HELP! dumb mum with swimming lessons!

[Kristy&Alex]

HI Girls! I have just started my 6.5 mth old boy in swimming lessons (yesterday was first one) & it was a complete disaster! Alex had a great time but i was so lost & disorganised it was lucky my partner was there to help! I didnt know what to pack & when we got out of the pool it was a major struggle to try & shower him & me & get us both dried & dressed! My partner came along to witness the first lesson but next week i will be on my own :eek: I was just wondering if you guys can offer any tips to be super prepared & organised? I am also worried about him getting water in his ears, so any tips in that department would be useful too! Does anyone know if it is a MAJOR problem if they do get water in there or not? I didn't take the pram so maybe i will do that next time (at least then I have somewhere to put him while i get dressed).....! Thanks for letting me babble on, after re-reading what i just typed I am certain that i am by all accounts a TOTAL NUTCASE! :rolleyes:

[2girls&1boy]

Hi Kristy,

I have been taking my dd Grace to swimming lessons since she was 6mths old(she is now 15mths). I always take the pram as when she is dressed I then strap her in and dress myself. I always take the following:

1 - spare swimmer nappy (never know when you will need it).
2 - normal nappy to change into
3 - 2 beach towels (one to dry her and one for me) usually though I end up using both on her.
4 - clothes for Grace to change into
5 - clothes for me to change into or sometimes cannot be bothered and I drive home in my swimmers.
6 - The best thing is take some food for Alex to chew on while you get changed, they don't even bother about you if there is food around to keep them occupied.

Sorry if that all seems a bit too much but I am extremely organised in general.(some people think I am compulsive :D )

I have never had any problem with water in Grace's ears so am not too sure what to do about that. Grace lays on her back and goes under all the time and so far we have had no dramas.

Have fun swimming
Paula

[TLCC]

Hi Kirsty,

I have been taking my DD Tayla since she was 4 months (she is now 13 months) and she loves it aswell. We have gotten the routine down pat now as far as what to take.

I have her dressed for the pool when we leave the house so nothing to do when we arrive. Like Paula, I take mostly the same things.

I take the following in my swimming bag (just an oversized green shopping bag:
1. spare swimmer nappy
2. new nappy for after swimming
3. clothes for after swimming for Tayla
4. two towels, one for Tayla one for me although they get interchanged.
5. drink for Tayla
6 toy or keys or something for her to hold whilst dressing (cuts down on the arguments/squirming but not altogether!!)

I don't bother getting dressed as we go straight home (5mins) so I just get changed at home. We can't take prams into our centre so that hasn't been an option but they do have a port a cot in the ladies toilet incase you need to use the toilet or get dressed yourself and have to put them down.

I usually get her out of the pool, set up my towels on the change area, strip her and put her under the shower with me, back to the table and get her changed. She usually sits happily whilst I have a quick dry off, then we are done.

She goes under all the time and we haven't had a problem with water in the ears, so try not to worry about it.

Hope this helps. Its always difficult doing things for the first time with a bub, but you'll find your confidence grows in no time.

Have fun swimming

Cheers

[Kamaikia]

Trust me I was like this on my first trip to swimming lessons with my son.

I take my sons pram every time now. I will get him dried and dressed first then its my turn while he sits there. There isn't even a change table at my pool. Try saving the shower until you get home its heaps easier.

My son gets terrible ear infections from water in his ears - the chemist gave me something called Dry & Clear. One drop and the water comes out. I wouldn't use it though unless you know for sure bub has water stuck in there - Its basically like aqua ear which feels like its burning your ear when you put it in.

[xkwzit]

Hi Kristy
It is v handy to have someone help with baby and swimming lessons (my mum used to come with me). But now I do it on my own with TWO kids - so you can do it too.

A pram is great because you can get baby dressed and then strap them in so they don't get wet again (disgusting changeroom floors).

Def take a snack, most of them are RAVENOUS after lessons, as well as being tired, so they may drop off in the car. They will have had something to eat and you can attend to yourself.

I personally don't bother showering my kids - they get a bath in the afternoon and I always shower in the evening anyway (DD1 has always HATED the shower, so I'm prob biased by that).

I have never worried about water in their ears and have never had any problems with their ears. Most kids find it a weird sensation, but there's no medical reason to worry about water in their ears.

Def take a spare swimmer nappy - you never know. Oh, and did you know that they do let wee through (Please don't think I'm stupid, but I didn't realise that they weren't like normal disposables and wound up with a wet carseat on our second trip to the pool). And to further support the notion that I'm not an idiot (not all the time anyway) I had a friend who was told by a chick at the chemist when looking for pullups that swimmer nappies were the same thing, well their twins had very wet beds THAT evening :rolleyes: .

Best of luck, you'll be fine.

Enjoy your next lesson

[TLCC]

ah, too funny :p , I remember my first experience with the disposable nappies. I was sitting in the waiting area with DD for an orientation class. I was so proud that i had made it there, was organised and DD was behaving.

I then noticed something warm on my leg, and to my horror realised DD was doing what comes naturally!!!

A friendly mother next to me kindly informed me that the nappies only really catch no 2's, so I have taken to sitting her on a towel in her car seat to swimming from then on..its only a 5 min trip but I dont' want to take the risk..

Thats actually one of the reasons I put her under the shower after the lesson, and she also loves it and screams with delight, so its not bad all around.

[Rell]

I have found swimming caps keep a lot of the water from their ears.