Pool Mom

The Skinny on Dippin' Babies

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Paper Boats ⛵️ Folding and creasing were *almost* too much for these newly 4 year old hands. We made 3 anyway - I helped line up corners & flatten creases. We could have easily floated these in the bathtub or sink (we don’t have a water table but that would be cool too.) Instead we tied string to these bad boys and dropped anchor in the pond at the park 🌳 (hello, sun!), where another 4 year old enjoyed them with us (and a 17 month old who mostly enjoyed wading & throwing pine cones.) Once Daddy got home, we made 3 more! Sidenote: Construction paper held up better than drawing paper but both lasted about an hour. Use the heavy duty stuff if you have it. 😉 Swipe for directions! 📖 From “Milo & Millie” by @jeddarobaard @poolmom_ #PoolMom #preschoolactivities #preschoolathome #easycrafts #learningthroughplay #earlychildhood #earlylearning #childhoodunplugged #booksforkids #wholebrainchild #nurture #exploreeverything #paperboats

Have you ever heard of co-bathing? 🛀 New Mom Jenny had not (back in January 2016. Baby sponge baths were de rigueure.) 🧽 . . Is this a thing nowadays? If not, it should be. 💦 Right up there with the other cool things research shows that help brains develop + babies survive & thrive in the first year. It has to do with submersion, biology (our mom-baby instincts, which we are too often told to ignore or train out) & imprinting. . . Co-bathing is this snazzy way to bond with your baby that carves out time away from screens putting us face to face with our child, gifts each other tons of skin-to-skin time (which boosts both of your feel-good love hormones), AND is a great way to introduce the sensory & behavioral prerequisites of swimming in a positive, nurturing, natural way. . . Co-bathing has the added self-care benefits for mamas (& dads): sinking into warm water releases muscle tension, regulates our breath, lowers our heart rates, & reduces stress. That calm energy is then amplified by the water & shared with your baby. 💓 . . Give yourself the green light to get in the tub with your baby, if it’s culturally acceptable for you.🚦If bathing separately is more your jam, it’s cool - there’s a better bath than sponge baths & I’ll post about it later if the interest is there. . . Bathing is one of those routine caregiving tasks we’re already doing as parents. 👀 Unless you’re my friend Jessica 👋🏼 whose kids thrived on wipes (she’s a genius + hero.) 😉 . . If you like the idea of making bath time a little more intentional & want to know more about how it suds swimming development, let me know - I could gab gentle sensory approach to swimming all day! 👶 (In the mood to go down the rabbit hole? Tap the pic for links to a few IG feeds that may also resonate with you.) ☺️ . . #PoolMom #cobathing #cosleeping #bedsharing #roomsharing #babyledweaning #latenightnursingfeed #nurture #naturalparenting #neuroscience #newmomtips #themotherhood #babyswimmer #swimwithlove #teachwithaloha #swimteacher #teachersofinstagram #consciousness #consciousparenting #naturalchildbirth #birthwithoutfear #waterbirth #homebirth

This is *hands down* the clearest message my 3.5 year old has led me to lately. 🤖 “Shampoo Machine” evolved something like this... Me: “Do you want *me* to wash your hair or do *you* want to wash your hair?” (💭 because giving choices that work for both of us = empowering for both of us.) Her: “I’m a shampoo machine!” Ok. I can totes roll with that. Commence robot voices in third person for the next 10 minutes & I’m feeling all 🦸🏼‍♀️ about shampoo & conditioner! . . . . . . . . . #PoolMom #babyledweaning #playbasedlearning #goodness #simpleparenting #homeschoolers #babyswimmers #letthembelittle #latenightnursingfeed #momsofpreschoolers #waldorfathome #babybathtime #teachersofinstagram #positivediscipline #swimwithlove

There is so much to be grateful for, & these 2 + 🐕 are my “most of all.” #soggyselfie

5 Love Languages of Baby Swimmers, by yours truly. 😉 . . If this doesn’t sound familiar, Dr. Gary Chapman coined the term “5 love languages” (also the title of his book)... these are 5 ways we express and receive love. . . Putting my own spin on it gave me a laugh and also reminded me how easily we can “speak” all 5 of these languages to our children when we enter the water with them... our phones are away, our attention is focused solely on them, we’re touching each other and saying lots of encouraging, kind words, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to find long stretches of connectedness like that on land! . . #PoolMom #lovelanguages #latenightnursingfeed #wholechildeducation #lovethewater #babyled #babyswimming #positivediscipline #teachersofinstagram #wholebrainteaching #swimwithlove

After chatting swimming books & hearing about some new ones from you, I thought I’d share this shower + literacy moment! 🤣 Fun facts below, for my fellow child development lovers. . . Are you more of a “hands off the steamy glass & mirrors” 🧽 or “let creativity flow” camp? Somewhere in between? ⛺️ 🖐🤚 . . 🤓 Fun facts! • Fine motor skills like writing first develop as large movements & become refined into smaller movements. See how ginormous her M is? 👌🏼 • Vertical surfaces support writing development... yep, better than a desk or floor! (Those are fun too, just more restrictive.) • Working on vertical surfaces can improve core strength & posture, dexterity & control, & shoulder & elbow stability. • Bigger arm movements improve strength & flexibility to joints in the shoulders & arms. 💪🏾 It’s a kid workout! • Improved visual attention & hand-eye coordination because their faces are closer to the surface. • Improves spatial awareness bc directional terms (up, down, left, right) are relatable to their own body. 💛 . . Source: Melissa Engelhardt, OT . #PoolMom #WaterHappy #PlayBasedLearning #KidLit #ChildLed #BabyLed #BathTimePlayTime #MotorSkills #LucyCalkins

Please Note

Disclaimer: By making use of any information on this blog, you agree to the following:

Use at your own risk. This blog is for informational purposes only. It is your responsibility to evaluate your child’s situation and independently determine whether to perform, use, or adapt any of the information or content on this blog. Any swimming event may result in injury. By voluntarily undertaking any of the methods on this blog, you assume the risk of any resulting injury.

The author(s) and the Pool Mom blog specifically assume no responsibility or liability – incidental or consequential – for any loss or damage suffered by any person or property as a result of the use or misuse of any of the information or content on this blog.

The nature of learning and teaching is such that I do not make any guarantees or promises about outcomes.

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