hour to get in ! -------------
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