Possible immediately after birth. Such early learning has its advantages and peculiarities. You can study in a large bathroom at home. You don't have to go to the pool to do this. This is very convenient, especially if it is blooming (). With such a rash, the pediatrician simply will not issue a certificate for the pool.
In order to teach a baby to swim, parents need to muster some courage. This is especially important for diving. If the mother’s hand trembles, the baby will definitely feel her excitement and cry, and in the worst case, he will begin to be afraid of water. For the first lessons, you can invite a specialist to your home. He will show you what exercises you can do with your baby. In the future, it is desirable that the mother herself teaches the baby, since it is with her that the mother has the closest emotional contact. This will help her easily understand her child’s condition and respond sensitively to it.
In addition to the fact that a baby can swim at home in the bathroom, there is another advantage of early learning this skill - the child’s lack of fear. The baby’s body still remembers how it was in the womb in an aquatic environment. Therefore, water is not alien and scary for him. There are very rare cases when the newborn himself initially does not like or is afraid to bathe.
There are also reflexes of a newborn, based on which you can easily teach him to swim.
Breath holding reflex
It consists in the fact that the baby holds his breath when water or a stream of air hits his nose and face. Initially, the duration of such a pause is 5-6 seconds. With regular practice, by the age of one year you can teach a child to stay under water for up to 40 seconds. This is why a newborn can be easily taught to dive. You just have to be extremely careful: the duration of immersion in water must be increased very gradually.Swimming reflex
The second reflex, which is very useful for swimming, is called the swimming reflex. When immersed in water, the baby begins to actively move all its limbs, thanks to which it can even stay on the surface for a few seconds without support. This activity has nothing to do with actual swimming. But on its basis, you can easily teach a child to work correctly with his arms and legs, that is, to strengthen the muscles necessary for swimming. Initially, the baby performs movements at the level of a reflex; there is no awareness in them. The exercises that are performed with the baby to learn swimming are remembered at the level of muscle memory.A child can master coordinated swimming movements at the age of 2.5-3 years. But if you have worked with him before, then muscle memory will allow the child to learn swimming much faster and easier.
Both of the above reflexes fade away by about 6 months. Therefore, it is easiest to start learning to swim before reaching this age. The older and more conscious a child becomes, the more meaningful actions he performs. Therefore, he will perform any exercises in the pool only if he wants and understands how to do them. With age, there are more and more various fears that can also interfere. For example, the fear of diving or the fear of being in the water without the support of your mother, that is, swimming on your own.
Based on all of the above, the mother must decide for herself when to start working with her child, since this can potentially be done from birth.
Water procedures are extremely beneficial for infants. But if some mothers limit themselves to bathing the baby in a baby bathtub with a support under the back, then others go further, even following the well-known slogan “swimming before walking!” Probably all mothers have heard at least something about infant swimming, and many to varying degrees Successfully practiced learning to swim in a home bath, or in the pool of a district clinic. The Motherhood portal suggests turning to the history of infant swimming and getting acquainted with theoretical basis this technique and master some practical skills in specific examples with photos!
Swimming for infants in a home bath. Photo - photobank Lori
Part I. Theoretical aspects of infant swimming
From the history of baby swimming
Pediatricians began to prescribe hygienic water baths (toilet baths) for infants aged 10-16 days in mandatory V late XIX V. Hygienic baths for infants were exclusively passive in nature and were performed on a stationary basis with constant temperature bath water 37-35°C.In 1962, the instructor-rescuer of the Moscow swimming pool, I.B. Charkovsky, used a kind of incubator bath for a premature baby weighing 1 kg 600 g, followed by training in diving, games, and swimming.
The first school for swimming and conditioning babies in full baths was organized in 1966 in Australia by practical trainers, the Timmermans, who tested the swimming technique on their daughter. The Timmermans' experience was quickly adopted in the USA, Germany, Japan, England, and Czechoslovakia.
In 1979, at the Children's Swimming Research Institute, specially created on the basis of a pediatric clinic in Munich, the existing experience was summarized and analyzed by doctors and swimming teachers under the leadership of Professor K. Vetke. In 1971, Heinz Bauermeister, who was directly involved in teaching swimming to infants, reported the results of his work at the World Conference of the Medical Committee of the International Swimming Federation.
More than 700 infants were taught to swim. Almost all of them turned out to be immune to colds, developed faster than their peers, were much more active.
A great contribution to the promotion and agitation of swimming and hardening of infants in the USSR was made by the President of the International Medical Committee of FINA, Zakhary Pavlovich Firsov, who published a series of articles and organized several television programs about this type of swimming. Active Research in the field of physiology of swimming of infants and agitation was carried out by Professor Ilya Arkadyevich Arshavsky.
Hardening with water, sun and air baths, physical culture for children infancy attached great importance outstanding figures of national pediatrics professors A.A. Kisel, V.I. Molchanov, M.S.Maslov, G.N.Speransky, A.F.Tur.
In the USSR, swimming in organized centers at children's standard clinics in Moscow began in 1976-1977.
The importance of learning to swim in infancy
Success in primary and repeated prevention diseases, normal development and upbringing of infants can only be ensured through a complex of all measures for care, nutrition, and taking into account the biorhythms of sleep and wakefulness.In utero, a child develops for 9 months in a liquid environment, in antigravity conditions, and is born with swimming reflexes that fade away without consolidation at the age of 3-3.5 months.
Physically helpless and unable to move in a coordinated manner on land due to the abrupt transition from relative weightlessness during embryonic development to the effects of gravity after birth, the child is surprisingly active and emotional in a full bath. Specific gravity of the baby due to large quantity lecithin fats are less than the specific gravity of an adult, so a baby has positive buoyancy and easily floats on water if he has developed and learned the skill of swimming. The breath-holding reflex when immersing a child in water is of specific and important importance, which is successfully used in teaching infants to swim and dive.
