Resistance to Back Floating

Overcoming resistance to floating on the back

It's perfectly natural for older babies to resist back floating.

Never force your baby to float on their backs, with perseverance and gentle practices they will regain their confidence.

Hold baby under the arms facing away from you and lay baby in a semi reclined position. Walk backwards and keep your shoulders under the water so you can have cheek to cheek contact with your baby.

Give lots of praise and reassurance, sing a song and ‘snake’ your baby in the water as you walk backwards. Give baby a toy to hold to keep them occupied and happy. If you are swimming with a partner, hold a plastic mirror above baby’s head so they can see themselves. A fun activity most babies enjoy is kicking a soft ball – we have spotted quite a few David Beckham’s in our classes!

As your baby gets more confident, allow them to rest their head on your shoulder, this will give them gentle support as they gain yet more confidence.

Always work at your child’s pace. Learning to swim is not a race, it is a FUN journey and every child is unique in their learning process.