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Waterbabies opions please
Hi Guys
Those of you who go to waterbabies or similar do you think it is worth the money and can/will your lo be swimming by the end off it???? I have thought about it for a while now it just seems so expensive and there is always going to be a week you will miss for one reason or another. I do take lo swimming at least once a fortnight and he does really enjoy but there is only so much I can do and can't really teach him to swim on my own????
What are your thoughts and experiences
Annette
also in toddler
Those of you who go to waterbabies or similar do you think it is worth the money and can/will your lo be swimming by the end off it???? I have thought about it for a while now it just seems so expensive and there is always going to be a week you will miss for one reason or another. I do take lo swimming at least once a fortnight and he does really enjoy but there is only so much I can do and can't really teach him to swim on my own????
What are your thoughts and experiences
Annette
also in toddler
0
Replies
We've only had one lesson with Water Babies so far and Olyvia is only 10 weeks old but I would definitely recommend it! I know it's quite expensive but I'd say it's defintiely worth the money (hopefully I'll still be saying that at the end of the course!). I think it's difficult to know exactly what to do/how to teach them to swim properly on your own. Also you do a lot of water safety in Water Babies lessons which I think is invaluable. And of course there is the famous swimming under water! The babies went under water on their first lesson last week! (I was sooo scared but SO proud of Lyvi).
Love NN and Olyvia xxx
It teaches them water safety at their age rather than how to swim. They have automatic reflexes under 1 whereby they can go under the water and just not take in the water or be freaked out. What we found is that if they do this at this tender age they don't seem to have any fear of water later on or problems with getting wet heads - unlike my generation! Matthew has swum every week since he was three months old and swims fantastically - happily the length of a 25 metre pool with technique of 4 year old sorts - ie. you can tell it's front crawl with face in the water not doggy paddle. Jack had to stop swimming at 1 on the advice of the hospital because of constant ear infections. At 2 1/2 he went back and swims okay, but doesn't seem to have the skill of Matthew. He will also swim 25 metres but without technique.
The water safety element works. At 1 one of Matthew's swimming palls fell in a pond, automatically bobbed up, turned round and swam back to whence he fell in and climbed out - to his mothers relief! For the peace of mind I think its beneficial - but to get the real benefit you need to keep taking them not stop like we had to. Some of Jacks friends started swimming at 4 1/2 with no previous experience and they seem happy to do what Jack is doing. Your choice!
As for the photos you don't generally need to do the classes to have a water photo shoot. Ours did them once a quarter and anyone cook book their 30 minute slot. Beware - they are very expensive and the likelyhood of getting more than 1 decent photo is slim. Remember the ones they show you are the best of thousands. We never had photos done, friends did, and were disappointed. But you may be lucky.
For a cheaper option, try public bathes. They aren't always ideal (our local only has lessons at 1-1.30 which is when DS is normally sleeping or eating) or the other pool tends to have frequent fire alarms so you end up standing in the middle of the city centre with foil bankets wrapped around you on a regular basis! They seem to be about 1/2 - 2/3rds the price of the specialist companies, but the water tends to be cooler and the general venue isn't always as great.
Personally I'm very impressed with what DS has learnt in a small space of time. We'll probably continue to do them until the summer and then review it as the cost does seem rather ott.
Having waffled on about what we do - if you already go swimming once a fortnight, then you might benefit going to a session of lessons to get some ideas of what to do, then carry on implementing the ideas on your own after a term or so. Either that, or there are supposed to be a few very good books which can provide a lot of ideas.
We've only done one lesson but so far so good. Really pleased and our girl loves it. She will even go in the shower now which is an added bonus.
Xxxx
I know that's possibly a little bit outspoken, and I know loads of people who disagree with me, but I think it's important to remember that WB's is a business and they will always encourage people to do it their way and to stay with them (as they did with me!). I found it a really difficult decision to take Daisy out of WB lessons and felt that I was letting her down and failing her in some way (a common theme in my life!) but now I realise it was the very best thing I could do for her...And I'm only talking about her...
Please don't shout at me for saying this - it's just good to get different opinions..
C xxx
We have it and I look at it an awful lot. Certainly significantly cheaper than one WBs lesson too!
Some people might say that it's your anxieties about dunking that your baby is picking up, but I don't agree.. I'm not in the slightest bit anxious about swimming or water - I love it! I've also just finished teaching the children in my class to swim and was in the water with them. Many of them have begun to love the water now and at least 10 can swim now, when they couldn't when they started.
Daisy is a very strong willed baby (!) and I know it's her telling me that she's not keen - yet she loves actually being in the water, getting her head and face wet and actually almost swimming at 11 months with my hand supporting her tummy. I honestly believe that not doing WB's is not detrimental to her development with swimming!!
Sorry for hijacking the original thread - can you tell I feel strongly about this one?!?! I think if WBs works for you, then great, but it's nothing to be ashamed of if it doesn't....
Good luck with your decision...
C xxxxx
I think it depends on thae baby and how sure you are of water. My OH is scared of anything happen and it took him7months to be able to play with Alfie in water incase of something happening and he won't hold Oskar at all in water. He has never taken Alfie swimming on his own because he doesn't feel confident.
i think you have to go on personal feelings and listen to your LO as I know some babies just don't like water.