Systematic daily swimming lessons allow you to teach infant swim by the end of the first year of life. We must remember that swimming skills acquired in infancy remain for life, provided that lessons are continued at 2-3 years of age. Stopping swimming for 1-2 months leads to a loss of swimming skills that need to be restored again.
Raising swimming, gymnastics, massage and hardening in the family is of great importance for education from the very beginning. early childhood harmoniously developed person.
Systematic exercises in hardening and swimming in full baths:
- They evoke pronounced positive emotions in infants - joy, smiling, humming, squealing, which turn after a swimming session into persistent braking reactions - strong, healthy sleep.
- Simultaneous strengthening of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the musculoskeletal system leads to normal development of infants, reducing mortality in the first month and year of life.
- Swimming procedures stimulate appetite and increase metabolic processes along with increased digestive function - the basics normal development infants.
Contraindications to classes
Swimming procedures are stopped if the child expresses displeasure by crying or screaming, as well as if “goose bumps” or trembling appear.Contraindications to swimming are: diseases in acute stage, contagious skin diseases, developmental deviations that preclude the possibility of classes.
Medical supervision and practical consultations
The best form of monitoring the dynamics of the baby’s health is the control of a neonatologist, pediatrician or family doctor, who are aware of the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy, childbirth, and the first days and weeks of the baby’s life.Swimming consultations are recommended at least once a month. They are conducted by swimming consultants and/or medical workers in a children's clinic or at home. The child's parents must receive at least 12 consultations during the year.
Part II. Preparing for swimming
The basis of infant swimming is:- swimming on the back and chest with manual support,
- offline support, and finally
- independent swimming.
The nature of swimming in all cases is interval - the swim is followed by a short rest. Swimming begins on the back at the age of 5 days and alternates with swimming on the front. Depending on individual inclinations, one type of swimming may predominate.
The passive reaction when swimming on the back can be used to relax infants. Swimming on the chest in most babies causes more active motor reactions, which should be used to activate the child from the first month of life.
Preparing for swimming
One of the most important principles of teaching infants to swim is the stimulation of movements, which are carried out by the teacher during swimming with one hand.Correct assimilation of movements is facilitated by special swimming gymnastics on land for the arms and legs in the position on the back and chest, both in reciprocal and symmetrical coordination - king and breaststroke.
Activation of the child’s movements when swimming usually occurs at the 8-9th minute as a result of a specific motor mood and improved muscle hemodynamics.
Games in the water
Infant- not an adult in miniature. This should be kept in mind when conducting a swimming session. Games and toys in a wide variety of forms help create the necessary background positive emotions and stimulate the baby's rowing movements.Toys must be prepared in advance. They should be
- safe (preferably rubber and plastic, non-breakable, non-fading)
- clean,
- bright,
- not small so that the child can immediately see them on the side of the bathtub, but not huge so that the child can easily hold them in his hands.
Gradual dosing
The basis of the complex physical exercises lies in strict adherence to the rules of gradual dosing at each stage of development of an infant.For example, the increase in the dose of swimming at each lesson should be in the range of 10-15 seconds, and the decrease in water temperature at the end of each month should be equal to 0.5 C. In other words, activation motor functions is achieved by increasing the number and stimulating movements, and achieving high degree hardening - a steady decrease in the temperature of full baths.
Particular attention is paid to the gradual immersion of the baby's head. In the preparatory period, at the age of 1-2 months, only the mouth is immersed in water for 2-4 seconds, which helps to train holding the breath through the nose. At 5-6 months, when the child begins to play with toys, he can be allowed to take out sinking objects from the bottom of the bathtub, in a sitting position, gradually increasing the depth, in this way stimulating the immersion of the head with the nose, and then with the eyes.
Resuming classes after a break
Classes interrupted due to illness or other reasons should be resumed as if they were being carried out from the very beginning, with strict adherence to the rules of gradualness. Swimming lessons after illness are resumed only after consultation with a doctor and as prescribed.Forcing swimming doses. Temperatures and dives
Any forcing (sharp increase) of swimming doses, decreasing water temperatures and increasing the time and number of dives is prohibited. For example, immediately reducing the bath temperature to 30°C or diving with your nose under water for 10-15 seconds. at the age of 1-1.5 months in the preparatory period should be strictly prohibited.Place of study at home and equipment
Swimming and hardening can be carried out in a regular home bath, similar to a bath in a water treatment room or smaller in size. Next to the bathroom there should be a changing table, diapers, napkins, cotton wool, room and water thermometers.The table shows that the increase in swimming time for each month corresponds to 2-5 minutes, and the monthly decrease in temperature is equal to half a degree Celsius.
Part III. Infant swimming practice
Starting swimming lessons
The optimal age for starting classes should be considered 5 days - 2 weeks. At three months, the revived swimming reflexes fade away, and it is much more difficult to carry out activities with the child. Therefore, 3-3.5 months is the most late date the beginning of infant swimming. After three months, swimming lessons are more individual and more labor-intensive.Manual supports
Position of the child on his backThe heaviest, sinking part of a child's body is the head. Therefore, all manual support is carried out under the head and at the same time the neck and top part backrests
Manual support can and should be varied.
* double manual support when swimming on the back with four fingers under the back, neck and head, two thumbs lying on the chest;
* one-handed "bucket" support, 
* one-handed support with a “half ring” - the thumb and index fingers cover the neck, the hand is located at the back of the head and slightly to the side, without interfering with the baby’s rowing.
One-handed support with a “semi-ring” and “bucket” allows you to stimulate strokes with your free hand.
As soon as the child begins to row correctly, the nature of the support changes. In the supine position, double support is provided with three, then two, and finally one finger under the back of the child’s head.
All types of support should be carried out very softly and gently and extremely freely, giving the child the opportunity to demonstrate the instinct of self-preservation that underlies swimming reflexes.
When swimming on the back, lifts are easier and more comfortable than on the chest, and are always carried out with the ears submerged.
On the chest
* it is most convenient to support the head with both hands behind the cheeks and slightly under the chin.
