In which pool to take the child. When is the best time to take your child to the pool? Developing a child: swimming lessons for children

In addition, newborns, thanks to swimming, easily adapt to the surrounding reality, three-year-olds will improve their posture, and those who are older will get used to iron discipline.

At what age to send a child to swimming depends mainly on his, and sometimes your desire. You can sign up for the pool at two, four, seven years old. However, swimming lessons will not scare even a baby who is only a few months old. After all, before birth, children literally bathe in amniotic fluid. Therefore, newborns can make the first swims as soon as the umbilical wound heals - in 2-3 weeks.

Up to a year: relieve stress

Classes with babies are held in small groups of 5-6 couples mother + baby. Your baby doll will do the first exercises together with the instructor, but very soon he will become independent and will begin to amaze you with his complete fearlessness, ability to dive and ... communicate with his own kind of little ones! That's right: despite the prevailing opinion that children under 6 months are completely “unsocial”, in such classes, little swimmers are drawn to each other, and sometimes you can even see the spirit of rivalry in them! Needless to say, how much joy such lessons bring to children!

However, a good mood is not the only plus of baby swimming. According to experts, being in the water allows a newly born child to relax, relieves postpartum stress. And, of course, the baby pool is a great way to harden. If your baby is familiar with the water element from birth, on your first joint trip to the sea you will not have to carry a huge first-aid kit with cold medicines. But keep in mind: in order for the baby's immunity to become stronger, you need to properly prepare the little one for the first swimming lessons. The temperature of the amniotic fluid during pregnancy was 37º, and the baby pool - 29º. Therefore, you need to start with a warm homemade bath with 36.6º. Then, day by day, lower this figure to the temperature of the pool. Take your time, make sure that the little one is comfortable. If it seems to you that he is cool, add warm water. Along with the decrease in temperature, increase the time spent in the bath: start with 5-10 minutes, and by the time you go to the pool, bring it up to 30.

However, infant swimming has its opponents. Some experts argue that swimming in the pool is the cause of frequent runny noses and otitis media in very young children. Water that has penetrated the nasopharynx leads to inflammation of the mucous membrane, and if it enters the digestive system, it leads to indigestion. Also, baby diving, which gives a feeling of floating in weightlessness, is fraught with a tendency to dizziness and negatively affects the child’s sense of space and balance.

Protest against such early dives and coaches. According to statistics, none of those who were taught to swim in infancy became in the future not only a champion, but even just a professional swimmer. The fact is that newborn children are held almost vertically in the water and then it is impossible to retrain them. So if you want to see your treasure on a podium with a gold medal - take your time with the pool.

After two: improve posture

Two to three years is the ideal age for swimming. It was at this time that the baby's posture is actively formed, and the load on the spine is removed in the water. Swimming also strengthens bones, is an excellent prevention of flat feet and increases endurance. And, of course, every time, returning from the pool, the baby will amaze you with a wolfish appetite and sleep sound, healthy sleep.

But remember, swimming will only be beneficial if you don't take it too seriously. Experts insist that up to 5 years old, a pool for a baby should be fun. You need to go to practice no more than once or twice a week, but you do not need to teach him to swim. You can show some movements, “carry” the child on the surface of the water so that he feels it and gets used to it, the main thing is to do what he likes! Indeed, at this age, many children are afraid to swim, and only games and fun splashing can destroy fear. Choose a fitness club with a shallow children's pool and a smiling trainer. It is better if you sign up your little one for group classes: even if the crumbs are horrified by the mere thought of touching the water with their heel, in the company of peers, he will quickly cope with his phobias.

Carefully watch the child frolicking in the water. Stop exercising immediately if he has the effect of "marble" or "goose bumps" and if it becomes bluish, these are the first signs of hypothermia. Pull the baby out of the water if he is overexcited, anxious or just tired. Have you noticed that all of the above is repeated often? Be sure to take a break from classes or even postpone the pool for a few years. If at this age a negative attitude towards swimming is fixed in a child, then you will not drag him into the water with any gingerbread.

With all the advantages of swimming in the pool, there are also disadvantages. Even conscientiously purified water can harm the young Ichthyander. This is especially true for children with dry and allergy-prone skin. Any element of disinfection, be it ozone or chlorine, loosens the baby's epidermis, which simplifies the "access to the body" of bacteria, which are enough in most pools.

