Teaching your child to swim will help keep them safe and can be a lot of fun. Even small children can go to the pool, but make sure you follow these tips to take care of them when you take them swimming. Newborns can’t swim – they need to learn, just like they learn to walk. But most babies enjoy being in the water, and their reflexes mean they can do basic swimming moves.
Children can walk in the water from birth. However, they cannot regulate their temperature like adults, so it is very important to ensure that they do not get cold. Babies can also pick up the infection from the water. So it’s generally best to wait until your baby is about 2 months old before taking them swimming with you. You don’t have to wait until your child is vaccinated to start swimming. If your child is under 6 months old, make sure the pool is heated to around 32°C. A large public pool will be too cold for a child under 6 months old.