Why You Need to Teach Your Baby How To Swim

Many parents are discovering the art of teaching their baby to swim. Not only is it fun for your baby to swim, bond with you, and play with other babies, it is a great way for you to interact with other parents as well.

It was only discovered in the 1960's that babies were able to swim independently underwater. But since then, it has been learned that it promotes self-confidence and personal development - physical and emotional. It gives your baby a calming, zero-gravity environment to move freely where they otherwise could not on land. This is incredibly beneficial to babies with Downs syndrome and cerebral palsy.

The benefits of baby swimming include; increased motor development, social skills and intelligence, increased concentration, alertness, and perceptual abilities, and improved nap time and night time sleep patterns. Babies who learn how to swim have been known to walk earlier as well, due to their increased muscle control.

It's only natural for a baby to feel comfortable and happy in the warm water. You don't have to worry about your child breathing, because they automatically hold their breath while underwater. This is called the "mammalian dive reflex". After all, they did spend their first 9 months in fluid.

If you have your own pool, it is up to you as a parent to decide when you want your baby to start swimming. There is no age limit. They can even start right after birth. Some classes however, ask that you wait until they are 3 months. Others recommend you start as early as possible. But keep in mind, the longer you wait, their confidence in the water decreases. Closer to their first year, they can actually develop a fear of water if they are not familiar with it. You should never force your child to learn if they don't want to. This will only result in a stressful situation for your child which could become a problem later on.

Don't expect your baby to start swimming like a pro right away. It takes time and patience. But even though they can't swim on the water's surface until they are about three, they can swim for short distances under the water with the help and encouragement of their parent. Have an underwater camera available to capture that special moment.

Check with your local community swimming pool to see if they have classes available. You and your new baby will love it.

Cassandra Germsheid is the owner of Baby Tips Online (http://www.babytipsonline.com). She is a stay at home mother but sometimes works part time for her local newspaper.

---

Google News Updated : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:51:38 GMT Report: Christian Bale Confronted Mother After She Insulted Wife - FOXNews ABC News Report: Christian Bale Confronted Mother After She Insulted Wife FOXNews - 4 hours ago AP July 21: British actor Christian Bale arrives for the European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight', in central London. July 21: British actor Christian Bale arrives for the European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight', in central London. Christian Bale's alleged blow-up came after mom bad-mouthed his wife New York Daily News Kin claim they were roughed up by Batman Boston Herald San Francisco Chronicle - New York Times - Los Angeles Times - The Associated Press all 2,153 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:42:07 GMT Viagra helpful to women on antidepressants, study finds - Los Angeles Times Viagra helpful to women on antidepressants, study finds Los Angeles Times - 11 hours ago In a small study, 72% of those on SSRIs -- which can have debilitating sexual side effects -- reported improvement when taking the male impotence drug. Viagra offers help to some women Minneapolis Star Tribune Viagra May Boost Female Libido in Some Cases U.S. News & World Report Wall Street Journal - Chicago Sun-Times - WebMD - Reuters all 433 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:39:02 GMT Grocers stop selling jalapeno peppers after salmonella discovery - Los Angeles Times CTV.ca Grocers stop selling jalapeno peppers after salmonella discovery Los Angeles Times - 11 hours ago By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Southern California grocery stores reversed themselves Tuesday and started pulling jalapeno peppers from their shelves. Salmonella Outbreak Exposes Food-Safety Flaws Wall Street Journal Found: Smoking Jalapeno Washington Post Food Consumer - WRAL.com - KTAR.com - San Francisco Chronicle all 1,315 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:00:46 GMT San Francisco Network Admin Gives Password To Mayor - CRN eFluxMedia San Francisco Network Admin Gives Password To Mayor CRN - 1 hour ago Disgruntled San Francisco system administrator Terry Childs has finally relented and turned over the password to the FiberWAN network he has been holding hostage. IT Career Advice: Passwords Make Bad Hostages eWeek SF Admin Gives Up Keys To Hijacked City Network Slashdot ZDNet - eFluxMedia - SFist - PC World all 101 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:16:36 GMT Many conomists see McCain better for stocks: poll - Reuters New York Daily News Many conomists see McCain better for stocks: poll Reuters - 3 hours ago By Emily Kaiser WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US stock market would fare better in the first year after a victory by Republican presidential candidate John McCain than by his Democratic rival Barack Obama, according to a majority of economists at US banks ... Video: Obama Campaign: McCain Flubs on Iraq Timeline AssociatedPress McCain: 'Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political ... Wake Up America Wall Street Journal - FOXNews - Los Angeles Times all 301 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:37:23 GMT Estelle Getty was a true 'Golden Girl' - Los Angeles Times Telegraph.co.uk Estelle Getty was a true 'Golden Girl' Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago Estelle Getty, who died Tuesday three days before her 85th brithday, may have won her only Emmy Award in the supporting race but she was really one of the leading lights of "The Golden Girls. Video: Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' Dies at 84 AssociatedPress The Golden Girls: Estelle Getty Dies at 84 BuddyTV Washington Post - E! Online - CollegeOTR - Reuters all 968 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:47:51 GMT ESPN begins Sprint Cup telecasts with momentum - SportingNews.com Bleacher Report ESPN begins Sprint Cup telecasts with momentum SportingNews.com - 52 minutes ago By Michael Smith With ratings up for its Nationwide Series broadcasts and NASCAR shoulder programming, ABC/ESPN enters the Sprint Cup portion of its schedule feeling considerable momentum. Menard ready for return to famed Indianapolis Rotoworld.com Indianapolis Motor Speedway is Jeff Gordon's personal playground ... ESPN Howell Times and Transcript - Clutch and Chrome - WTHI - Clanton Advertiser all 151 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:59:22 GMT Clickbank Datafeed RSS to HTML

