Water Babies offers swimming lessons for babies and toddlers in Kent

We’ve all seen those Nirvana-style baby swimming pictures - tranquil, gorgeous, squidgy baby calmly floating in crystal blue water.

But the notion of baby swimming goes far beyond that depicted on an album cover, with lessons now carefully designed to teach even the youngest of little fishes the very basics in water confidence and vital life skills.

Simon Dallender runs Water Babies lessons in Kent. The father-of-three says teaching babies and toddlers to be confident in the water is the biggest lesson when it comes to water safety. And with drowning now the third biggest killer of children in the UK under-five years of age, he believes they are skills everyone should have.

Children, he says, who are very used to being in the water are those less likely to freeze if something goes wrong. “They don’t panic” He explained. “They are more likely to do something about it. If they are confident, they will act.”

Whether they are three weeks or three months, Water Babies is ready to take them swimming – with warmer hydrotherapy pools the starting point for the youngest and smallest swimmers.

As well as giving them an element of freedom they are yet to find on dry land, the lessons give infants a physical workout strengthening heart and lungs and improving muscle control.

And regardless of their age, infant aqauatics involves far more than letting them splash water for 30 minutes. Showing basic commands, expecting them to follow instructions, repetition, rhyming songs and routine are all helping to stimulate their senses and helping to form the neural pathways so instrumental to their ongoing brain and physical development.

While studies in Scandanavia, Simon says, have highlighted marked differences between those who do and don’t swim as youngsters, Water Babies is currently taking part in a study of its own with Manchester University. He also regularly gives talks to antenatal groups about the benefits of swimming with a baby.

It doesn’t take long for little faces to soon recognise exactly what is required of them

Two of the earliest commands teachers pass onto little swimmers are those of ‘*name*, ready, go’ to warn a baby water is coming over their face or that they are about to go under the water and ‘hold-on, hold-on’ for the moment they rise to the surface or come to the side, in order to encourage them to reach out for something to grab. (This then progresses to learning how to climb out as they grow in strength and size.)

In the unlikely event of an emergency it is hoped both ingrained instructions will help a youngster to remain calm and act upon the things they have learnt in class - although both have their uses in everyday life with parents adopting the commands for everything from a stress-free bath and hair wash to holding on a shopping trolley or even tricycle.

And it doesn’t take long for little faces to soon recognise exactly what is required of them with flickers in their eyes or a few quick blinks as they prepare for the water on their face or seeing little fingers start to stretch and wriggle for the side long before they’re old enough take their own body weight.

The firm also has many documented cases of children from its classes up and down the country who have got themselves out of difficulty using the skills gained in class.

And while the physical act of swimming is important it can sometimes be a drop in the ocean, Simon says, for many families who get much from a weekly class than just a dip in the pool.

His own family first came into contact with Water Babies in 2005 when looking for an activity he could do with his first daughter Millie while wife Fiona was taking on more of the day-to-day essential care. He said: “I was blown away. This was exactly what I wanted. It gave me confidence, it was ‘our thing’.”

Bonding time, a focussed session away from the distractions of everyday life, the opportunity to make friends and a ready-made support network of people all experiencing the joys and difficulties of parenthood at the same time cannot, he says, be underestimated.

There are also no restrictions and few limitations for those children with a disability – making it an incredibly inclusive experience for all.

“Having a baby is isolating” he said. “These friendships are so important to us.

“We want to have a big impact on people’s lives. I consider myself really lucky to be part of these children’s worlds.”

Simon and his Water Babies team offer classes across Kent. For further information telephone 01622 729989 or click here.