 |
|
| |
| |
|
Baby swimming is not at all a new phenomenon.
In countries with warm climate where people lived at the water’s
edge it has always been natural to take children into the
water.
In the western world baby swimming started as a separate activity
in the beginning of the 1960-ties. It developed about the
same time in the US, in Germany and in Australia. It came
to Scandinavia at the end of the 70-ties.
Different
aims!
In different countries you will see different ways of doing
baby swim.
In the US you can see quite a few private swim schools where
swimming skills and water safety aspects are in focus. "Drown-proofing"
is a way of teaching children to save themselves by back floating
until somebody rescues them.
In Russia they have done studies that show that babies who
train swimming early on are healthier. In Germany the focus
has been on motor stimulation. Studies made in Cologne have
shown that early swimming stimulates the development of the
child.
In
Sweden, for example the primary aim from the beginning was
to be together as a family. It was a chance for the father
to take an active part in caring for the little baby. For
the past ten years we have seen a rapid development aimed
towards a more focused education. But it still differs a lot
even within Sweden.
Read more in the Baby swim book!
|
|
| |