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Baby Dangers New Parents Need to Know About

This Spring many new parents will welcome new additions into... Read More

Important Features to Consider When Buying a Baby Crib

With all the different features of baby cribs, it can... Read More

How to Buy Infants? Best Educational Toys?

Buying educational toys for infants can be difficult, because infants... Read More

Should a Toddler Wear Pull-Ups While Potty Training

As a parent, you've learned a lot while your child... Read More

Babies Born During The Sign Of Gemini

Your Gemini Baby..May 21 - June 20Gemini children are lively... Read More

13 Donts on Child Safety

For years, we have been taught that 13 is an... Read More

Strange Facts About Babies And Parenting

Did You Know:Men are officially the best at changing baby!... Read More

Preparing A Layette For Your New Baby

First of all, in case you do not know, what... Read More

Welcome an Adopted Baby into the Family with an Adoption Baby Shower

The addition of a new child to a family is... Read More

Baby Shower Favors to Spice up Your Baby Shower

Baby Shower Favors should be at every baby shower for... Read More

Baby Clipart for All Your Baby Shower Printing Needs

Baby clipart is the perfect accent to all of your... Read More

Baby Cold Symptoms and How to Treat Them

Remember how miserable you felt when you last had a... Read More

Will Kids Eat Vegetables? Yes, They Will!

You have made the decision to grow your own vegetables.... Read More

Baby Clothes for Your Baby Shower Gift

Baby clothes are one of the most popular types of... Read More

14 Steps To Reducing Your Infants Reflux

Many of the things listed below will help with your... Read More

Important Car Seat Statistics

Installing a car seat correctly is the most important thing... Read More

Learning Activities For Your Baby

Books and Babies - For babies from age 6 weeks... Read More

How to Choose a Car Seat That Meets The Needs of Your Baby

There are many types of car seats available on the... Read More

Baby?s First Year ? What to Expect

As a new Mom, you are probably wondering about many... Read More

Quick Tips for a Successful Baby Shower

Here are guidelines or quick baby shower tips for hosting... Read More

White Noise and 10 other Soothing Sounds for Calming a Colicky Infant

The crying ? oh, the crying. A colicky baby can... Read More

Baby Shower Decorations

When decoration for a baby shower, there are a few... Read More

The Top 10 Fun Things for Parents and Toddlers to Play With

1. Give your child a spray bottle of water and... Read More

White Noise for Baby Stops Colic Crying Fast

It's true. Colic is MUCH harder on the parent than... Read More

Tips for Discreet Breastfeeding in Public

If you're a new Mom who is nursing your baby... Read More