Where Baby Swimming Originated
From
The idea of babies being able
to swim independently underwater was established in
the 1960’s, when Igor Tjarkovsky, a Russian swimming
instructor, saved his daughter’s life by raising
her in a warm water tank after she was born more than
two months prematurely.
Igor Tjarkovsky went on to train
numerous other babies to swim underwater, maintaining
that like many mammals we can all swim naturally. If
babies are introduced to swimming at an early age, they
will become happy and confident in the water. Today
his research and ideas, combined with further techniques
pioneered in America, Australia and Scandinavia, are
well established and immensely popular. Across the world,
babies as young as a few days old are enjoying the enormous
social and physical benefits of learning to swim.
Our Aims
Babies Go swimming brings you
a safe and rewarding program designed to be fun and
educational. We teach babies to move freely in the water,
promoting water confidence and safety skills.
Swimming with your baby is an
enjoyable bonding experience. The classes are relaxing
and intimate, therefore encouraging the development
of your baby’s natural swimming skills in a calm
and gentle way.
Babies have a real affinity with
water. Those who have been exercised in water from an
early age, are more comfortable and relaxed, creating
a lifelong love of water.
All babies are born with a “natural
mammalian dive reflex”. With simple progressive
training this means they can happily hold their breath
underwater.
Submersions allow babies the
experience of swimming completely independently, similar
to the first moments of life in the womb.
Babies naturally learn fast in
water, and you will be amazed by the progress they make
even in the first few weeks.
The earlier your baby starts
our unique underwater method, then he or she could be
swimming on top of the water by 2 or 3 years old.
The Philosophy
Our primary objective is to create
sessions that are fun and enjoyable for both parent
and baby.
The pillars of our successful
program are created by using word association, songs
and games, combined with patience, repetition, consistency
and commitment.
Water safety is an important
part of our program. Babies will learn to swim underwater
by themselves to Mum or Dad. As babies progress they
will dive from a seated position, turn around underwater,
swim to the side and hold on, pulling their heads above
the surface of the water. These are basic and essential
lifesaving skills.
Learning to swim provides enormous
social and physical benefits for a baby. We aim to help
improve strength, co-ordination and motor skills, with
swimming skills mastered as the baby‘s capabilities
and readiness allows.
All our swimming instructors hold the following
qualifications:
ASA Teachers Certificate
in Swimming - FISTC, ASTA
RLSS National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers
and Coaches - NRASTC
British Red Cross Infant, Child and Adult First
Aid/Resuscitation Certificate
We are members of the Institute of Swimming Teachers
and Coaches (ISTC) and the Swimming
Teachers Association (STA).
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