Q. "Should Mom/Dad go in the water with the baby?"
A. Yes. It would be a shame to deny the parents this wonderful bonding experience. Developmentally infants are not ready to be separated from their parents anyway. Learning to swim always holds some element of anxiety. To separate infants from their parents when they are anxious is adding insult to injury. Besides, and anxious child cannot learn.

Q. "Is there such a thing as drown proofing?"
A. No. There is no such thing as drown proofing. No one is ever drownproof. The American Academy of Paediatricians warns against the term 'drownproof' giving parents a false sense of security besides condemning this approach to teaching. It is regarded as physically and emotionally damaging for the infant.

Q. "What are a baby's natural/instinctive swimming reflexes?"
A. These tail off within the first three months of life so it is of little use to discuss these vestiges of our amphibian past as they do not contribute to learning to swim.

Q. "How do you choose a swimming teacher?"
A. Contact Swimming South Africa. See the guidelines published by Swimming South Africa. Check that the swim school has the same guidelines.

Q. "Should lessons be one on one or groups?"
A. Group lessons stimulate a natural learning experience. It is more fun and relaxing for infants to learn in groups. A parent or trusted adult must accompany the infant in the water.

Q. "What's the ideal water temperature for babies?"
A. The water should always feel comfortable to be in. You will instantly know that the water is too cool by the infant's reaction when put in the water. Newborn infants would need warmer water to be comfortable than older babies. The temperature could be slightly less as infants become more used to being in the water especially if they are becoming more active. The air temperature should ideally be warmer than the water as cold air blowing over wet heads causes a rapid drop in body temperature.

If the pool is indoors the water should definitely be over 28 degrees Celsius for very young and passive babies. The air temperature should be at least 2 degrees warmer. If babies have to be in the water for a certain length of time as with swimming lessons, water temperature of 31-32 degrees Celsius is ideal. If the pool is outside, the weather will determine how warm the water should be for it to be comfortable.

Q." What happens if the baby starts crying and gets upset?"
A. When babies cry they are communicating discomfort. The reason for crying in the water does not necessarily mean that the water is causing them the discomfort. Babies normally respond positively to being in water that is warm and comfortable. When babies cry and get upset in the water it could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps the orientation process has gone too fast or the lesson is too noisy. Perhaps there are too many in the group or baby is tired. Perhaps he is hungry or has a wind. You should look for any other reason baby is upset before getting out of the water. Getting out of the water before establishing the reason may cause baby to associate water with whatever it is that is causing the distress. This will make it more difficult next time you bring him to lessons. Turn to the instructor to help you decide the reason for your baby's crying and getting upset. Only then will you be able to respond appropriately.

Q. "What are the best reasons for baby swimming lessons (to orientate your baby with water, make them water proficient/confident, or drownproofing?)"
A. It would depend on the need. In South Africa and countries like the Southern United States of America, South America, and Australia, the drowning rate is high and young children should be made as safe as possible in and around water from the youngest possible age.

Q. "What about the methods some swimming teachers use by throwing the baby in the water? Do you think that system works? If not, what's wrong with it?"
A. As far as I am concerned, it is child abuse. Infants are put through a terrifying life threatening ordeal to justify their parents' outdoor life style of home pools.

Q. "At what age can a baby start with lessons?"
A. Swimming lessons can start in the baby bath after birth as soon as the umbilical cord has healed. Care must be taken that baby does not swallow any water. Provided baby does not swallow any water, lessons can continue in the family bath when the infant has outgrown the baby bath. At about 5 months of age, baby can be taken into the home pool for not more than 5-10 minute sessions at first, provided the water is tepid and the weather is warm and comfortable. The maximum time spent in the water should not exceed 30 minutes. If the pool is indoors the water should be over 28 degrees Celsius with the air temp 2 degrees warmer otherwise it should be at least 31-32 degrees. Always take care that baby does not swallow any water. Babies under 6 months of age should not be taken into public pools. Their immune system is still immature before then and incapable of coping with common waterborne germs.

The reason for starting so young is to keep the infants in tune with the familiarity of a liquid environment as that experienced in the womb. But parents must be warned that there are risks to taking very young children into water. The American Academy of Paediatricians does not recommend swimming lessons as such for children under 4 years of age.

Q. "What do they learn at baby swim classes?"
A. That depends on the level of development of the infant. However, as soon as infants are able to support their heads they are almost ready to float. The backfloat is the earliest possible survival skill infants can perform but toddlers do not take as readily to learning the backfloat as younger infants. They take more happily to other swimming skills that also greatly improve their safety. A good teacher will focus on these skills in the process of teaching them to swim. Toddlers who have had lessons from a very early age are capable of getting around in the characteristic doggy paddle manner from about 16 months of age.

Q. "Who can teach these specialised classed?"
A. According to the recommendations of the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) 'Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers' (RE 9940, vol.105 No 4) infant swim teachers require an education in the cognitive and motor limitations of infants, the inherent risks of water, the strategies for prevention of drowning, and the role of adults in supervising and monitoring the safety of their little ones in and around water.

