Some of the techniques such as 'Humpty Dumpty' and 'holding on' need a swimming pool to illustrate correctly so I've been working on a 3D Swimming pool. I've based it on a cross between where we have our lessons and the baby pool at our local public swimming pool. Both are a similar size and depth (a little less than waist deep).
The bar that the babies hold onto is different though. At some pools it's a kind of gutter, where we have our lessons it's a thick bar (very difficult for a baby to hold onto), and our local pool has the water level so high the edge of the pool is where you hold on. For the model I've used a metal bar.
| Cradled Head Holding Back Floating | |
|---|---|
 |
Here your baby is actually floating on their own. Your hands are cradling them under their head to support them
if necessary. Older babies may be less willing to lie still enough. We were told to allow their ears to submerge. I remember this feeling a little precarious at first. Click for more on Cradled Head Back Floating |
| Sitting On The Side | |
 |
This position is the start of many routines. Your baby is sitting on the side, held by your hands under their armpits. There is a variation in the more advanced lessons, which I will show in another diagram. The first routine using this start position is 'Humpty Dumpty'. Click for more on Humpty Dumpty |
This website is going to be extremely helpful to me and my sixth month old. My husband and I enrolled him in swim lessons at the Y thinking it would be more like Waterbabies and its more of a get to know the water kind of class with harldy any instruction.
I really appreciate all the specific instructions and diagrams. I am going to implement them myself when he is in the water.
Thank you very much for doing this.
Thanks for your feedback Jennifer. Perhaps you will let us know how you get on?
File under:
