Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 6, 1993 TAG: 9308230251
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELANIE HATTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It was the first day of the Skipper One class for 6-month to 2-year-olds at the YMCA in Roanoke.
``This is the big bathtub,'' said class instructor Chris Turman, standing in the shallow end of the pool waiting for his pupils to join him.
Colby had been in the water twice before, his mom said. She handed him to the instructor, and Colby started to splash. Turman blew bubbles in the water. Colby tried to copy him, but sucked instead and started to cough.
``Get him working on his arms and legs,'' Turman said. His 9 a.m. class consisted of two parents and two toddlers.
Taylor Bryan, 1, watched Colby curiously but hung on to his mom, Angie.
Colby squealed with excitement as his mother wheeeee'd him around in a circle. He grabbed for a ball and threw it in the water when Turman brought out a box of toys. The toys relax the babies and get them used to the water, he said.
Taylor liked the look of the toys. He grabbed a ball and started to suck on it.
``We want this to be as enjoyable for them as it can be,'' Turman said to the parents. When a child goes under the water, the worst thing is for a parent to panic, he said. Grabbing the child only reinforces fear.
One, two, three dunk. Turman submerged Colby, who resurfaced with a giggle. ``He's a bold little guy,'' his mother said.
Keep eye contact with the child, Turman said. And consistency is important, such as counting to three before dunking, he said. The child's nose and mouth should both go under the water because the child's natural response to breathe will stop and he or she won't take in water, he said. But if only the mouth goes under, the child may try to breathe and take in water.
``You have the face of indifference today, Taylor,'' Turman said, taking the toddler into his arms. ``We're not going under,'' he assured him and bounced him lightly in the water. Using a plastic pelican from the toy box, Turman sprinkled water on Taylor. He sat the child on the pool's edge and counted to three before pulling Taylor into the water. He was careful not to get the baby's face under. Everyone cheered. Taylor seemed slightly dazed, but not any worse for the experience.
When the 30-minute class was almost over, Taylor yawned.
The second group was already coming in.
Three-year-olds Austin Rakes and Andrea Anglin-Alonso seemed to bound into the pool area and hit the water, mothers in tow, with obvious gusto.
Nannie Stacy Bush slipped quietly into the pool with her charge, 10-month-old Megan Gibbons, who had ``screamed and screamed'' when she had visited a pool in Florida a week earlier with her parents, Bush said.
``Should I take her diaper off?'' Bush asked. Turman said disposable diapers take in so much water that the baby will ``end up gaining about 15 pounds.''
Once in the water diaper-free, Megan shivered, but happily went after the plastic fish. Meanwhile, Christopher Taylor, 18 months, howled. This was
the first time he had been in the water since last summer, said his mom, Madeleine. He was only slightly distracted by the toys and wasn't much interested when Madeleine held him in a floating position on his back. About halfway through the class, his mom took him out.
It's important to always let the babies gauge how long they want to be in the water, Turman said. Skipper One is aimed at getting the babies familiar with the water and having fun with it, he said. It's at their own pace.
Turman said he's heard of programs where babies are dropped into the water alone. ``I'd never do that,'' he said.
He strapped an ``egg'' - a styrene floater - on Austin's back, and the 3- year-old took off. Turman said that because the floater was on his back, it would push Austin forward and wouldn't distract his efforts to swim because he couldn't see it.
Next, it was Andrea's turn. She almost turned over with the white hump on her back, but giggled at her efforts to swim with it.
Clearly, ``I like the water,'' she said.
by CNB