WHY DO THEY DO THAT? GOGGLES
April 1, 2024
Helping Swimmers Transition from Lessons to Team
January 31, 2025
Parents often ask us why we recommend starting swim lessons at 2 months. We could go on and on about the many reasons why earlier is better when it comes to swim lessons, but here’s the “short list”:
Reflex: Infants are born with many reflexes. The startle/Moro reflex is one that causes babies to inhale (perfect for breath control underwater!). Blowing gently in the baby’s face allows us to take advantage of this natural reflex when submerging infants.
Bonding: There are few activities parents can do with their non-mobile infant. Swim class provides myriad sensory stimuli including eye- and skin-to-skin contact. LPB provides a safe, clean and warm environment for parents and babies to connect.
Sleep: In our many years of teaching infant swim, we consistently receive parent feedback (and gratitude) about how well their babies sleep after swim class. All that sensory stimulation makes a growing baby sleepy.
Tummy Time: In swim class we primarily hold infants in a prone position. Teachers will teach you how to properly support your baby’s head, but we find that infants tend to hold their heads up very well in the water. We also practice tummy time on the magic carpet, further strengthening neck and back muscles. Humans evolved to see and gather information via tummy or a vertical position, not on their back.
Socialization: Songs and games on the magic carpet encourage infants to connect with their fellow classmates. Moms and Dads get to make new friends too, sharing stories about how much (or little) sleep they got the night before. We’ve had many LPB playgroups form over the years from our Baby and Me program.
Babies under 6 months swim free at LPB! Learn more here.