Q. "How many classes must a baby attend before he is able to help himself?"
A. This largely depends on the approach to teaching. A child-centred approach to teaching allows babies to learn at their own pace and there is no saying exactly how long it will take a baby to master a specific level of safety. It mostly depends on the individual baby. The adult centred approach, on the other hand, forces the desired behaviour on the baby in a set period of time. This often proves traumatic for the baby. It is best to avoid swim schools that promise results in a set period of time.

How the baby feels about water should also be taken into account. Babies who have grown fearful of water will need time to adjust before the learning process can even begin. The frequency and regularity of lessons is important as well. Perhaps the most important contributing factor to rate of learning would the attitude of the parent or adult who accompanies the baby in the water.

Q. "What risks are attached to swimming / floating lessons?"
A. The risk of taking very young children into water is a matter of concern to the American Academy of Paediatricians (AAP). The AAP warns against infants under six months of age being taken to public pools because of their immature immune system. Though older infants may be better equipped to cope with normal waterborne germs, they are never the less at risk to the spread of communicable diseases. This is especially of concern in countries where standards of hygiene and water purity are generally non existent or poorly enforced.

The swallowing of large quantities of water in a relatively short period of time resulting in a condition know as hyponatremia or water intoxication, is a further matter of concern. Hyponatremia is a potentially fatal condition in which diluted blood passes into the brain cells and can ultimately result in swelling of brain tissue and seizures. Teaching methods that involve excessive submersion should definitely be avoided.

Hypothermia is another matter of concern. Warm water is essential when teaching infants to swim. Infants are more prone to hypothermia than adults. They lose body heat much faster than adults because they have a larger body area in comparison to their body volume. Moreover, the head is a predominantly sensitive heat regulator and as it is always wet while learning to swim, infants may become hypothermic much sooner than expected. The immune system is compromised even when an infant is only mildly hypothermic.

Q. "What precautions can parents take to prevent drowning?"
A. There is nothing more effective to prevent drowning than constant supervision within arms length of the child in conjunction with swimming lessons by suitably qualified instructors who focus primarily on safe behaviour in and around water. Instructors who focus entirely on getting the child to stay afloat or to swim at the expense of spending time establishing a safe behaviour pattern before all else, are considered to be putting the child at a greater risk of drowning.

Q. "Are swimming lessons essential for a baby/toddler? Motivate."
A. There are various approaches to teaching infants to swim. If not gone about the right way, swimming lessons may even attribute to a toddler drowning. So it would be incorrect to say that swimming lessons are essential for a baby/toddler. Unless focus is on teaching toddlers safe behaviour in and around water, swimming lessons could be potentially harmful.

Q. "When is the best age to start with swimming lessons and why?"
A. Ideally infants should be kept in tune with an aquatic environment from birth so as to avoid them becoming fearful of water. In the first months of life there is no better place to do this than in the family bath. Infants should only be exposed to swimming pools when their immune system is mature enough to cope with common waterborne germs. This would be at about 6 months of age. Parents should note that there is no regulation as to water purity and hygiene at the multitude of swim schools throughout the country and swimming lessons could be at the expense of the child's health.

Q."Is it necessary to take your child to a swimming school or can you teach him at home?"
A. Parents make the best teachers if they know what to do. Teaching their own child to swim is a most enriching and rewarding experience that should not be denied parents. An approach to teaching that teaches parents to become teachers to their children is highly recommended.

The first course infants attend when they are signed up with AQUATOTS Swim Program is the 12 lesson Introduction/Foundation Course. I firmly believe it is a must for every parent. It is tantamount to a parent education in infant swimming. Parents who have been through the course have a good grasp on the ins and outs of infant swimming and are adequately equipped to teach their child further. I even believe that the course is as important as a basic first aid course for parents.

Q." What do you do when your child starts attending swimming lessons, but after a while refuses to continue? Do you stop it for a while, or do you persevere?"
A. Swimming lessons should always be enjoyable. Young children should learn in a play-directed manner and should never be under pressure to learn at a fixed pace or attain a certain level in a set time. If the pace is too fast and the lessons are not enjoyable, the child will naturally not want to come back for more.

Q." If your child has a fear of water, what is the best way to overcome this?"
A. Children who have a fear of water should be allowed to explore the learning space on their own level of ability and at their own pace. This can only be done in water that is shallow enough for them to stand in.

Q. "Can a child forget how to swim? (If a child has learnt how to swim, does he have to practise swimming regularly, or it is like bicycle riding something you never forget?)"
A. This depends on how well the child has learned to swim. Children who can jump or dive in and comfortable swim 8 metres or more, rotate and swim on their backs for several metres further will retain the skill until the next season after which it is a skill they will always be able to perform just like riding a bicycle, once learnt never forgotten.

Q. "What are your rights as a parent at a swimming school? Can you interfere when you feel the coach is forcing your child to do something he is not ready for yet?"
A. Absolutely. Parents are far too accepting. They should not hesitate to question and cross question the instructor. Instructors who cannot come up with satisfactory answers should be avoided. Parents should never sign up at a swim school unless they are perfectly happy with the set up.