5 years: raise a champion

If you see your offspring as a world champion in swimming, you should enroll your baby in the pool when he is 5-6 years old. Firstly, it is at this age that children are accepted into serious swimming sections, and secondly, the child is already able to understand what his uncle-coach wants from him. But keep in mind: if swimming turns into a sport, the pool will no longer be a place for fun games for the baby. First three, and then five times a week, your champion will achieve serious sports results. This is hard work, so it is very important for you to support the young swimmer in everything and provide him with proper nutrition. This question is best discussed with a nutritionist and trainer. After all, if the baby is tired or hungry all the time, this is unlikely to have a positive effect on his health and sports career.

Most importantly, pay attention to the mood in which your athlete is going to the pool and returning from there. If your mother's instinct tells you that the child is not enthusiastic about swimming lessons, try to find out the reason. Perhaps he does not have contact with the coach, then you should think about another section and a new teacher. There is a chance that the baby just does not like to swim, but he does not want to upset you. Then forget about your new Phelps mum ambitions and offer the champion something more exciting that will suit him first and not you. In addition, sooner or later, serious training loads will begin to affect the performance of your child. Indeed, every year the requirements for a young athlete will grow, and he simply will not have time to study.

Expert opinion

Alexey Vasin, children's swimming coach of the Velich COUNTRY Club fitness center:

Unlike gender-based sports like hockey or calisthenics, swimming is for everyone, boys and girls alike. The only exception is synchronized swimming, and even then this discipline has become a women's sport solely because of aesthetics. After all, a strong hairy male leg above the water is unlikely to impress the audience. As for water polo, which has always been considered a sport for boys, now girls also play it. So it doesn't matter if you have a son or a daughter. You can safely enroll your child in the pool. But keep in mind that swimming has its own contraindications: congenital heart disease, skin diseases, acute viral infections. Classes should be skipped even if the child has a fever. As for professional swimming, in order to be accepted into the section, the baby must be absolutely healthy.

Looking for clean water

Ozone and chlorine. The era of abundant falling asleep with bleach is long gone. According to current laws, in the pool, especially for children, there must be drinking water! A new word in its purification is ozone. But remember, it alone is not enough. Make sure that ozonation is still followed by chlorination, but the dose of chlorine is reduced to a safe one.

Ultraviolet. As for the fashionable and odorless method of disinfection - ultraviolet irradiation of water, experts advise avoiding it: it is likely that microorganisms are still present in the pool and actively multiply under the artificial "sun".

Silver and copper. Recently, copper and silver ions have been used to disinfect water. The method captivates with the absence of chemistry, but professionals say that it is good for small baths. For large tanks, this method will only be effective if the pool is cleaned 24 hours a day. And this is too expensive pleasure for the budget of any organization. Therefore, be sure to ask how conscientiously the water is disinfected in the pool you have chosen.

When parents notice that their child enjoys spending time in the bath and does not resist water procedures, many of them have a desire to give the child for swimming, but at what age is it better to do this?

Developing a child: swimming lessons for children

It is known that swimming is one of the most effective and safe ways to strengthen and develop the body.

Medicine encourages accustoming children to water and physical activity in it almost from birth. Modern pediatricians and pediatric neurologists recommend starting bathing babies 2 to 3 weeks after birth, as swimming contributes to a balanced physical development of the child, including:

• removal of tone and relaxation of muscles;
• normalization of neurological processes;
• muscle training.

It is important to understand the difference between normal water activity and swimming training. And since the next stage in water training for a child after a home bath is swimming in the pool, you need to know when you can give your child for swimming.

At what age should a child be allowed to swim?

You can give even the smallest child for swimming - a newborn child, and this practice is very popular today. Parents are often sure that an early visit to the pool perfectly develops the child, forms a sports and healthy lifestyle in him, helps to strengthen the body, discipline and mental growth of the baby.

However, familiarizing a baby with a pool is fraught with a number of negative consequences:

• there are no qualified trainers for teaching swimming for babies - at best, the trainer will be a person with a secondary medical education; more often - people without qualifications;
• there is no proven and proven methodology for such classes - most "trainers" teach crumbs according to programs that do not have the approval of the Ministry of Health or other competent organizations;
• swimming during infancy can cause epileptic convulsions;
• the formation of practically irreversible incorrect swimming skills in children (swimming in an upright position, etc.).

Thus, if the purpose of visiting the pool is precisely the development of swimming skills, and not leisure activities, then it is better to wait a few years. And then decide how seriously you want to approach this issue.

There are 2 goals for which parents teach their children to water:

• learning to swim so that the child is “friends” with water and feels confident when traveling to the sea and other bodies of water;
• to make an athlete out of a child - a professional swimmer.

The earliest time from which it makes sense to take a child to the pool and not harm his future is 4 years.