One-handed support on the chest is carried out with a “bucket” and also thumb, his back side under the child’s chin, the other four support under the chest - the second hand slightly supports the back of the head with two fingers (support with a “grip” - the index and thumb). The chin support helps to “lock” the mouth to prevent the baby from drinking water.
* Support under the chest
Offline support
Independent swimming of a child on his back is best accomplished with autonomous head support using foam floats inserted into the pockets of the cap and located behind the baby's ears.
1. The cap should have a string-ribbon (in addition to the ties) threaded through the bottom of the cap. She pulls the larger hat down to fit the baby's head. Then, using these ribbons, when the hand is removed from under the head, the floating baby is led through the water.
2. Put on the cap before immersing yourself in the bath.
3. The cap must be dry.
4. Let the baby play with her in advance (during the day).
5. Having lowered the cap into the water, still support the baby’s head first, gradually releasing your hands.
A baby can swim with this support at 3-4 months, moving his arms slightly to the sides for balance. The baby can be transferred to the pool while he is actively rowing and balancing. Autonomous supports when swimming on the chest are more difficult; as a rule, they should keep the shoulders and chin on the water line, they can only be used in case of good motor activity upper limbs baby.
Please note that of all the offline support, the best one is this cap. Neither a Cheburashka cap (ears) nor a collar under the neck can gradually accustom a child to independent swimming.
Diving and diving
1. Immerse the mouth of a one month old baby under water for 2-3 seconds. allows you to train and hold your breath through the nose. Usually in these cases, holding the breath is determined by the sensation of a hand supporting the chest - the child stops breathing - for a few seconds (4-10).
2. Momentary immersions of the mouth lead the child to immersion of the nose, which all babies breathe.
Diving of the nose, and then the eyes, usually occurs during independent play, in a sitting position, when the child takes out an object from the bottom of the bath.
Immersion of the mouth under water must be carried out with double manual support in a standing position from 3-4 to 6-8 times per lesson.
As practice shows, all children, except infants with a runny nose, do immersion of their mouths under water. While the baby is crying, immersing the mouth is strictly prohibited due to the danger of water getting into the Airways. You cannot perform mouth dives during the maneuver because of the oncoming wave entering the nasal passages.
During games, in a sitting position, the child immerses his mouth well.
Independent movement towards the toy while holding your breath is a prelude to independent swimming. In principle, a child can be trained by an experienced methodologist to dive headlong under water. Experience shows that many parents carry out such forced immersions with their children, starting from 3 months. However, the degree of the art of teaching varies among parent trainers. Therefore, this technique is designed only for forced immersion of the mouth and independent immersion with the head in games.
A child who has learned to hold his breath while immersing his mouth, nose and head, and who knows how to row well with his hands, can swim independently.
Independent swimming
The transition to independent back swimming, as can be seen from the above, is relatively simple and consists of a gradual decrease in manual and autonomous support, while the strength of the baby's strokes and the ability to hold the head on the surface of the water become quite sufficient. Swimming on your back, as a rule, is not associated with holding your breath and diving, and therefore is more accessible to learn.Reduced offline support
The floats from the cap are removed in pairs from different edges, starting from the top. As soon as the baby adapts to the reduced number of floats and feels confident, you can safely remove a couple more.The photo shows that the last 2, lower ones, remained on the cap.
but here the cap is no longer needed (the child is 4.5 months old)
The child is 6 months old. He lies on his back on his own and loves it.
Child at 6 months. swims through the bath independently, pushing off the side and rowing with his hands. The adult's hand is nearby.
Photo 13
Photo 14
Another thing is breast swimming. In infants, as well as in swimming mammals - dolphins, whales - movement in water is associated with diving and holding their breath. It is natural, therefore, to first teach the baby to hold his breath and dive independently, and only then, provided he has good rowing movements with his hands, to use voluntary sliding and “torpedo” type exercises.
Movement training
Correct control over the execution of arm strokes and kicks in freestyle and symmetrical swimming strokes is of utmost importance. So, for example, in many babies the classic kick (photo 14) can be practiced and reinforced using the breaststroke method on the chest.When swimming on their back, babies can row well with their arms from head to hip, if they are correctly “showed” this stroke first on land and then in water (photo 13). On practical exercises infants in the clinic, the methodologist-consultant must timely determine the time of transition from swimming with manual support to swimming with autonomous support and transfer the baby to the Malyutka pool for systematic swimming lessons in “big water”.
As practice shows, it is possible to switch to autonomous support when swimming on your back at the end of the preparatory stage of training (3-4 months), and transfer the child to the Malyutka pool from 4-5 months, provided there is good balance and quality of strokes.
Improvement in swimming can be carried out at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th stage of classes, when it is possible to improve the skills acquired by children based on innate swimming reflexes, the help of the second signaling system- by means of words. The use of the words “row”, “push”, “dive” is just as important and necessary as, for example, the words “mom”, “dad”, “grandmother”, because they are associated with the vital ability to swim.
Part III. From theory to practice
Swimming training for children under one year old can be divided into 4 stages.First stage – PREPARATORY
Age: 5-15 days - 3 months, congenital swimming age. Classes begin after the umbilical wound has healed.ON THE LAND(introductory part) - Complex preparatory activities from 2 months it consists of massage, general gymnastics, swimming gymnastics.
It is convenient to carry out special swimming gymnastics (simulation of swimming) on land and then repeat them in the water, fixing innate swimming reflexes:
Moro reflex - a symmetrical embracing movement of the hands when patting the buttocks (4-5 in the first lesson and 8-9 at the end of the stage).
Robinson reflex - tonic - firmly holding an object (in the first lesson 1-2 times and 4-5 times at the end of the stage).
Talent reflex - arc-shaped bending of the body while stroking the skin between the spine and shoulder blade (1-2 at the beginning and 3-4 at the end of the stage).
The Bauer reflex is a crawling phenomenon, or breaststroke with legs. On the chest - pushing off with the legs from the palms of the hands (4-6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage).
