Swimming For Babies

It's been some years since I have done it with my own kids but there is nothing more fun then taking a baby for a swim. I was watching some lessons the other with babies between six and twenty-four months and it was an absolute riot.

For those of you who are scared the baby will drown, don't be. They are buoyant and naturally enjoy it. Moms and Dads go into the pool with the infants. You always see pictures of mummies and babies but there is no reason why a Dad can't get right in there with the kid too. You can check at your local Y or community center to see what lessons are available.

The safest classes are the ones with the lower numbers. Be sure a qualified instructor teaches the class just in case there is an emergency. However mainly the lessons are designed to give your child confidence in the water. The best classes are the ones that are kept small. The smaller the class the better it probably is. Eight adults with one kid each in the water sounds right and there should be an instructor plus a lifeguard on duty as well.

If you child is uncomfortable then you can show him or her how easy it is by putting your face in the water. The hardest thing for any kid is to put the face in the water. It is natural for the child to be nervous at first. Be very encouraging and be prepared to be patient. This type of thing does not happen over night.

One way that worked for me was to blow bubbles in the water. Babies love this. It is similar to blowing on their tummy to make noises. You can also encourage the babies to jump into the pool by holding them on the edge. Get the baby used to leaping into your hands and then get then lower them more and more into the water with each leap.

The aim is not really swimming but more about confidence in the water. It would be a mistake to expect too much. You need to hold them up in the water and supervisee them at all times. It is a mistake to think that classes like this removes the risk of an accident.

You don't have to pay for classes either. You can also practice in a public pool or been in the bathtub. This is of course cheaper. The idea is to get your child to be as confident in the water as possible.

Whenever your child is near or in water simply be as cheery and fun as possible.
Lure your child in with toys and make sure the water is warm enough and your baby will soon lose any fear of water.

Parenting Tips
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Is Bottled Fancy Water Bad For Kids?

Is fancy water hurting your teeth? Fancy water is any water that has something added to it. Some dentists will tell you fancy waters that have flavor added are no substitute for tap water. Apparently the concern is that these bottled waters don’t contain enough fluoride to adequately protect and maintain your teeth from decay. Most of them don’t contain any fluoride at all. Fluoride is actually added to city water at the water filtration plant. This is terrible on your kid's teeth. I don't really give my kids more expensive flavored waters more often. Only when it is hot.

A controversy has been raging about whether or not fluoride actually causes tooth decay for more than a decade. There are some people that think that the addition of fluoride to our water is part of a big conspiracy to keep our teeth rotten and keep dentists in business. Does your kid need fluoride? This is something that you might want to do in moderation. I don't know what to do because all of the messages are so mixed so I make sure my kids drink half bottled water and half tap water. The key is variety when it comes to water types. That way you are hedging your bets. They are not getting too much fluoride from the tap water or too much artificial flavoring or even sugar (!) from bottled fancy waters.

People who love bottled water are very aware of their health, and tend to want to sample the water “straight from the source.” They think that because they are drinking water bottle straight from an iceberg or bubbling spring that it must be pure because it’s fancy water. However there are absolutely no regulations, worldwide or otherwise, that determine the overall purity of bottled fancy water. So I really do worry about my kids.

Before I give my kids any kind of doctored up water I make sure I read the label. Nowadays they are pepped up with all kinds of things. Mostly these substances are uppers and include things like ginseng. Sometimes really toxic stuff is added like food coloring.

You also see weird things on bottled water labels like ozone. Have any studies been done on what that could be doing to a kid? Apparently this helps the body absorb water faster but are there really any studies regarding that. There is no scientific evidence to back up this claim that oxygenated water is absorbed quicker by the water.

Flavored fancy water, the ones that have a hint of orange or lime in their brew are the favorites of many people who get sick of drinking their water plain. You can also get a charge one day drinking caffeine water. However you can just drink a cup of coffee for much cheaper. I don't feel like giving my kids a cup of water that is as peppy as a cup of coffee. Waters sometimes have things added to them like ginseng, kola nut and other natural uppers. Is your kid acting like he needs to go on Ritalin? Maybe the culprit is the additive in the water.

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