Conditioning with cups in the bath is not always possible. Some houses do not have a bath. Often when families go away on holidays they only have access to a shower. In this video we see Evie at 4 months on holidays with her family. Evie is practicing her swimming skills away from the pool and swim lessons. She is working on her conditioning in the shower. Her mother uses the trigger words and places Evie gently under the shower.
Signs of conditioning show us when a baby is ready to go under water. As Evie’s mother says the trigger words “Evie, ready go” she closes her eyes and holds her breath. This shows us that she is conditioned and ready for a submersion under the water at the pool.
Now we can extend baby’s breath control and prepare her for longer submersions. Once a baby is closing eyes and holding breath in the shower we can put her under the shower for longer. This will aid in swimming longer distances and staying under water for longer periods of time. A good start is to count to 3 while the water runs over the baby’s head. Once baby has mastered 3 seconds we then lengthen the amount of time she is under the shower. It’s important to go slow in this process so we don’t frighten the baby.
What other skills do you teach in the shower to prepare baby for swimming lessons?