Reciprocal hand stroke from head to hip across the side (4-6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage) on the back and imitation of a crawl-type hand stroke on the back and chest, as well as a symmetrical hand stroke from behind the head to the hips (4- 6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage).
Reciprocal movements of the legs on the back and chest (4-6 at the beginning and 6-8 at the end of the stage).
SWIMMING IN A FULL BATH(main part). "Double" manual support on the back and 8-10 wiring along the length of the bath ("shuttle" wiring). One-handed support on the back with a “half ring”. Baby's ears in water.
Double manual support on the chest with a “bucket” under the chin and wiring, one-handed support with a “bucket”, as well as one-handed support with the thumb under the chin, the rest under the chest and wiring with turns along the length of the bath (25-30 times).
Stimulating breaststroke legwork on one-handed palm support and after a push from the side (10-14 at the beginning and 20-30 at the end of the stage).
The toilet is carried out at the end of the lesson at all stages. Feeding is performed after 15-20 minutes. after finishing the voyage.
Second stage - SWIMMING TRAINING
Age: 4-6 months, suitable for infants past preparatory stage, adapted to full baths and a water temperature of 35°C.Held further development strengthened swimming reflexes using words. The procedures are carried out in a playful manner against a background of positive emotions. The child floats on autonomous support and with its maximum weakening on the back and chest; swimming volume 32-42 min.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - Increase the dose of massage, general and special gymnastics by 3-4 minutes. Development and complication innate reflexes:
Bauer breaststroke on legs towards the toy (4-6 times),
Talent - performing a swimmer's pose on the palms (3-4 times)
Robinson - weighted pull-ups (3-5 times),
Moro - embracing with arms (10-15). The exercises are accompanied by the words: “push”, “row”, “hold”, “pull”.
SWIMMING IN A FULL BATH(main part) - Swimming on double and one-handed support in the position on the back and chest, as well as on autonomous support, weakened as much as possible.
“Sliding” (instant lowering of the support for 1-2 seconds) is well performed if the child is able to hold his breath. While sitting still, dive independently for toys. All the time when swimming, a decoy toy is used, the movements are accompanied by the words: “swim”, “row”, “push”. There are many games in the water such as “storm at sea”, “torpedo”, etc.
The child stands and walks in the water with support under his arms.
Third stage - SELF SWIMMING
Age: 7-9 months.The third stage of independent swimming is designed for infants trained to swim in the second stage, adapted to a full bath and a water temperature of 33.5 ° C; duration - up to 42 minutes.
Children dive underwater on their own.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - Increase the dose of massage, general and special gymnastics by 2-3 minutes.
Crawling to a toy in a playpen with a ball and toys.
Swimmer's pose: hands pressed to the hips, extended to the sides, forward.
Pulling up by the fingers of the methodologist from a position on the back and chest.
IN WATER(main part) - Swimming on the back and chest with and without manual support behind a toy, swimming with autonomous support.
Independent diving under water (diving) for a toy.
Fourth stage - IMPROVEMENT OF SWIMMING
Age: 10-12 months. The fourth stage is organically connected with the previous one. Infants on last stage They can independently swim the entire length of the bathtub and the Malyutka pool, visit the water treatment room 3 times a week, and love to dive long and deep for toys.Total time classes are 62-72 minutes, temperature -31.5-30.5°C.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - The total time of massage and gymnastics reaches 10-12 minutes. and more. Games on land lying down, sitting, standing with a ball and toys.
Performing on command various positions of the swimmer in the position on the back and chest. Perform leg and arm work with or without the help of an instructor. Try dolphin rowing and breaststroke with the help of an instructor.
The exercises are accompanied by conversation using special swimming terms both on land and in water.
IN WATER(main part) - Start of the lesson - games in the water with sinking, floating and hanging toys. Independent swimming along the length of the home bath (2-3 times without stopping) and the Malyutka pool, swimming with toys, on toys. Sliding with arms outstretched, hands pressed on the back and chest. Swimming on legs breaststroke and crawl with the help of an instructor and independently. Long and deep dives for toys, jumping in water, games.
Stages of learning to swim in classes
STAGE I1st SWIMMING LESSON
Children's age - 5 days - 2-3 weeks; duration of classes - 10-15 minutes; bath temperature - 36.5°C.
1. Slowly enter the water with your legs and lay on your back with double hand support.
Slow wiring along the length of the bathtub (shuttle wiring), guiding it to the near corner of the bathtub with the head and turning the legs to the far corner, and turning the head towards you and slightly up.
Push with your feet from the bath and drive in the other direction (drive with turns), ears in the water.
2. Left hand under the back of the head and back, the right hand with a “bucket” behind the chin and right cheek- turn to the “bucket” (the child’s chin is strictly above the water line).
Intercepting the left "bucket" under the chin with double hand support under the chin in a position on the chest.
Posting in the chest position on double manual support with turns at the ends of the bath.
When retrieving and turning, strictly monitor the position of the mouth above the water line.
3. One-handed support on the back in a “semi-ring”, turns at the ends of the bathtub and interceptions from one hand to the other.
Support with one hand and guiding on a “bucket” under the child’s chin.
One-handed support (right) - thumb under the child's chin, the rest under the chest.
4. Stimulation of kicks and strokes with arms in the position on the back and chest on one-handed support with the free hand.
5. Toilet (wash) the child, get out of the bath and wipe, dry the ears with cotton wool.
NOTE: Massage, general and special gymnastics carried out starting from 2 months; in 5 days - 3 weeks, exclude mouth immersion and carry it out only from a month.
Stage 2(I month) - immersion of the mouth in place, continuation of the exercises of stage 1.
Stage 3(2 months) - demonstration of massage, general and special gymnastics.
Stage 4(3rd month) - free support technique, weakening support, push and pull technique with arms in the water.
Stage 5(4th month) - testing autonomous support such as a cap with a small manual support on the back, swimming for a toy on the chest with manual support, reaching the toy while sitting.