For an amateur goal, there are no other restrictions, you can first come to the pool at the age of 10 or 12, the child will become an excellent swimmer if you choose a good coach and before that wrong swimming habits were not instilled in him. Children with already formed incorrect swimming skills are not so easy, sometimes it is impossible to re-teach even a very experienced teacher.

For sports purposes - the optimal period of 5 - 6 years.

When choosing a swimming center, it is important to pay attention to:

• from what age children are accepted there - if from an infant, then it means that classes are practiced in the institution without a scientifically determined methodology;
• what are the qualifications of the coaches - they must be professional swimmers with the titles of candidates or masters of sports or teachers in the specialty "Teaching swimming"; experience is also important - the more, the better;
• methodology - whether the methodology of the All-Russian Swimming Federation is applied;
• characteristics of the pool - a special pool with a depth of not more than 0.6 m.

In any situation, classes for both amateurs and future sports masters will initially be the same, since the child needs to be taught the basics and consolidated, this is a kind of elementary school. After passing through this stage, the format and methodology of classes will differ.

Benefits of swimming in the pool for children

Swimming has a positive effect on the general condition of the child. In particular, this sport has the following advantages:

• removal of stress, negative thoughts, poor emotional state - improvement of mood, appetite, sleep, peace of mind;
• strengthening immunity and hardening;
• gymnastics for the respiratory system - thanks to the pressure of water on the chest, the child takes deep breaths and exhalations, powerful ventilation of the lungs starts;
• like any sport, swimming develops and strengthens the circulatory and cardiac systems;
• development of motor skills, coordination;
• during classes in the water, compression is removed from the back - the children's spine does not experience the usual load, a straight posture is formed, the child is stretched in growth;
• the work of all the muscles of the body is the most useful physical activity;
• education of endurance and self-discipline.

Swimming is a great addition to your child's training in other sports - swimming will help the baby to successfully engage in and enhance the effect of physical activity.

How to choose a swimming coach for children?

The safety and health of the child, as well as his psychological state, depends on the coach.

Parents should be sure that their children are taught by a person with the following qualities:

• former professional swimmer with the title of master or candidate master of sports;
• a teacher with a degree in swimming coach;
• uses the methodological program in the classroom;
• work experience 3 - 5 years;
• gets along well with children.

It is important that the child is psychologically comfortable during the lessons with the chosen teacher. Parents are encouraged to periodically visit their child's classes and observe how the classes are conducted, as well as just be interested in whether he likes his coach.

If it is difficult for a child to learn from a particular teacher, it is better to change the coach.

Useful about swimming

Tips for parents:

1. 1. Before starting training, go to the pediatrician and make sure that the child has no contraindications for training in the pool:
      • kidney disease;
      • heart failure or heart disease;
      • convulsions;
      • allergies;
      • joint diseases;
      • and etc.

1. After classes, for some time, be sure to work out the baby's ears with ear sticks to remove water that has got into them.
2. Take the child out of the center building with a dried head and in tight clothes.
3. Do not be afraid of a baby's cold at the initial stage of training - the child is hardened, his immunity increases.
4. If the child attends classes without enthusiasm - find out the reason and try to change the coach or the pool itself; perhaps the child does not have enough friends in the classroom, you can agree with the parents of the children you know about joint training.
5. If your child is overexcited in every session, crying, screaming, or otherwise expressing anxiety, it is best to stop the activity or simply postpone it for a few months or years. After a while, you should invite the child to go to the pool again.

Water surrounds the baby for all nine months of intrauterine life and during this time becomes almost a native element for him. Therefore, it is not surprising that many modern parents immediately after birth seek to identify their baby in the pool for babies. The benefits and harms of early swimming are the subject of constant debate between pediatricians and parents. Meanwhile, baby swimming has a long history.

Back in 1939, an Australian named Timerman, on the advice of her doctor, began to take babies into the pool with her. The woman noticed that the baby from the first visit began to literally bloom in the water, and after that it developed much faster than its peers. Soon, Mrs. Timerman wrote a book that became a textbook for all parents who want to practice baby swimming with their baby.

We will tell you in our article about when and how to start classes in the pool with a baby, what benefits can be from this and whether harm is possible for a child's body.

When to start swimming in the pool?

Swimming in the pool with a baby can hardly be called training. It is rather one of the ways of early development of a child, expanding his horizons, developing important skills in him so that he can feel confident in each of the elements. Parents who have chosen this path of development for their baby often face opposition from relatives. The older generation believes that a "dirty" pool is not a place for babies, and acquaintance with it should be postponed until at least three years of age. The main thing that is required of parents is not to deviate from the intended goal and follow the chosen path.

