Everything you need to know about parent & baby swim lessons

Heard about parent and baby classes but unsure of what to expect? Our lesson rundown will make sure you are more than ready for your first class with bub. 

Parent and baby classes provide a unique experience for parents to spend special bonding time with their little ones. With lessons offered to infants as young as 6 months old, it really is a once-off experience where you are able to help support your baby during their first few interactions with the water.

Although children won’t come out of the class as competent swimmers, lessons are designed to progress their physical, social and emotional development as well as building their confidence within the water. As lessons advance children will then start to be introduced to breath control, front and back floats and submersion, all while you are there to provide them with support.

As with a lot of new situations when having a young baby, trying new things can be nerve-racking, especially if you are unsure of what to expect or how to prepare. To help ease your mind and prepare you for what to anticipate in that first swim class, below is our lesson run down which lists everything you need to know about our parent and baby classes!

Lesson rundown - 

Pre-lesson:

• What to wear: For infants it is recommended that all children must wear specifically designed swim wear such as swim nappies. Bathers, rash vests and sun suits can also be worn. For parents it is recommended a t-shirt is worn to classes, to provide grip for the little ones when they become more independent. 
• Feeds: If your feed time falls right on lesson time, it is recommended half the normal feed amount is given prior to the lesson, with the remainder given after class. 
• Sensitive skin: If your baby has sensitive skin it is highly recommended that you apply a barrier cream such as sorbolene. It is advised that when applying the barrier cream you try to avoid the armpit area as it can make it difficult to hold them within the water. 

During the lesson:

• The pool environment: During lessons, it is important that you are aware of possible distractions such as noises, acoustics, pool temperature and other children that may alarm your child. 
• Off days: Just like us adults, children can also have off days, this can be due to teething or a bad night's sleep. On days like these time away from the group is often all it takes to make them feel more relaxed. 
• Our instructors: Our parent and baby instructors are highly qualified and experienced and aim to make classes as comfortable as possible for you both. If you have any questions during classes they are always there to help. 

Post-lesson:

• Tiredness: For infants, gentle kicking and floating in the water can be very tiring. This can often mean some children may sleep for longer than usual after a class, so there is no need to be alarmed. 
• Showering: Following a lesson it is a good idea to rinse your baby off underneath the shower. This will help keep them warm while washing away the pool water.