Some college friends recently gave birth to their first baby (!), a beautiful girl. They follow Molly's swimming shenanigans on our Facebook and Instagram feeds, and recently asked me for tips about instilling their baby with confidence in the water, too. Specifically, when should they enroll her in swimming lessons? (In case you haven't read … Continue reading When Should Babies Start Swimming Lessons?
Delayed bathing is a standard practice in many hospitals, including the one where we delivered. The World Health Organization recommends delaying a newborn's first bath for at least 24 hours after birth, unless medically or culturally necessary (source.) A few of the beneficial reasons include immediate skin-to-skin contact, keeping mom and baby together, higher potential … Continue reading Delayed Bathing of Newborn Babies
A baby or toddler who is comfortable with water on her face has an additional tool to use to self-rescue when she inevitably loses her footing while playing in shallow water.
Hey guys, this post is the second in a series I'm writing called Infant Bathing Techniques to provide a little guidance in the world of infant bath times. As a new parent, I remember feeling a tad lost about the whole bath time gig with my newborn baby. A lot of who I was becoming … Continue reading Infant Bathing Techniques, Part 2: Newborn & Infant Bath Safety
Mamas, guess how long I waited to bathe Molly... long enough that my mom and husband and friends started giving me flack. Almost 3 weeks. I wonder, though: how unusual is that, actually? Or is it pretty common? In the grand scheme of things, does timing matter or is the baby/parent experience more important? These are … Continue reading Infant Bathing Techniques, Part 1: Newborns & the Best First Bath
Updated: August 7, 2017 This weekend, Molly and I visited the Seattle Boat Show. Boat Dad Trevor was there both weekends with his sponsor, Centurion, which translates to, "Trevor is loving life, sitting in boats with friends who love boats, sharing all he knows and loves about boats with other boat lovers." 😉 He is admirable in his … Continue reading Think Like a Boat Mom: Boundaries
I’m pretty pumped about the American Red Cross’s “Swim” app. It’s available to download for FREE on the App Store, and provides parents with a checklist for tracking swimming progress starting at the preschool level. (I can happily report I’ve already geeked out... I set up a profile for Molly and checked off “blowing bubbles.” … Continue reading The Swim App by American Red Cross
I’d like to begin with this piece of advice: prep everything ahead of time. It’s a tip I learned from my mentor Cheryl that 1.) I wish I’d learned earlier in LIFE, and 2.) has helped me in the classroom and in my transition to motherhood. After you’ve gathered all your supplies (see my list … Continue reading Getting Started with Your Newborn
To get to where we are today, I approached Molly’s experiences with the water wearing a few hats, so to speak; my parent hat, my teacher hat, and my swimmer hat. This worked for us: modeling to her; helping her do things with us; letting her explore by herself. It’s based on a teaching model … Continue reading Me & My Baby in the Water