Stage 6(5th month) - reducing the autonomous support on the back, getting a toy while sitting from the bottom of the bathtub, plunging the mouth and then the nose, transferring the child to the “Malyutka” pool if he has the ability and swimming lessons three times a week in the water treatment room, three times - Houses.
Stage 7(6th month) - minimal independent support on the back, swimming on the back without support. Swimming with independent support on the chest, weakening of autonomous support on the chest, games while sitting.
Stage 8(7th month) - minimal autonomous support on the chest, swimming on the chest with instant lowering of the manual support, playing in the water while sitting and standing.
Stage 9(8th month) - improving back and chest strokes, exercises such as “torpedo”, diving for sinking toys, a bottle. Games in the water while sitting, standing, or walking with various toys.
Stage 10(9 - 12 months) - continued improvement in independent swimming on the back and chest, improvement of independent dives, games.
NOTE: At all stages of training, specific movements are accompanied by the words “row”, “swim”, “dive”, “push”.
Dive training plan
Helps develop respiratory system, vestibular apparatus, as well as develop emotional and volitional qualities - courage, strength, endurance.Classes in a large bathroom at home, preferably under the supervision of an instructor. In the first part of swimming - swimming, as described above, mainly swimming on the back and in a cap. Next, diving is carried out (2-3 times, 3-4 figure eights and dives), alternating with rest and exercises on the water.
Preparatory stage
Child's age - 1 week - month.
The child simply floats with the help of hand supports on his tummy. Makes so-called “figure eights” - swims around the perimeter of the bathtub, turning around in a “figure eight”.
Stage 1.
Starting from a month, you can teach your baby to hold air. To do this, in a prone position, after 3-4 figure eights, you must say: (Baby’s name), dive! And immediately blow into the face. Children usually hold their breath. On the first day, repeat this exercise 2-3 times.
Each stage ends when the child has mastered a new skill.
Stage 2.
Everything is the same, only after the words: name, dive! Spray in the face. After a week you no longer spray, but water. Holding the baby under the chin with one hand, and with the other, after the words “dive!” scoop up water and pour it on top of your face. It looks like washing.
Move to the next stage only after you are sure that the child is not just closing his eyes, but is definitely holding his breath.
Stage 3.
As expected, first 3-4 “eights”. After the first “baby, let’s dive!” pour water on your face again. The child must remember WHAT to do after this command. Then again 3-4 “eights”, the command “dive!” and diving. To do this, you hold the baby's head with both hands and sharply immerse it under water. And immediately take it out and continue the figure eight movements.
keep it that way
For the first – second – third time, 1-2 dives are enough. Be sure to pay attention to the baby's reaction. If he didn't like it, it's better to put it off until next time.
Next, swim according to the scheme: swimming on your back, turning over on your stomach, 3-4 figure eights, diving, again 3-4 figure eights, diving, again 3-4 figure eights diving. Rest on your back. Exercises (push-ups, walking, etc.). Again a cycle of figure eights and dives, rest, play, a cycle of figure eights and dives, rest on the back. ALL! Swimming ends. Thus, you will have about 9 dives per session.
But if the baby is capricious, you see that he is dissatisfied, do not stick to the scheme. Do what your child likes. Or maybe he's already tired. Just finish your swim early.
Stage 4.
When your baby is used to diving, start diving underwater. This should take 1-2 seconds at first. If you see that the baby is getting enough of the trapped air, gradually increase the time one second at a time. So one week you can dive for 1-2 seconds, the next 2-3, then 3-4 and so on. But during this time you don’t just immerse the child under water, but dive a distance underwater. All dives participate in the same exercise cycle as stage 3.
Stage 5.
It differs from stage 4 in that, having immersed the baby under water, you release him and he swims on his own. After the words: “Baby (name), let's dive!” you need to sharply immerse your head under the water, as if push it forward and let go. At first you quickly pick him up, but each time you increase the time he spends under water on his own.
Here you can see that the baby is swimming, and the hands of an adult are nearby. But they don't hold it:
dived 
we surface 
surfaced 
Conclusion
I'm not a swimming instructor or a doctor. The doctor is my husband, and I am an educational psychologist. I wrote about diving based on my own experience. So, for example, my children swam in water that was not 30 degrees, but not below 34. They didn’t like it below.
At the end we're drenched cold water after swimming. The pediatrician told us that we need to gradually reduce the temperature of the water for dousing (the same as in the bath). But children like it better when they are doused with very cold water. After the bath, the cold water burns them and they (especially the older one) squeal with pleasure.
Our eldest daughter is 4.5 months old. lay on the water without any support, swam through the bath on my back and dived with pleasure. The middle one learned to float and dive by 6 months. The youngest learned to swim from time to time - there was simply not enough time for daily “swims”. Nevertheless, all three children, when they found themselves in an open body of water, were not afraid of water, they swam with pleasure, dived, and swam independently at the age of 3.
The best person to help you learn swimming and diving, of course, is a specially trained instructor. But, if, despite all your efforts, money and time spent on activities in the pool, your baby goes to the bath without pleasure, cries and refuses to swim, do not be upset. There are some children - well, they don’t like to swim! After all, not all adults are fans of water treatments either. It’s okay, there are still so many sports and games in the world in which your baby will show the best results.
And for such children, we can recommend gradual, gentle bathing in a diaper (for the first time) and then in the bath with their mother. This is the opposite view of teaching infants to swim. It is based on the assumption that free swimming and, especially, diving infants– stress for the child, because water is an alien habitat for people. Therefore, each parent himself chooses the desired approach to raising and strengthening his child. This article is not a call to teach infants to swim, but only advice for those who want to do it.
Classes will be successful for parents who are confident in the benefits of the activity and are not afraid to do something special with their child. Although swimming and diving have long become the most common.
Be confident in your abilities and success is guaranteed!!!
The article used:
"Infant Swimming" ( Guidelines) Ed. V.V.Shitskova Moscow, 1978. The recommendations were developed by pediatrician V.A. Guterman.
“Swimming before walking” Z. P. Firsov, Moscow, Physical Culture and Sports, 1978
When and how to start classes with your baby?
You can start swimming lessons when it heals umbilical wound, usually in 2-3 weeks. At first, parents take care of the child in a regular home bath. When the bath becomes too small for the baby and he acquires basic skills, you can move to the pool. As a rule, this occurs at 2 months.
Nine months before birth the baby swam in amniotic fluid. And if you don’t frighten him in any way, he will happily accept the water in the bath.
You need to work with your child when he has good mood, he is full, does not want to sleep, nothing bothers him. You must be cheerful and friendly. It is advisable to turn swimming lessons into exciting game, which will bring pleasure to both you and the child. You need to be patient and take your time. Gradually increase the load, gradually add new exercises. Remember that your the main objective– not achieving results, but the pleasure and health of your baby. Children's swimming is not difficult, and all parents can learn it. You must be calm and your arms must support the baby confidently and securely. The child feels your mood. It is important not to cause fear, overwork and distrust of water in him. Once a mistake is made, it can discourage a child from learning to swim for a long time.
An infant does not know what fear is; he is not afraid of water. While in the womb, he was constantly surrounded by amniotic fluid, and if the child develops fear in the bath, then the culprit should be looked for quickly among the parents.
How can parents gain confidence? If you want to teach your child to swim, then it is also advisable to practice in the water during pregnancy. Parents who love water and know how to swim have more confidence in the advisability of activities with their baby. Read the manual carefully. Imagine how you will perform lifts in the water. Pick up the right time, and you can start. Swimming lessons are held in a large bathtub. Because it will be just as uncomfortable for a child to swim in a small bathtub as it is for you in a regular one. What should the temperature of the bath water be? According to Z.P. Firsov’s method, the temperature in the first lessons can be 37 degrees, in the fifth lesson -36.5, in the ninth - 36, in the fourteenth - 35.5, in the twentieth - 35, in the twenty-fourth - 34 degrees. Next, the water temperature drops to the temperature of a regular pool - 28 degrees. We usually start with a lower temperature. You must select the temperature individually for the child. He should be warm and comfortable in the water, but at the same time, the water should not be too warm to encourage the child to make active swimming movements.
As a rule, the water temperature for a child just born and weighing up to 4 kg should be about 35.5 – 36 degrees, but for a plump child with folds it should be 34-35. IN In any case, you select the temperature for your child based on how he behaves in the bath.
During the first lessons, you and your baby will feel more confident if you dive into the bath together. This is not necessary in subsequent classes. You will stand in front of the bathtub and bathe your baby. The bath is filled with ordinary pure water. You need to work with your child every day. The first classes last 5-10 minutes, then 20 minutes. From the moment you enter the pool, you can exercise for 40 minutes.
Methodology of Z.P. Firsov designed for classes for 9-12 months. The ultimate goal is to teach a child, firstly, to float independently on the surface of the water for up to one year of age. 20-30 minutes, secondly, dive to a shallow depth, get the toy from the bottom and swim under water for 7-8 seconds. Thirdly, while wearing light clothes - a summer suit, shoes, socks, a hat - jump from the side of the pool in clothes into the water and in these clothes stay on the surface of the water for 2-3 minutes. The latter seems especially relevant to me in light of the statistics of tragic incidents that have occurred over Last year with kids. It turns out that a large number of children die from drowning every year, and the strangest thing is that in 78% of cases children die in ordinary puddles, that is, they fall and die terribly from the inability to hold their breath in this way. By teaching your child to swim from infancy, you will forever protect yourself from this tragedy.
At first we studied Firsov’s methodology, then the work experience of his foreign colleagues, and over time our own experience came. The technique that you are about to read is based on our experience in teaching newborns to swim. It is somewhat different from the basic methods and is one of the modifications of soft swimming methods and seems to us the most optimal.
Immerse the child you need to slowly, gradually, after checking the temperature of the water so that it does not seem too cold or too hot to the child.
The dive begins with the legs in a vertical position.
At the same time, you can calmly explain to the child that he will be in the water, that now he will swim. Then, when he gets used to being in the water. You calmly move it to a horizontal position and at the same time support it from below. At first, the supports should be stronger so that the child feels secure. Later, the supports fall under a smaller area of the body. If you are in the bath with the child (as a rule, the father is there at first, because it is not recommended for the mother to take a bath while there is lochia), the child can be held on bent knees, you can place your hands completely under his back, and cover him with your palms head and rock the baby in this position. You can place it on your stomach and chest so that the baby's head is above the water.
When you start exercising while in front of the bathroom, the most convenient support is this: left hand is located under the back of the child’s head, and with your right hand you clasp the hips either from the outside, or between the legs, or from your side, as you wish.
Try to keep your child in the most horizontal position relative to the water while swimming on his back, which helps fast learning independent swimming. Don't worry about water getting into your ears. The baby was constantly in the amniotic fluid inside the womb, and it got into the ears. If you start classes before 3 months, you don’t have to worry harmful effects water on the baby's ears. During the entire period of training, we did not have a single case of ear inflammation in children.
First, you do small movements on your back along the bathtub back and forth, and then, preferably, master the figure eight, movement along the maximum length of the bathtub. You support the child as in the previous exercise, and cross your arms during turns. You can change the speed. In general, there are children who like slow, calm movement, and there are children who like it when an adult sets a fairly high speed. Such back maneuvers are the main exercise that prepares a child for independent swimming on his back.
The next exercise is pushing away from the wall of the bathtub. It is performed as follows. You hold the child by the back of the head, bring the child's legs to the side wall of the bathtub, place two legs with their feet directly on the wall of the bathtub and slightly move the child towards the side. He pushes off with his feet. And how hard he pushes, the more you pull him back. So that the child feels a direct relationship: how hard he pushes, how far he swims. Some children easily and immediately perform this exercise, others are not very willing. But, as a rule, over time the child likes this exercise and is happy, sailing far back.
The next wiring is done in a position on the stomach. The child lies on his stomach with his head above the water. With your left hand you clasp the back of the head, with four fingers of your right hand you support the chin, and with your thumb you cover the child’s mouth. Firstly, this technique protects against water getting into the mouth, and secondly, the baby will swim more calmly while sucking your finger. In this position, you swipe back and forth at low speed, and then move on to a figure-of-eight motion, the same as when swimming on your back.
There are children who willingly swim on their backs and on their stomachs, and there are children who prefer swimming on their backs or on their stomachs. It is better to start classes with the pose that is more pleasant for the child. Then, with games and jokes, gradually move to the position that you like less. If you don’t like some exercise, it is better to switch to another exercise, but do not take the child out of the water and do not hold him close to you, because this can lead to a general reluctance to do anything in the water later. Therefore, if you don’t like swimming on your stomach, then we swim on your back; if you don’t like swimming on your back. then feed on your stomach. If you are tired of both, you can take a position to rest.
Relaxing pose, vertical. You support the baby under your chest so that both of his arms are thrown over yours. right hand. In this case, you can either support the head and back, or water them with water. The child, as a rule, calms down in this position. There are children for whom a more acceptable resting position is not horizontal, but reclining on its side. After a few lessons, you will understand the child’s characteristics, adapt to them, and it will become much easier for both of you.
Do not try to take the child by force. The main thing in the first two months, while you are swimming in the bath, is for the child to get used to the water and feel trust in it. At first, his posture will be more tense, and as it goes on, the more relaxed. In addition to these basic movements, you can rock the child so that he feels the water better. As long as the child is calm, enjoys the activity and actively participates in swimming, continue the activity. When you see signs of fatigue - the child begins to whine, be capricious, arch, or his nasolabial triangle turns blue - the lesson should be gradually completed. After your child learns how to correctly perform maneuvers on the back and stomach, swimming lessons will lengthen, will bring him pleasure and you will see that he trusts the water, you can start diving.
Diving is essential component teaching a child to swim independently and the main thing that will protect you in the future from the danger of the child drowning.
You will have peace of mind on the beach that your child can play in the water and nothing bad will happen to him. How to start teaching your child to dive? This should be done gradually. At first, when the child floats on his back or on his stomach. You give a loud, clear command: “Attention, we’re diving” or “One, two, three, we’re diving!” And at the same time you blow intensely into the child’s face. He will wince, close his eyes and hold his breath. This needs to be repeated for several days. Once you have mastered this exercise, you can move on to the next one.
To the command: “Attention, we are diving,” you spray the child in the face. It is advisable so that water does not enter the nose from bottom to top. You will notice that the child is also holding his breath. Then you can perform the following exercise in a supine position. At “Attention, let’s dive,” you lower the child a little deeper into the water so that only the nose and mouth remain on the surface, and the cheeks, forehead and eyes submerge under the water. And finally, if you have mastered all these exercises, you can move on to real diving.
It is better to perform the first dive when the child is in a very good mood, relaxed, and has already swam for some time. It is better to perform it from a position on your stomach. You give the command and submerge the child shallowly underwater for a second and bring him to the surface.
At the same time, under water you do not let go of it. When the child appears above the water, for the first second he will have a misunderstanding and an expectant reaction: “What was that?” You should praise, say that everything turned out very, very well for the child, that he dived wonderfully. Then he won’t cry and will want to dive in next time and please you again. At first, diving should be performed 2-3 times per lesson. After you have mastered short dives for a certain period of time, you can move on to longer ones.
Near one edge of the bathtub you dive in, guide the child along the entire length of the bathtub and emerge at the other edge. Over time, dives can be extended to 5-6 seconds under water and on a short time release the child under water, then pick him up and bring him to the surface of the water. In principle, it is not recommended to do more than 5 dives in the initial stages, but you can adjust them according to the child’s reactions. The main tasks you face in teaching your child to swim in a bathtub are friendship and trust in the water and the ability to dive without swallowing a large amount of water. By this time, your baby will be 2-3 months old, and you can move to a large pool.
There are a number of advantages in the pool: firstly, the water level is higher and the water holds the child better, secondly, mothers with children will also be there, and the children amazingly adopt what other children have already learned and also begin to swim better next to them , thirdly, it will be more convenient for you to support your child when you are in the pool with him, rather than leaning over the bathtub.
In any case, we recommend using 2-3 one month old also auxiliary devices. This is the Little Mermaid set. The main component is the “little mermaid crown”. It is put on the child from about 2 months of age so that he can independently lie on the surface of the water.
From birth, the child has a step reflex. Sometimes this reflex is not very clearly expressed. It is quite difficult for a child to walk on land. But if you put a rubber mat on the bottom of the bathtub, take in water not as much as for swimming, but so that it reaches the child’s chest or a little higher, take him under the armpits and slightly tilt his torso forward, he will walk very briskly along the bottom baths.
Children learn to walk in a bath much better than on land.
You just belay, watch and there is no need to be in an inclined position all the time supporting the child. Over time, he will learn to lie on the water on his own, without any help and without the “little mermaid”. At first you support the child quite strongly, then you support the child much weaker, only with your fingertips, then the child is supported by the “little mermaid”, from which you gradually remove the cubes one at a time. Then, during the wiring, you let go of your hands for a short time and again
When you get into the pool, basic exercises and the wiring will remain the same, but the depth of the water and the spaciousness of the pool will help you diversify these exercises in every possible way.
You can diversify your dives. Your child can dive with you. You can hold it behind your back and dive together. You can keep it in front of you, and then he will emerge first, and you after him. You can swim on your back, with the baby lying on your stomach and chest. The kids really like it. Two adults can stand against each other, and a child who is already well
learned to dive and push from one adult to another. He will swim a meter and a half, and then another adult will take him, wait until his breathing returns to normal, and in the same way direct him to the first one. To swim on your stomach, you can use a “little mermaid necklace”; it will support your head, and you won’t need to do it with your hand. There is another way to make a calmer transition from supports to independent swimming - these are “little mermaid pendants”. With them you support the child lightly to help him balance correctly on the surface of the water.
You can use a circle with a small diameter and teach your child to work with his arms and legs at the same time. An older child can be seated on the side of the pool. While you are in the pool, you call your child to you, and he will dive towards you. As a rule, children really like this exercise. To diversify the activities, you can use a variety of inflatable and floating toys, as well as toys that you can dive to the bottom for. At first, you can dive for one toy, then you can throw several rings or objects that the child can simultaneously grab and dive to the surface. The child also really likes these exercises.
Any method of swimming is based on the ability to exhale air into the water after take a deep breath. We need to teach this to a child. You can do this exercise. The child lies on the chest in a horizontal position supported by pendants or a belt. You lean towards his face and say tenderly:
“Look what mom or dad is doing. We blow on some water like this.” At the same time you type full breasts air and slowly exhale it to the very surface of the water. The child sees circles forming on the water. He likes it and tries to reproduce this action. You can blow on a light boat or any toy so that it moves through the water, and encourage the child to do this. After a few lessons, demonstrate to your child how to exhale into the water, immersing his mouth and nose in it. The bubbles that form on the surface of the water will attract the baby's attention, and he will want to do the same.
In a home bath, you can bathe your child naked, but in the pool it is better to wear panties or swimming trunks, because sometimes he may poop while swimming or diving. And in order not to dirty the water in the pool, it is advisable for the child to wear something. In swimming lessons, systematicity and regularity are very important.
As a rule, good results are achieved by those parents who calmly but constantly work with their children. At first, in the bath every day or at least 5 times a week, then when you move to the pool - 2-3 times a week. With this regime, the child does not lose acquired skills. Swimming gives him great pleasure.
With swimming lessons, your baby will learn a lot. He will learn to sit on his back, swim on his tummy, and most importantly, he will learn to dive, and this reflex will be fixed in him forever. But the most important thing is that you can give your child unique joy.
Instructions
It turns out that swimming is simply necessary for babies from birth, since it triggers the body’s natural reflexes, which means the brain begins to work harder. In later life, this will have a very good effect on the child’s intellectual abilities and his physical health. Cold and contrasting water procedures perfectly train the nervous and immune system child.
How to teach swimming? Classes with the child no earlier than half an hour after. Before this, the child is well warmed up with the help of reflex exercises. The child is lifted by placing his index fingers into his arms, spread his legs, alternately pull the baby to his elbows. Head baby it should not warp.
After preparation, they move on to swimming. There are two types of water procedures that can be carried out: diving in cold water(the baby will swim underwater) and swimming in warm water.
Why do doctors recommend cold water? Because after cold water the mucous membranes are strengthened, therefore the child’s vision improves. And warm water has a negative effect on mucous membranes. In addition, cold water hardens children's body.
When swimming in cold water, the bathtub is filled with water whose temperature is 15–17°C. The child is lowered into the water, held by the armpits. After the baby’s feet touch the water, he reflexively holds his breath, so he can be lowered into the water horizontally, face down. In a second or two the baby will begin to swim. According to another method, the child is carried out under water.
Before diving, the child needs to be told that “we are going to dive now.” Even a recently born baby understands words perfectly. A child can swim underwater for about 5 seconds.
If swimming is carried out in warm water or before diving the baby was distracted by play or relaxed, then before diving the baby needs to splash a little water on his face so that the reflex will work, and the child will have time to hold his breath and not get scared after sipping the water.
Diving in warm water is alternated with swimming. One hand is held on the baby’s chin, the other on the back of his head. You can walk your baby through the water on his back and then turn him over on his tummy. In the first life of a child, no more than 15 minutes.
Afterwards, the baby is taken out of the water, dried and wrapped warmly. The child should be allowed to catch his breath and recover from water procedures, and then fed if he has become hungry.
note
If you want to teach your child to swim, then it is also advisable to practice in the water during pregnancy. Parents who love water and know how to swim have more confidence in the advisability of activities with their baby. The ultimate goal is to teach a child by the age of one year, firstly, to float independently on the surface of the water for 20-30 minutes, and secondly, to dive to a shallow depth, get up from the bottom of the toy and swim underwater for 7-8 seconds.
How to teach a newborn to swim in the bathtub. It is best to start teaching a baby to swim in the first 2-4 weeks of life, since in the future the baby’s swimming reflexes will only fade away, and it is possible to start learning again no earlier than at 3 years old - when the child learns to better understand the words and explanations of his parents. The first immersion in water should only occur after receiving appropriate instructions from a pediatrician or swimming coach...
Instructions
A newborn baby is excellent at holding his breath at the reflex level. But after two, this skill is lost. Therefore, it needs to be restored and developed. And so that the baby does not get scared, try to make water procedures interesting.
You should teach your baby to swim and dive only after the navel has completely healed. As a rule, this period takes two to three weeks.
Before preparing your baby for water procedures warm it up by giving it a massage and doing a little exercise with it. For children under three, light strokes are enough; for older children, you can add more. The massage is performed over the entire body. To do this, lightly stroke and rub the baby's chest, tummy, and intercostal muscles. Do not touch the area of the nipples and heart!
Movements during the massage should be continuous. Stroke your tummy clockwise: such exercises have a beneficial effect on intestinal function. Lightly massage your arms and legs. After five to seven minutes you can move on to water activities.
Before diving, you need to teach your baby to hold his breath. Up to three months, while the reflex is not lost, this is not difficult. Blow lightly on your child's face. As a rule, babies themselves hold their breath. The child must understand the meaning of the word “dive.” Therefore, after performing several “figure eights” (this is one of the first skills you already have), in the bath say: “Let’s dive!” and blow on the baby. Repeat this exercise two to three times.
When the baby learns that after the word “dive” you need to hold your breath, begin to lightly spray and wash the baby with water. If you see that your child does not like such procedures, do not insist, put them off for a while. And repeat later.
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