Swimming with small babies

S

sunnyk

Registered User
My son is just two months old but I'm keen to take him swimming fairly soon- any recommendations for public (indoor) pools that are heated to a warm enough temp for babies and have good facilities? Also, has anyone got experience of the 'Harry Wright International' swimming courses or any other baby swimming lessons? Thanks!
 
I really like Harry Wright. I didn't start with them until my daughter was more like 10 months - but I think they're really good. I think they start at 4 months though. We go to the pool at the SCAA in Causeway bay and it's heated and pretty good for babies. Although it's still cold in winter, mostly because the air temp is still pretty cool even though the pool itself is warm...
 
Harry Wright is great. My son started at 10 months, daughter started at 1.5 yrs - she's 2.5 now and swims like a fish. I wish we'd started a bit earlier with them both so a great idea for you to begin thinking about it now.
 
I've never been to YMCA but I heard that they "baby" them a bit much, like just kind of flicking water on their face rather than teaching them to be comfortable with submerging. One of my friends did classes there, and she submerged her kid because she'd done previous classes elsewhere and the teacher was like "Wow, please show me how you did that!!" - something that a teacher should probably already KNOW how to do.

But then again if your aim is to just get them into a swimming pool rather than to get them comfortable with submerging and being more independent in the water, maybe it is for you.

With Harry Wright, there is a progression - first splashing their faces with water, then when they are comfortable with that, teaching them to hold their breath under water, then when they are ok with that, letting them go for brief periods of time. All under the age of 1. But from what I understand about YMCA (never having been there myself, just hearing friends talk about it), there isn't that progression - they just stay at step one, flicking water on the babies faces...

Maybe it's different for different YMCA teachers or locations - but I just know that my friend was very dissatisfied with them, in the class she was doing...
 
Great- thanks for all the replies- I'll definitely give the SCAA a go- had forgotten about it even though I used to be a member!And YMCA is useful to know about as well as Harry Wright- I'll sign us up for one of those to start in a couple of months.
 
Harry Wright has a new term starting at SCAA in the first week of March. I've got the forms all printed for me to enroll too ;)
 
yes but anyone can become a member for something like $100 per adult and $50 per child for a year, so when you add that to the lesson fees, it's really insignificant. I like that we can go to the same pool any time if we want to (unlike the lessons that are held at schools). I also like that the classes are soooo close to me (I'm in North Point) rather than on the south or west of the island. Although the SCAA doesn't have any Saturday classes so they don't suit working mothers as well. Most of the working mothers I know go to the other places so they can have their class on the weekend.
 
Nicolejoy, maybe we'll see you and your little one at swimming lessons then. How old is yours? I'm in Quarry Bay- do you know of any mum&baby groups in our area?
 
Just a word of warning. Babies under 6 months are prone to ear infections and therefore swimming in local pools is not really recommended.
 
My daughter is now 15 months - so we could be in the same class. I sometimes go to a playgroup at a friend's house in Taikoo Shing on Monday afternoons, and I met another friend through swimming who happens to live in the same estate as me - but apart from that, I don't know many mums and bubs around here.
 
Nicolejoy, Can you tell me where to find Harry Wright's March class schedule? I tried to find it from their website. Only Jan and Aug-Dec are available.
 
I had it emailed to me because I was enrolled in Aug-Dec. I know they said that past students had "priority booking" until Feb 12 - so my guess would be that they will put the schedule online after then most likely. They have three time slots for parents and infants (under 2 years) at SCAA - Tues 9:45-10:30, Thurs 9:45-10:30 and Thurs 10:30-11:15. Starting the first week of March and going through til the end of June.
 
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