Before bringing the baby to the pool, it is recommended to introduce him to a large home bath filled to the brim with water. This can be done from the 3rd week of the baby's life, that is, when the umbilical wound completely heals. If parents are afraid or feel insecure, they can invite a specialist to the house. Otherwise, the uncertainty will be transmitted to the baby, he may be afraid of the water, which in the future will negatively affect your plans for quickly learning to swim.

Classes in the pool for babies can be started from the age of two months, that is, when he is already fully accustomed to his home bath.

Water temperature and optimal exercise time

An important condition for successful swimming is the selection of the optimal temperature regime of water. Comfortable for babies is the water temperature of 37 degrees. With this value, one should begin the first acquaintance with the pool. It should not be much higher than 37 degrees, otherwise the baby will lie passively and will not want to move. At the same time, too cold water can cause discomfort in the child, and he will start to cry.

Gradually, the water temperature is recommended to be lowered from 37 to 32 degrees, and after 3 months even lower. A kid who is active in the water is in water that is comfortable for him. Swimming pool for babies is enough to visit 2 times a week for 10 minutes. From 3 months, the time spent in water can be increased by 15 seconds.

Easy exercises

Exercises in the pool should begin with vertical immersion of the baby in the water. During bathing, he is lowered into the water several times and pulled out of it. Only after the baby has mastered the upright position, it can be taught to swim horizontally.

The baby pool is the place where you can perform a variety of exercises: both on the back and on the stomach. But you should start learning to swim with the simplest of them:

1. Lower the baby into the water in a horizontal position and, supporting the chin with your hand, "roll" the baby on the surface, moving forward. After a few days, at some distance from the baby's eyes, you can put a duck on the water and during the exercise try to catch up with her.
2. The next exercise is performed on the back and consists in bringing the baby to the side in a horizontal position, from which he will push off like a "frog". Such an activity will be an excellent training for future walking.
3. For the development of the vestibular apparatus, it is recommended to perform the "swing" exercise in the pool, the essence of which is to rock the child in the water, supporting his head under his chin.

Benefits of a swimming pool for babies

Various studies both prove the benefits of a swimming pool for babies and refute this fact.

The benefits of baby swimming are as follows:

• The baby pool is an important stage in its physical development. It has been proven that babies who have been swimming with them from the age of two months get sick twice as less, all signs of muscle tone, rickets, anemia disappear, they begin to crawl and walk earlier than their peers.
• Swimming stimulates metabolic processes in the body, strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves sleep and appetite.
• A gradual decrease in the temperature of the water in the pool contributes to the hardening of the child, the formation of the body's resistance to temperature extremes.
• Swimming helps to strengthen the musculoskeletal system and the formation of correct posture.
• From a psychological point of view, swimming lessons bring the parent and child closer, establish a close emotional connection between them.

A child who has been swimming since childhood will never experience fear of water as an adult and will maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout life.

Harm of infant swimming

Recent European studies prove the harm of indoor pools for the respiratory system of children. According to confirmed information, the risk of respiratory diseases in children who have been swimming in pools since infancy is several times higher than in those who did not. All the harm of the pool lies in dangerous chlorine compounds, which enter the body of the baby through the respiratory tract or through the mouth, accumulating in it and causing dangerous diseases.

The baby pool should be sterile, but since chlorine is dangerous for an unformed respiratory system, it is recommended to treat the room with ultraviolet light and quartz sand filters. When choosing a pool, you should pay close attention to this.

1. To avoid "unpleasant surprises" in the pool, purchase special diapers designed for swimming in the pool in advance.
2. Swimming in the pool should be in a special rubber cap, which is desirable to purchase for a child if necessary. This will help make swimming as safe as possible for babies.
3. Swimming pool with a baby is recommended to visit in the morning. At this time, the water will be cleaner than in the evening.

Diving in the pool

Diving in the pool is a logical continuation of swimming lessons. After successful training, parents will be able to safely leave their grown-up child to play near the water, without worrying that he might drown.

All exercises should be performed sequentially. The main task facing the coach or parent is to teach the baby to hold his breath. To do this, the baby is first sprinkled with water in the face. As a result of this, he holds his breath for 10 seconds. After the child has mastered the exercise, they begin to pour water over him from top to bottom, and then lower him under water for a couple of seconds. As soon as the baby learns short dives, their duration can be increased.

Many mothers immediately after giving birth ask themselves the question: “Is it worth it to go swimming in the pool with your baby?” It has long been proven that water procedures have a positive effect on both the health of an adult and the health of a child.

What if the child will begin acquaintance with water in infancy, then in the future he will not have many health problems, and will also be able to quickly learn to swim.

