What does baby swimming teach us?

Believe it or not, babies are real teachers to parents, especially when they are in the water with mom and dad - when they swim and enjoy it together!

In the water, babies take us back to the beginning. They remind us that small steps are actually a big step forward. That PATIENCE, although sometimes very demanding, carries with it a compass of security. We all know how much effort it takes for the baby and us to get ready to leave the house, especially if we go to baby swim lessons. If we organise ourselves well and plan it on time, everything can be easy, and believe me, patience and the time you invest in it will definitely pay off!

Baby swimming brings back the MOMENT and PRESENCE to the parents.

There is no rush in the water, especially in baby swim lessons. All moves we make in the water should be light and gentle, so a gentle touch and a gentle voice, both of the instructor and the parents themselves, are very important. Every moment spent with the child in the water, from the earliest age, makes a unique experience for the whole family and gives colour to the emotions related to the aquatic environment. So don't miss yours.

Baby swimming brings back the FOCUS to the parents.

During baby swimming lessons, parents "have no right" to be distracted by other things and sounds. Water and baby swimming "require" mom and dad to be involved in every single move their child makes. Why? Because in that way, the parents will be more relaxed in the water, and the baby as well. You will have the opportunity to enjoy it with all your heart and body together with the little ones, while you are learning about baby swimming. Based on the decades of my experience, I can immediately tell when parents are relaxed and when they are not, because babies are the ones who show me that right away, even from the moment they enter the building. Trust me, babies can feel everything, your touch, your movement in the water, your voice and attitude…

Baby swimming reveals how powerful a TOUCH in the water can be as a communication channel in growing up.

For children who are born prematurely or are for some other reason separated from the mother at birth, baby swimming "makes up" for the moments they missed. Skin-to-skin contact with parents during baby swimming is a moment that children remember no matter how small they are. Water and baby swimming remind parents of how important the feeling of touch can be in growing up. Simple movements made while swimming with a baby create future swimmers, but also a safe childhood. Every touch in the water carries its own water story about baby swimming, which is unique. This one is hers.

She was born prematurely. After spending two months in the incubator, her parents managed to touch her for the first time. When they finally managed to take her in their arms, they did not let her go. As soon as the baby started to suckle regularly and made a progress, she "jumped" into the water. Her Mom and Dad didn't want to miss a single hug or touch with her… That's why they started with family swimming which, in a way, made up for the missed moments of cuddling. The water made every contact with their daughter feel like a blessing. At the age of six months, the baby strengthened her embrace during the baby swim lessons, and thus the family bond became stronger. Today, the pre-school girl is still swimming and enjoying the water!

Baby swimming gives us a chance to take care of ourselves and others.

SMALL is BIG.

In the water and in baby swim lessons, everything that seems small to you is actually big. That’s the truth. Baby swimming reveals to parents that little things work wonders in the water. It happens in practice that children learn how to swim before they learn how to walk. It was the same with my Little Shark and Little Fish, because they have been in the water since they were four months old. Yes, baby swimming, and swimming in general, gives you a different perspective of growing up. Every little bubble made in the water gives big impulses to the lungs. Small dives we make in the water widens our horizons. Every little stroke brings a big distance closer. Baby swimming gives children, from the earliest age, an apparent recreation, but in fact it teaches them a great life skill.

One morning, a dad came to the pool with a prematurely born little girl. He complained about the posture of the baby's head and her neck and that they were unsuccessfully waiting for and making an appointment with a specialist. After three months of baby swimming, she had the best posture of all babies, and we all forgot about the specialist!

The rhythm in the water is a key to how the babies will connect with the aquatic environment and with their parents…

Baby swimming offers the family a LIFE SKILL from an early age - swimming. Baby swimming gives "wings", but also strengthens the roots of every family! If we take up swimming, it can play a special role in the life of every child and the whole family. It is a "virtual battlefield" and an opportunity to grow by mastering the various disciplines that water and swimming bring along, but also the opportunity to connect with the life values carried both by the family and society in the water and near it. Children need both roots and wings. Baby swimming gives them both. They get strong roots from a strong connection with the water from the earliest age, while their "wings" grow through the expansion of their horizons, while learning from a reliable person, mom and dad… who introduce them to the aquatic world!

Uroš was the most relaxed baby in the class, because his mother had a relaxed attitude and voice which instilled full confidence in her child that he was in the right place… I have heard from her recently and she told me that Uroš still loved swimming and that he had started competing and winning medals, as well as attending every swimming training with the same zeal and smile…

Baby swimming has the power to improve the lives of children, families, from an early age! The positive emotions related to the moments spent in the aquatic environment of the parents with their baby remain forever. So, swim and enjoy swimming with your child from an early age.