Toddlers and swimming

missjess · Jun 25th, 2009, 09:26 AM

Yesterday we went to the zoo and there was a water park. We went there for a few hours to cool down a bit as it was very hot!!! The water was maybe 1.5 foot deep and Josh was running around like a little monkey and splashing everyone.
At some point, he decided it would be fun to dive face first underwater and came back to the surface, holding his breath

!!!!! We never tought him anything like this, nor took any swimming lessons... I know babies hold their breath under water, but never thought he would do it as he's 14 month and never really went into waters as deep as that!

I can say my heart stopped beating the first time he did it, I thought: omg this is it, he's gonna swallow water and drown. But he was all fine, all smiles and kept on doing it over and over again...

JennyLynn512 · Jun 25th, 2009, 09:38 AM

This EXACT thing happened to us when we went on our vacation to Myrtle Beach a couple weeks ago. Valerie loves water, so she was running around in the kiddle pool at the waterpark and all of a sudden took a dive face first into the water. She came up holding her breath too! Not sure exactly how long their instinct to hold their breath lasts, but I'm glad she has it, because she would swallow a huge amount of water if she didn't hold her breath. My OH and I always just sat right next to her, just in case one of the times she wanted to open up her mouth and taste the water (EWW!).

ryder · Jun 25th, 2009, 10:01 AM

I suppose it is a natural instinct when they are young? What a smart lil guy josh is!

missjess · Jun 25th, 2009, 10:11 AM

Yes they have the natural instinct, but I didn't know they still had it so old!!! Jenny, same, Josh would've swallowed a huge amount of water too! He was so confident when he dove that it really took us by surprise! Like he's been doing this forever

oh well, very interesting creatures those little human beings are!

princess_bump · Jun 25th, 2009, 10:32 AM

sounds like he likes water just like maddi

go josh

mommyof3co · Jun 25th, 2009, 10:37 AM

Hayden doesn't dive under that far but he puts his face under and he knows to hold his breath...we use to blow on his face but that doesn't work anymore. But that was last summer so it's been a year and he was young so surely he doesn't remember that. I think they see the other kids doing it, I'm pretty sure Hayden got it from that atleast. But he just dips his face in the water

BurtonBaby · Jun 25th, 2009, 10:41 AM

Thats great that he does that! It must have been scary at first, but I've been debating putting Erica underwater for a second for a while. We swim a lot, and I'm so nervous she isn't going to know what to do if I do it... Good job Josh and Valerie!

marley2580 · Jun 25th, 2009, 11:56 AM

Tbh, I think it's actually an instinct that we never lose, it's only once we start to panic that we lose it. If you LO is happy and confident in the water they have no real reason to panic so they automatically hold their breath.

Jun 25th, 2009, 09:26 AM	#1
missjess Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,794	Toddlers and swimming Yesterday we went to the zoo and there was a water park. We went there for a few hours to cool down a bit as it was very hot!!! The water was maybe 1.5 foot deep and Josh was running around like a little monkey and splashing everyone. At some point, he decided it would be fun to dive face first underwater and came back to the surface, holding his breath !!!!! We never tought him anything like this, nor took any swimming lessons... I know babies hold their breath under water, but never thought he would do it as he's 14 month and never really went into waters as deep as that! I can say my heart stopped beating the first time he did it, I thought: omg this is it, he's gonna swallow water and drown. But he was all fine, all smiles and kept on doing it over and over again...

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Jun 25th, 2009, 09:38 AM	#2
JennyLynn512 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 2,102	This EXACT thing happened to us when we went on our vacation to Myrtle Beach a couple weeks ago. Valerie loves water, so she was running around in the kiddle pool at the waterpark and all of a sudden took a dive face first into the water. She came up holding her breath too! Not sure exactly how long their instinct to hold their breath lasts, but I'm glad she has it, because she would swallow a huge amount of water if she didn't hold her breath. My OH and I always just sat right next to her, just in case one of the times she wanted to open up her mouth and taste the water (EWW!).

Status: Offline

Jun 25th, 2009, 10:01 AM	#3
ryder Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Belleville, Ontario Posts: 25,717	I suppose it is a natural instinct when they are young? What a smart lil guy josh is!

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Jun 25th, 2009, 10:11 AM	#4
missjess Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,794	Yes they have the natural instinct, but I didn't know they still had it so old!!! Jenny, same, Josh would've swallowed a huge amount of water too! He was so confident when he dove that it really took us by surprise! Like he's been doing this forever oh well, very interesting creatures those little human beings are!

Status: Offline

Jun 25th, 2009, 10:32 AM	#5
princess_bump Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 31,450	sounds like he likes water just like maddi go josh

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Jun 25th, 2009, 10:37 AM	#6
mommyof3co Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Waxahachie, TX Posts: 10,076	Hayden doesn't dive under that far but he puts his face under and he knows to hold his breath...we use to blow on his face but that doesn't work anymore. But that was last summer so it's been a year and he was young so surely he doesn't remember that. I think they see the other kids doing it, I'm pretty sure Hayden got it from that atleast. But he just dips his face in the water

Status: Offline

Jun 25th, 2009, 10:41 AM	#7
BurtonBaby Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,405	Thats great that he does that! It must have been scary at first, but I've been debating putting Erica underwater for a second for a while. We swim a lot, and I'm so nervous she isn't going to know what to do if I do it... Good job Josh and Valerie!

Status: Offline

Jun 25th, 2009, 11:56 AM	#8
marley2580 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Forfar Posts: 6,098	Tbh, I think it's actually an instinct that we never lose, it's only once we start to panic that we lose it. If you LO is happy and confident in the water they have no real reason to panic so they automatically hold their breath.

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