My aunty loves to tell the tale of how she learnt to swim. Apparently she was six months old when her grandpa, my great grandfather Reford, decided to drop her into a river off a low wharf to “get her used to the water”. Though she says she took to it like a fish, don’t go getting any ideas, parents (and grandfathers!) – this really isn’t the way to go about teaching your own munchkin to swim! But getting her familiar with water is certainly important.

Drowning is the biggest cause of accidental death in children under the age of five in Australia, with one child dying every week as a result. “The figure is quite shocking,” says Christine Erskine, Executive Officer of Kidsafe NSW, so as well as making water safety a top priority around the home and when out and about, “it’s really important that kids are taught to swim and to be safe and confident around the water.”

Swimming lessons can certainly give your child a chance. A 2009 study conducted by America’s National Institute for Health found participating in formal swimming lessons to reduce the risk of drowning

by 88 per cent in children aged one to four years.

There are physical benefits to learning how to swim, too. Last year, Norwegian research found that kids who learnt to swim as babies (between three and seven months) tended to have better balance and were better at reaching for and grasping things than non-swimming littlies at five years of age.

Government-endorsed organisation Swim Australia also notes that because water offers such freedom of movement it can allow bubs to exercise more muscles, promoting strength and potentially leading to the early acquisition of important skills such as walking. And let’s not forget that spending time together in the water is also a good bonding activity that both Mum and Dad can get in on!

If you’re ready to get started, then, read on for all you need to know…

Wondering where to begin?

“You can start teaching babies to swim as soon as they come home from the hospital. Their first bath, in fact, is a swimming lesson,” says former Olympic swimming coach Laurie Lawrence, who now runs a swim school in Brisbane and is the man behind the Kids Alive – Do the Five water safety program.

“If first encounters with water are done in a loving, caring manner that’s not forced, the baby will get to love the water and look forward to her baths and, later, her proper swimming lessons.”

When it comes to bathtime, the first order of the day is to let bub enjoy the relaxing, warm water on her body, Laurie says, letting her experience the buoyancy of her little arms and legs and gently swirling the water around and over her. You can also use a face washer to gently get her used to water on her face, but do so with her propped up and properly supported so that water doesn’t run up her nose or into her little mouth. You can use a baby bath for these bath times, but depending on how comfortable you are, even in the early days you can move to your regular tub, Laurie says, filling it to a shallow level and getting in there with her.

The bath is also a great place to learn floating and movement through the water when your baby is a little older.

Breath basics

After bub’s initial familiarisation with water, from about two weeks of age you can move to the next step: beginning to teach breath control. This bit can be a bit scary – not so much for bub, but for Mum and Dad! If you’re in the family tub, one of you should be in with your little one, sitting her up with one hand across her chest, one open hand supporting her head, neck and upper back, and your lower body supporting hers. The other parent then gives the child a cue by saying her name and then the words ‘ready, go’ (“Ruby, ready, go”), waits a second and then pours a cup of the bath water on top of bub’s head, letting it run down her face.

It’s natural for bubbas to stiffen a bit when this happens, but don’t panic! “Babies pick up on what their parents are feeling,” Laurie says, so it’s important to remain calm and relaxed. If, however, your little one is crying or ends up swallowing water (be sure to keep her sitting upright to help avoid this), stop and try again next bathtime.

Aim to do this three or four times each bathtime, Laurie says, starting with about half a cup of water each pour. By doing this in conjunction with the verbal ‘ready, go’ cue and by gradually progressing to longer pours – moving up to a full cup and then a larger cup – your baby will be slowly learning to hold her breath. This breath training will eventually allow her to experience going underwater for the first time when she’s older.

Lessons learnt

Splashing around at home is all well and good, but what about formal lessons? “After exploring and playing in shallow water together, you can start looking towards taking your child to swimming lessons,” Laurie says.

The Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA) recommends littlies start formal swimming programs at four months of age. By this age, bub has more control over her head and neck, has had time to become familiarised with water through bathtime and play, and her immune system has had time to strengthen, says ASCTA and Swim Australia CEO Ross Gage.

“Starting this young keeps the baby ‘at one with the water’, a comfort that results in a relaxed, confident learner – the best kind for skill acquisition,” Ross says. “Importantly, though, it’s never too late to start!”

When you’re looking to begin lessons, a skilled teacher and qualified swim school are essential. Ask around and see if there’s a school in your local area that comes highly recommended, or hop online

to find a school registered with a reputable, nationally recognised body such as Swim Australia or AUSTSWIM.

Ross advises you then contact a prospective school to find out details, such as when classes are run and “go and watch the lessons to ensure you are comfortable with the venue and approach.”

A few things to look for:

• That all staff hold nationally recognised swimming teaching or coaching qualifications and current first aid certificates.
• That the facility is well maintained and clean, with clear water. “Good swim schools will test their water quality at regular intervals throughout the day and be happy to share the results,” a Swim Australia fact sheet notes.
• That the air and water temperature are warm.
• That class numbers are small and the classes offer quality, repetitive practice.

As with choosing any type of school, make sure it’s a place both you and your child feel comfortable, with friendly and helpful staff.

Pool progression

Over time, swimming lessons will teach your littlie everything from getting in and out of the water safely to floating, moving through the water and ultimately developing strokes.

Until two or three years of age, your munchkin will need a parent or carer in the water with her – you’re there for both physical and emotional support. At The Laurie Lawrence Swim School, parents stay in the water until the kids turn four. This is because children don’t have fine motor skills or muscle control until this age and need parents to help with manipulation in the water, Laurie says.

There’s no definite timeline as to how swimming skills will or should develop – all children are individuals and will progress differently. A regular and consistent approach, however, is important. With children under five years, “long-term skill retention and muscle memory are just beginning to develop… [so] a break in lessons that stretches over many months will often result in a loss of skills,” Swim Australia notes.

“Being in a position to have more than one lesson per week is a big help,” Ross says, and if you have a pool at home, even better. “Frequent play in the water extends a child’s understanding of what she can and can’t do, as well as her feel for the water. Being able to getto a public pool to play in the water with your child will have the same benefits.”

But if you have a pool in your backyard, is a swim school really necessary? Maybe not. Laurie explains that there are plenty of different learn-to-swim programs parents can follow online, and he’s also recently launched ‘Baby Swim’ – an app for iPhones and iPads that parents can use to teach their bubs themselves.

Keep in mind, though, that there’s a social aspect to formal swimming lessons that can be good for a different part of your child’s development as well!

However, even after the basics are out of the way, there’s still more to learn. “As a child gets older, she’ll find herself in different aquatic situations that require new or more advanced skills,” Ross says, which is why sticking with swimming throughout childhood is so valuable.

“Swimming is fun and important for fitness, health and safety,” Laurie adds, “so keep it up!”

More on water safety:

• The safe outdoors
• Beginner's guide to bath time
• Keep watch with the Royal Life Saving Society Australia
• Teaching your child to swim