Baby Swimming Lessons – Ages 6 to 24 months
Florida Swim Company offers a variety of private and semi-private, infant swimming lessons. Your private, swim teacher will come to your home or community pool to teach either a "Mommy & Me" style type swim class or an Instructor & Infant swim class. Classes are offered in a one-on-one, private setting or, if you have friends with infants, you may invite them to do a group class with you and your child.
Parent & Baby (“Mommy & Me / Daddy & Me”)
You have the opportunity to join the swimming instructor in the water and help teach your child essential aquatic skills. These lessons take a relaxed approach, using toys, games, songs, and fun activities to gently introduce your baby to the water. During these sessions, the instructor will introduce your little ones to the following skills:
- "Monkey Walking" on the Pool Walls
- Bubble Blowing, Water Acclimation & Voluntary Submerging
- Back Floats & Front Floats with Support
- Kicking Drills Arm Movement Drills Swimming on Front & Back with/without Support
This option works especially well for shy children or for friends who want to enjoy a fun class together! Each class can accommodate up to four parent-and-baby pairs alongside the instructor.
Instructor & Infant Only Swim Lessons
If you prefer to stay out of the water, these swimming lessons are for you! Instructor will teach the following skills to infants:
- Entering & Exiting the Pool Safely
- Introduction to “Monkey Walking” Pool Walls
- Blowing Bubbles and Submerging
- Back Floats & Front Floats with Support
- Changing Direction with Support
- Swimming on the Front with and without
- Support Swimming on the Back with and without Support
Aquatic readiness is based on developmental age, maturity and previous aquatic experience. Aquatic skills parallel land-based readiness – as muscular control improves, so will paddling and kicking skills.
Tips for Baby Swim Lessons - Practice, Practice, Practice!
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR It may take 1-3 lessons for your infant to feel comfortable with their instructor. Many babies are naturally wary of strangers and may not like being separated from mom and dad. While all of our instructors are highly qualified and carefully selected, each has a unique teaching style. We encourage you to ask your instructor questions and discuss any concerns during the lessons. If, after the second or third lesson, you feel that the instructor isn't a good fit for your child, please contact the office promptly to explore a different option. Your child might respond better to a more relaxed teacher, or perhaps they need someone more assertive. Open communication with both the instructor and the office staff is essential for your child's success.
KEEP POOL TIME FUN When in the pool outside of lessons, practice skills and cues with infant in-between fun activities. Children are more willing to participate when in good mood. Experiment with toys, songs, and games to see what your child responds best to.
DESENSITIZATION TO WATER The main challenge in teaching young children to swim is helping them feel comfortable putting their faces underwater. This is an essential skill for them to develop so they can progress in their swimming lessons. During classes, we use various techniques to encourage kids to dip their faces underwater, but we also suggest that parents practice this at home by gently pouring water over their children's faces during bath or shower time. It's important to make this a fun and positive experience to help your child realize that it’s not so scary after all!
TEMPERATURE The warmer the child the better. Water temperature is always important in swim lessons, but because infants make less movement than children, keeping the water well above 82 degrees Fahrenheit will promote better moods. Rash guards (swim shirts) are another excellent way to help keep infants comfortable in the water.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT We ask that if parents are present for swim lessons, reward positive behaviors. Every time a child performs a skill correctly, it's a HUGE deal and should be praised. If a child does not perform the skill correctly, we simply don't respond and try again. We highly discourage any negative remarks before, during or after a child's swim lesson.
TRUST THE PROCESS Learning to swim is similar to a baby learning to crawl, walk, or sleep through the night—each child will develop these skills at their own pace, and that’s completely fine! It’s important not to compare your child's progress with others. Your baby will master swimming in their own time, so we encourage you to be patient and keep supporting your child throughout this journey.