November Recap
Hello to all of our lovely Bobbin Babes!
We have had so much fun swimming with you all in November. We now only have until Saturday the 16th of December until the term ends and the Christmas break begins - how quickly has that come around!? As we head further into the colder months our lovely warm pool is becoming even more appealing for all of the parents, babies and children. On that note, please remember to brings lots of warm layers to wrap the children up in as you head out- even if you’re just walking to the car!
Our babies have been leaning through play to improve their motor skills and laying down the foundations to be excellent swimmers one day. As always, we have been seeing some amazing tiger arms and kicky legs - we will push and encourage you to be the best you can be every week! Our after-school swimmers have been working hard on push and glides, as well as perfecting their front and back crawl: arms, body position, legs and breathing. For our more advanced swimmers, we are learning breaststroke.
All of our Bobbin Babes worked very hard in November, well done!
Now for an informative section, on a subject which we often get asked questions about…
Understanding Infant Reflexes
Reflexes are important when learning to swim, especially in baby swimming, many practices rely on these first reflexes. All our teachers here at Bobbin Babes are trained on, and can spot baby reflexes. We aim to help turn them from involuntary actions to learnt voluntary ones… here is some information on some swimming related reflexes.
What is a ‘Reflex’?
A reflex is an automated response to a stimulus, and can be split (basically) into 2 categories: Primitive and Postural: A Primitive reflex is an involuntary reflex that has developed in utero and is essential to the babies survival in first weeks of life. As they are gradually controlled by different parts of the brain they turn into a Postural reflex which are automatic responses that usually develop and last over a life time.
1.The ‘Gag’ Reflex (Pharyngeal)
This early reflex is a contraction or spasm of the glottis and the epiglottis evoked by something touching the soft palate thus allowing only something to be swallowed, helping prevent choking. In baby swimming we rely on this reflex a great deal until the baby can learn to hold their breath or close their mouth when submerging their face.
2.Diving (mammalian) Reflex
This is a reflex that optimises respiration in mammals a week version exists in humans. It is specifically triggered by cold water hitting the face causing one to hold their breath and slowing their heart rate to optimise oxygen in the blood. (It’s important to note however that this reflex is typically only triggered in water less than 21 degrees, in water warmer than this the reflex losses its strength so it’s hard to say if a swimmer in a pool of 28-32 degrees would have this reflex, however it is speculated that babies under 6 months are likely to have this response in most water).
3.Amphibian Reflex
This is the reflex that is responsible for belief that new babies can swim! unfortunately they cannot well not voluntary anyway. The amphibian reflex causes the arms, legs and torso to move in spurts when placed on their tummies in the water with their face submerged. At around 4-8 months, if this reflex is reinforced they baby will move from it being an involuntary movement to a conscious voluntary one. The reflex then adapts around 5-7 months into a reflex that aids crawling on dry land by the raising of a hip on one side along with a flexion of the arm, hip and knee.
4. Righting Reflex
Designed to keep the head and body aligned this reflex is responsible for the baby trying to lift their head when on their backs and roll onto their tummies. Floatation exercises where the head is supported are good to avoid this reflex ensuring that they continue to enjoy floating and swimming on their backs as toddlers.
All information has been gathered from STA baby and pre-school aquatics training manual. If you’d like to research further on this, some good sites on baby reflexes are http://www.movingtogether.com.au and http://www.oepf.org and http://www.inpp.com.
Notice
As you will notice when walking to the pool, there is some building work being done at the moment, which will lead into the new year. Although it will not affect swimming at all, there may be a skip on the drive at times. So, if the drive is full please park on one of the drives across the road (we own these houses so it is totally ok).
After-School lessons
Please remember that starting from the new term in January more after school lessons are available! We will hold lessons for children ages 4-11 from 4-6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
For more information on our after school classes, click here.
Private Lessons
We also have a limited number of spaces left for after school classes, so please be quick to book them as spaces get taken quickly. Whether you’d like to improve certain skills or develop confidence in a more intimate environment – we will tailor each private lesson to you. For more information and costs, please see our private lesson page.
Our Superstars
We couldn't be prouder of our young aquatic superstars! Every month, our dedicated teachers carefully select one outstanding student who has shown remarkable progress and development. These exceptional swimmers have embraced their lessons with enthusiasm and determination, consistently impressing us with their growth and achievements. We can't wait to see them continue to shine and reach new heights in their swimming journey, and we are honoured to be part of their success. Congratulations to our amazing Superstars!
Thank you for reading our November roundup! Have a wonderful time swimming for the rest of term and a merry Christmas break… We’ll be back with another monthly roundup in January.