How to Teach a Baby to Hold Breath Underwater

Teaching your baby to love the water and not fear it is an essential skill that little swimmers must learn. However, helping him to adjust to the water can take a very long time. Once you're sure your baby enjoys the pool, you can begin teaching him to hold his breath underwater so he can use this skill to swim later on in life. Follow these steps to learn how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Begin teaching your baby to hold his breath on cue in the bathtub, before you start washing him with soap and shampoo. Soak his washcloth, count to 3, and then gently drip the wet washcloth over his face. He may appear confused and upset about this at first, but eventually he will learn to hold his breath as you count.

2. Take baby to the pool once she is comfortable having water dripped on her face in the bathtub, and try the same technique there. Hold her securely, have a little fun first, then count "1, 2, 3," and gently splash a little water on her face.

3. Try submerging your baby in the water when he's comfortable holding his breath on cue in the pool. Hold him under the arms and at arms' length distance from you. Count "1, 2, 3," and when he holds his breath, submerge your baby for just a second, and lift him out.

4. Praise your baby heartily after each step, and don't spend the whole time in the pool doing swim lessons. Your baby should come to associate pool time primarily with fun.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that young children don't have the attention span for long swim lessons.
• If your baby becomes distressed or seems at all uncomfortable with being submerged, continue encouraging her to hold her breath on cue, but wait several weeks before trying to submerge her again.

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