How do I teach my 18 month baby to hold her breath under water.?

Question

I'm trying to teach her how to swim but I dont know how to make her understand she needs to hold her breath under water.

Answer 1

She's way too young for swimming! I am a camp counselor this summer and most of the 5 and 6 year olds are just now taking swimming lessons. At 18 months old, she doesn't have enough hand-eye coordination or survival logic to figure it out. Just put her in a floaty and wait until she's a little older, or else she'll just keep swallowing water, and that's not good.

Answer 2

You can start swimming lessons at 6 months old. I started my son at 16 months. They teach them by dunking them under water...you count 1, 2, 3, and then blow in their faces, and you'll notice that when you blow in the faces the hold their own breath...that's when you hold them at arms length, and dunk them underwater, while pulling them towards you...they may swallow a bit of water at first, but they get the hang of it

Answer 3

My 2and half year old doesn't understand how to hold his breath. I've shown him so many times. But he breathes the water! He doesn't get it. I've Benn taking him in swimming pools since he was a few months old! I'm sorry but this does not apply to every baby or toddler! My son keeps breathing the water. That's why their can be infant drowning so much. Plus my son doesn't like the water. I don't believe that all babies or born to swim. Remember they breathed the fluid in the uterius! Not held their breath! I did the blowing when he was little and he freaked out!

Answer 4

Im definitly no expert....but im pretty sure babies instictively hold their breath for a VERY short time when their faces go under water.......and im also pretty sure that if you blow in their face it will make them hold their breath...

Your daughter is definitly too young to learn how to swim......but if you are just trying to get her used to the water and liking it, they you can blow on her face and then dip her under the water for a VERY SHORT time...like 2 seconds...then pull her back up again...but if she is in great distress dont keep doing it because instead of getting her to like the water you are going to make her fear the water.....

Just follow her lead....if she doesnt want to go under, dont make her, just let her splash and kick and play....!! Good Luck

Answer 5

pratice and take it slow start by swimming in baby pools and once they are okay with standing in water get them to pick stuff up off the bottom. Keep getting deeper, as they get used to it, and soon they will be puting there face in the water and then they will relize that you have to hold your breath. (I used to teach swimming lessons)

Answer 6

Be careful. She is probably a bit too young. If you are too forceful or your 'teaching' experience scares her too much, you are running a significant risk of making her afraid of water for the rest of her life. A lot of phobias likely develop from experiences occurring when the child is young, and she will have an irrational fear of water because of what you are trying to do. Wait a while. Patience is very important.

Answer 7

Not an expert here, but i've seen mothers blowing in babies faces, and blowing thier cheeks out and sorta dipping them underwater VERY briefly, and going under with them so the babies can see thier faces, that sort of thing. Sorta doing it by example .... might get some coughs first few times tho.

Answer 8

Usually when you blow in their face they instinctively hold their breath. Then just put them under for a few seconds and build her up to longer increments.

Answer 9

havent you seen those classes where the moms take their infants and just let them go in the water, they instinctively know how to swim and hold their breath.

Answer 10

the best way i figured on doing it is blow in his/her face when they take a deep breath put them under just for a few sec.. keep doing that