Swimming

Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool!

Our children have all swam since they were babies as it is a life skill I think every child should have.

We are now at the stage where they are all confident in the water and it is just Sebby that needs a water aid to swim, although I don’t think it will be long until he can swim completely unaided too.

Before Christmas Isaac had a trial with Bournemouth Swimming Club who are a competitive swimming team associated with the ASA and I am very proud to say that he was accepted and we have now entered the world of competitive swimming training.

He started this week and we have gone from swimming half an hour a week, to two or three hours a week. We were advised to start at two, but he wants to do three so we are seeing how it goes.

Swimming

So far they are impressed with his technique, in particular his butterfly, however he needs to work on his breaststroke and get the confidence to dive in the pool off the podium – to be fair, I would be nervous of doing that too.

Eliza is back to do doing her mermaid impression and spends most of her time underwater, however she is also progressing well with Individuality Swimming and her target for this term is to achieve her 100m badge.

She was sent a gorgeous Zoggs swimsuit to review over Christmas and she was keen to try it out.

Zoggs Swimsuit

The Junior Girls Rascals Bella Crossback swimsuit is for girls aged 6-15 years and features a fantastic all-over digital print of ‘Rascals’ cartoon characters for a bright and bold swimsuit.

The open back and crossover straps allow for excellent flexibility and freedom of movement in the back and shoulders, making this swimsuit ideal for regular and competitive swimmers and as it is made from Zoggs 100% chlorine proof Aqualast™ fabric with a lifetime guarantee, it is durable, resistant to snagging and offers excellent shape retention.

We also received some pool toys for when we go swimming as a family and I cannot wait to try them out.

Zoggs

Isaac did water polo for a time, but sadly the classes stopped as they were not popular enough, however, now we can practice some of the skills he learned with the Zoggs neoprene pool ball.

Both Isaac and Eliza love diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve sinkers, so we were also sent some dive balls, which you can throw as far as you can and then dive down ro retrieve and some Clam hunt shells, which we can see who can find first.

As for Sebby, well he went back to Turtle Tots this week and we found our class had grown by one, so the old “baby swimming crew” were back together. Because they all know each other they bounce off each other really well and it made each toddler swim better as they wanted to keep up with their friends which was lovely to watch.

Turtle Tots

I have bought Isaac a lovely pair of Jammers in the Zoggs sale for his swimming sessions and this afternoon I am taking him to our local swim shop to buy the rest of the equipment he needs. I think this may be an expensive hobby!!

Does your child enjoy swimming?

Travel

Travelling with a Baby

Travelling with a baby opens up all sorts of issues but it doesn’t have to be a painful experience.

I have been really lucky with my kids and they have all been good travellers, some of which is down to luck, but also good planning.

My favourite form of transport has to be the car as it is your own space, you can take all the paraphenalia you want to keep the kids entertained and you can stop for a break if you need to. We always pack toys, games, food and drink to keep the kids calm and settled on long journeys.

Travelling by plane does open up some issues and I remember being incredibly frustrated by the “no liquid” policy which ended up with Sebby’s drink and baby food being opened and tested before we were allowed through the security check, however that is a lesson learned and I always buy baby food to travel with in the terminal.

I am so lucky that Sebastian loves flying. He is so excited before we board and during take-off then the motion of the plane soon sends him to sleep.

Flying

However it is not always quite so plain sailing and The Baby Website has joined up with Schofields Insurance to come up with 12 travel hacks to flying with a baby to help parents plan their journey’s.

Travelling by Ferry can be fun but it is best to be prepared for bad weather just in case and Sea Bands were our friend on our trip to France back in February this year.

P&O Ferry

I have to admit that train travel is my least favourite mode of transport with a baby, mainly as it is so busy and it can be a real struggle to get on and off the train, never mind finding room on the train for the pushchair.

Do you travel with your kids, what is your top tip?