Baby’s first trip to the pool is the start of a very exciting journey for both parent and child...
Try to make the first experience at the pool a happy one that the child will want to repeat and begin looking forward to.
Choose an optimal time of day, not one when the child is likely to be tired or hungry.
Don’t rush while you establish a new routine. For your first few lessons, just think of the pool as a “big bath”, and let the child simply play in the pool and get used to the seemingly vast expanses of water around them.
On your first trip to the pool, allow your child plenty of time to get accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of this new and strange environment.
Remember the child is experiencing a novel and very different location, situation and routine.
Observation helps to acclimatise a child, so talk them through the different areas of the pool. Show them the water, toys and the changing room. Tell them what a good time you both are going to have, and how you are going to play together in the pool just like you do in the bath.
Don’t pour or trickle any water on your child’s face during this initial trip. This is purely a chance for your baby to gain familiarity with the pool and to enjoy the water.
This is a great day for observing and bonding with your baby, and it is therefore vital that you take it slowly and calmly so that he or she leaves on a positive note and does not have any worries about their next trip to the pool.