Why should babies swim in the pool?

At first glance, it may seem to mothers that a child in the pool is at great risk, since there is a chance of drowning. Very often, it is for this reason that parents refuse this kind of water procedures, but pediatricians assure that these classes are not only safe, but also very useful.

A child at this age does not fade away breath holding reflex, so he can be under water for some time without risk to his own life. But mothers need to remember that no one teaches children to swim at this age. The child will feel good in the water, even learn to make the right movements, but after 2 or 3 days he will forget absolutely everything he learned in the pool.

The fact is that in infancy, swimming skills are not fixed in any way, and the child will learn anew each time. All the advantages that a child receives while swimming at this age are not in the education of a future Olympic champion.

During swimming, the baby quickly relaxes, his blood circulation improves significantly

In addition, the nervous and respiratory systems of children involved in the pool develop much faster than those of those kids who do not attend such classes. And, of course, swimming in the pool tempers the child, making it less vulnerable to various nasty infections.

What are the opponents of baby swimming saying?

Around water procedures for babies there are always disputes. Opponents of such a voyage argue that while immersed in water, the child experiences severe stress causing a lot of problems in the future. Among these problems may be the refusal of the child from the mother's breast.

Indeed, many pediatricians who conduct classes with babies in the pool warn parents that at the very beginning of swimming, children may not like contact with water, but then they get used to it very quickly. Also opponents of swimming say that water is the most common cause of colds, runny nose and ear infections.

During swimming, cold water can enter the nasopharynx of a baby, which can cause inflammation in his body. And the ingress of water into the stomach can completely upset the fragile digestive system of the baby. In the pools, instructors often practice diving babies.

According to opponents of early childhood swimming, diving negatively affects the children's vestibular apparatus

Under water, the child feels floating in space without support, and this can lead to problems with dizziness in the future.

Who is right?

As in any other dispute, in this dispute there is no single correct solution. Many children love water and everything connected with it. From a very early age they are drawn to puddles, lakes and rivers to play there. And some rejoice from one procedure of washing their hands.

Can start with a simple swim in your home bath. It will not only allow you to determine the preferences of the baby, but also help you get used to new sensations in the water.

Which babies are contraindicated in swimming in the pool?

Despite the fact that classes in the pool in most cases have a positive effect on the health of the baby, there are certain contraindications for this procedure.

Parents must be show your child to the pediatrician before joining the pool. Baby swimming in the pool is not recommended for children with acute infectious diseases.

This is not surprising, because cold water can provoke many complications. In the event of an illness, parents should stop taking the child to the pool until he is strong enough for classes again.

Also, swimming for babies is contraindicated in the following cases:

• if the child is sick with a severe form of malnutrition;
• there are serious skin lesions (inflammation, pus formation);
• there are diseases associated with fragility of bones;
• congenital arthritis;
• acute inflammation of the kidneys;
• acute hepatitis;
• any damage to the central nervous system

When can I start walking with a baby in the pool?

After confirming the absence of contraindications, parents may think about visiting the pool, where their baby will get acquainted with the water. But when can classes start?

Pediatricians used to advise parents to wait two or three months until their child received all the necessary vaccinations. However, this is no longer required.

You can start water procedures immediately after birth. The main thing is that the wound on the navel of the child heals

How to choose a pool?

The choice of a pool for your baby should be taken very responsibly. For starters, you should inquire at your clinic do they have their own pool for kids. If there is, then you can get directions.

As a rule, in the pool at the clinic, the water is not chlorinated, but treated with ozone, which does not adversely affect the health of the baby. In addition, classes in such a pool can be completely free or require a nominal amount from parents. If the clinic does not have a swimming pool, parents need to search for it themselves.

First of all, you need pay attention to instructors in the pool and the quality of water treatment. Also, pediatricians recommend that parents choose pools where exclusively babies are engaged, since in general pools there is always a risk of catching an unpleasant disease.

How to dress a child for swimming?

Before any swimming, the child must wear special diaper panties for swimming. The diaper must be on the baby, as he still does not control his natural needs.

You also need to remember that armlets should not be worn on the hands of babies, as they are uncomfortable for children. For small children under one year old, there are other devices that help them stay on the water (special inflatable circles for babies, hats with sewn-in foam, etc.).

After the baby gets used to the new water procedures, parents will be able to notice that it grows much faster. His nervous and respiratory systems will begin to work even better, and general immunity will be significantly strengthened.

A child playing in the pool will be able to please his parents with good health and good physical shape in the future, if the lessons in the pool are regular and continue at a more conscious age. Let's see how it actually happens!

The heroes of the video are brave young swimmers and divers: