Why we love baby swimming classes – Waterbabies

Life with a toddler, Life with baby
Baby swimming underwater on holiday following Waterbabies class
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I thought it was about time I wrote about one of our favourite classes of the week. Maybe that should that be year, or maybe ever! We’ve been doing baby swimming classes with Waterbabies since Toddler H was 10 weeks old. At first, although she loved the water, and loved being under the water, she wasn’t so keen once she came back out. I quickly realised it was my fault, I was anticipating her reaction every time, waiting with baited break. It was my anxious look every time that was throwing her off. I’d have the goggles on, and duck under the water to watch her kick to the surface. She looked happy. She looked happy enough until she properly saw my face waiting for her reaction. My anxious face. So, after our fabulous instructor broke the news that it was mummy’s fault, I turned on my happy face and smiled and laughed like a crazy person. Then, after a few weeks she was fine.

I chose Waterbabies as they have been going sooooo long their instructors have many years of experience and a very high standard of training. They know exactly what their doing and how to fix any issues. Our instructor is so helpful and the little ones love her. She also warns us of any potential issues, like teething, or the feet on the ground realisation some little ones go through when they’ve figured out walking. As we as parents are prepared for these water wobbles, we can address them and know what’s going on. It’s just a wobble and a week or two later they’ll be fine.

H is now 22 months old and we’ve been swimming every single week since. We love her Waterbabies class as it’s so structured, but incredibly fun. Seeing how she’s developed and how amazing her kicking is is so rewarding. I loved seeing her swim today, she used the woggle float (and I take my hands away only holding the woggle), she was doing it all on her own and had the biggest grin on her face. I find it incredible, here she is, 22 months old, using the woggle as a float and giggling away. To be honest she’s been doing that for months, since before 18 month. Since then she (and her swimmates) have been so confident climbing in and out of the water, swimming herself between her teacher and me, as well as that all important life skill, swimming to the wall to hold on and climb out. She squealed throughout our lesson today, so excited. It was infectious, and I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since. She just loves swimming and every week when I tell her, we’re going swimming today, she smiles. she always has. If you been reading for a while, you might remember this old post, and how I used to get her excited with the Poo Song before swimming as I was paranoid.

There is another thing that makes swimming fun. Fabulous friends. This morning started off brilliantly, when she got out of the car she spotted her little friend and she started yelling “hello, hello, hello, hello” I’m pretty sure there was a “yay” as well! It’s funny what she picks up from me. I’m a person who hates swearing and am so glad she’ll come out with happy words like “yay” and “smile” (or mostly “cheese” for the camera). I’m so happy she’s happy.

We definitely have bad days, or weeks, or the occasional phases, with swimming. Sometimes just a pesky tooth can throw her off, but we still go and have some fun, and like us, once she’s there with her friends she perks right up.

Now we’re getting through the lessons they have progressed quite far and the biggest squeals and excitement comes from jumping in (well, the instructor throws them in to us). The splash is huge. Actually today, H was in top form and her splashes drenched both of us and those around us. I think she squeals even more when mummy drenched! Most of the pool water went up my nose, and surely her’s too, but she laughed away and started climbing out for more. They all love it, and get absolutely soaked as they go under when they splash in. I’m so glad we persevered through some of the iffy phases. It’s just such an amazing life skill to learn so young. I know H can kick, I know she can climb out. She can swim to the side and move along it holding on. 

But amongst those amazing skills, crucially, I know she can swim to the surface, to the side and hold on or climb our. 

Yes, lessons are expensive, but I know she enjoys it so much and it’s a skill I don’t want her to loose.

Here’s a video of H at 11 months swimming underwater to the surface… Look at those legs kicking away propelling her along.

We do other classes, from baby massage and yoga to boogie beats and we love them all, they each have their advantages. We always have fun and H learns a life or toddler skill too. I love practising these skills at home: from 1,2,3, Stop, to 1,2,3, Jump! And of course just dancing like an idiot. Copying mummy dancing like a crazy person is a life skill, isn’t it? As H doesn’t go to nursery, I think it’s great for her to have some structure in among all the free play and toddler cheeky monster moments. For a girl obsessed with doors, she’s now decided that climbing in the window to her Little Tikes car is the best option. Seriously, she’s got in down to a tee!

Have you a favourite class? Have you tried baby swimming classes?

Lynne x
 PS Although I mention Waterbabies, we pay for our classes and have not been compensated for writing this. We really think teaching little ones to swim is important and thoroughly enjoy and recommend the Waterbabies classes we do. I did a lot of research before choosing Waterbabies and felt they had the most experience and taught the best life saving skills.  

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13 Comments

  • Reply
    Lianne
    November 9, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    I wish we’d have done something like this when my boys were babies as neither are that confident in the water. #bestandworst

  • Reply
    Amy
    November 9, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Oh I so wanted to do Waterbabies with my first I just never did! Maybe I’ll have to bite the bullet this time and take Baby! Regardless they will definitely be doing swimming lessons when they are older 🙂 #bestandworst
    Amy recently posted…A Family Day Out At Paultons Family Theme Park My Profile

  • Reply
    Fi - Beauty Baby and Me
    November 10, 2016 at 9:33 am

    Ahhh this is SO lovely! Josh loves swimming although I do just go to a private hire pool I do wonder if I should go to waterbabies so Josh learns a bit more. You’ve got me tempted to book it up now! xx #coolmumclub

  • Reply
    Talya
    November 10, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    That’s so fab that he has been going from such a young age…he’s going to be an Olympic champion!

  • Reply
    MMT
    November 10, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    We just started the mouse in baby lessons since September – it’s been mostly brilliant. The only problem is she gets sooooo cold in the water, I think because she is so tiny. I just bought her a tiny wetsuit so hoping that warms her cockles for more swimming smiles 🙂
    Thanks for linking to #coolmumclub lovely xx
    MMT recently posted…#coolmumclub Linky week 44My Profile

  • Reply
    Alana - Burnished Chaos
    November 11, 2016 at 7:06 pm

    This is great. I took my son to waterbabies from 12 weeks and he loved it. Unfortunately they changed the times of the classes when my daughter was born and they always clashed with her nap. We did try altering her nap and going swimming but she was always so overtired and cranky it was doing more harm that good so we stopped after a few months. Now she’s a bit older and not so reliant on naps I really need to look into starting again.
    #bestandworst

  • Reply
    Sarah Howe
    November 13, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    She sounds like she loves it (and you too!) I really need to get the grem to swimming lessons now she is 3. We never did the classes but she loves the water. It’s lovely you and your little one have shared this for so long. Thanks for sharing with -#bestandworst x
    Sarah Howe recently posted…My Happy Week #37My Profile

  • Reply
    Emma T
    February 7, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    We did Water Babies from around 12 weeks to when he graduated aged 4. I loved the classes, although N’s water wobbles lasted a year so we did have a term off before they managed to get us back and there was a magical transformation with a week to go before we cancelled again. He was the only one in the class not to leave having been able to swim 10 metres unaided, and even now a year down the line he can’t swim more than a couple of metres without a float. He’s just not a swimmer naturally, and until he went to normal children’s lessons he couldn’t even get himself out of the water. I’m gutted he wasn’t able to progress faster, especially now even though he is doing really well, but I wouldn’t have carried on swimming through the hard times without Water Babies! #triedtested

  • Reply
    Fiona Cambouropoulos
    February 7, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    I support you all the way, we did swimming classes from as young as I could take them as I was always scared of letting them roam our farm alone before they could swim well with 2 lakes and a river here. there is no water babies near us but they sound fab. #triedtested
    Fiona Cambouropoulos recently posted…Revolting Rhymes from Roald Dahl is BackMy Profile

  • Reply
    Colette B
    February 7, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    I do baby (well toddler) swimming with Amy and love it. It’s the one thing I really regret not doing with the other two when they were little.
    Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested this week x
    Colette B recently posted…Would you know what to do if a flood warning was issued?My Profile

  • Reply
    Louise Fairweather
    February 8, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    Aw we did waterbabies and loved them. the only problem is that my boys now like going under water so much they don’t listen to the instructions! #TriedTested
    Louise Fairweather recently posted…Date Delivered Review And Giveaway!My Profile

  • Reply
    Happy List 15 - nesting, garden, dinner - New Mummy Blog
    April 29, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    […] you might have seen me mention before, Toddler H does Waterbabies and absolutely loves it. She can swim so far on a woggle with no help from me and this week she was […]

  • Reply
    Woohoo! We're Konfidence Swimologist Ambassadors! ... & a #giveaway - New Mummy Blog
    June 29, 2018 at 1:54 am

    […] Konfidence are a brand which knows how important it is babies learn to swim, and provide the best swimwear to make sure that happens. We also love their float swim jacket for Toddler H – it’s brilliant on holiday! You might be reading because you follow the blog or us on social media, perhaps you get emails with my posts (thank you for subscribing!), or perhaps you stumbled here, or found this post through a google search. Well if you’re new to baby swimming, considering taking your little one swimming for the first time, or considering swimming lessons this is the place to learn more! This isn’t the first time I’ve written about the importance of, or why we love baby swimming classes. […]

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