Bath time with your 10 month old

Over the next few months you will notice your child cognitively understanding more words than they can speak by their reactions and body language when you chat with them and give them simple instructions. Their speech is becoming more meaningful each day and their memory is developing at a rapid rate too. You will notice the structure of their babbling begin to change as they start to imitate short parts of sentences. At swim lessons you will see them understanding your instructions and feedback through their attempts to put it into practice.

At every opportunity, including at swimming lessons, encourage talking and pay attention to their attempts at talking. Ask them simple questions ' Can you pick up the red fish?' and give simple instructions like ' Swim to Mummy.' They can learn simple songs such as hockey-pokey, twinkle-twinkle and ring-a-rosie and may sing along and make hand gestures to these songs. 

As their fine motor skills continue to improve you will notice the toys they prefer in the bath and pool at this age are those that can be manipulated by filling, emptying or squeezing. These learning experiences through trial and error provide your child with opportunities to experiment and see the results. Set up some water play fun outside, fill a bucket of water & provide them with lots of different items from the kitchen like: Sponges, strainers, cups, funnels and straws to experiment and play with together in the garden.

Their gross motor skills improve dramatically over the next few months as they master crawling, walking and climbing. As they begin to master their swimming environment too remember to give them ample opportunity for independence during each activity e.g Let them swim out to you and time their own breath hold or crocodile crawl along the ledge or step. By being there to offer support if needed but letting them attempt skills independently and experiment in the water you will be allowing them to learn at their own pace and gain confidence in their own ability. They love shallow water areas, large swimming mats and the side of the pool. These places give them ample opportunity to practice their new emerging skills like crawling, walking, jumping, and swimming out to you independently.