Most people enjoy water. But babies really love it! It’s easy to understand why – considering that they spent the first 9 months of their lives in liquid. Babies usually love their bath time and splash and play in contentment.
Babies are very accustomed to the liquid environment so they are comfortable in a pool and can generally easily learn floating and simple swimming skills very early on.
Parents can encourage them to be a water lover and nurture their comfort in it.
Make bath time fun. Leave enough time for baby’s bath time. Don’t make it a rushed time that you dread – or they will learn to dread it. Have everything prepared and laid out so that you aren’t rushing around to have what you need during and after their bath. Help them to relax and enjoy water play. This can also help to ease the child into bedtime.
Put stress aside. Don’t be stressed or angry during their bath time. Remember that your emotions transfer over to them and they may associated them with the environment they are in when you’re angry.
Use new water. Always use warm, clean water – never water that other children have bathed in. It’s just not very inviting and is definitely not the best practice for cleanliness. Also make sure there is no soap or shampoo in the water as it can irritate little eyes.
Set a calm tone. Create an environment conducive to relaxation by playing soft music in the background and eliminate harsh lighting around them. You can sing songs as part of their play and be gentle bathing them and moving them about.
Teach in the tub. Growing out of the newborn stage (and into the tub) is the perfect time for introducing babies to other water activities. You can hold up their heads and mimic the float position in the tub and even play peek-a-boo with them by putting your own face in the water. This will encourage them to try it too. Pouring water over their heads is a great activity that is fun for them and prepares them for the first stages of swim lessons. Start slowly and be consistent in doing this and it will not startle them.
Build on it. The skills that you teach them at bath time become the foundation that swim instructors will build on when your young one begins lessons.
While you may not give them their love of water, you can encourage their love of it and comfort around it with your actions. Some of these items are quite simple, but remember that you’re using some of your baby’s most basic instincts so it shouldn’t be complicated.
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