Childhood Swimming and Its Advantages
Posted on January 25 2023
Learning to swim is an important safety measure we can offer your child and true peace of mind for a parent.
"Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in young children aged 1 to 4 years."
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO START CHILDREN'S SWIMMING LESSONS
As soon as possible, because it's through this type of physical exercise that they develop the ability to float in water, and perhaps the best time to start is in the summer.
There are places where you can start with your baby from a very young age, for example, between 3 and 6 months old. Survival skills in the water and swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in young children aged 1 to 4 years. In any case, swimming is a fantastic way to instill good water safety habits and begin preparing them to learn to swim.
Instead of setting a specific age to start, it's more important to consider the child's emotional maturity, physical development, limitations in their abilities, and their level of confidence in the water. If your child loves water, don't hesitate to enroll them in swimming classes.
WHAT BENEFITS DOES CHILDREN'S SWIMMING OFFER
As parents, we understand perfectly the concern that arises when a child is near a pool, especially if they don't know how to stay afloat in the water, as a small lapse in attention can change everything.
For this reason, we invite you to consider providing your child with the tools to learn to stay afloat in the water. Additionally, with swimming, a baby gains significant benefits for their body and psychomotor development.
WHAT SWIMWEAR IS SUITABLE FOR SWIMMING
Many times, we choose swimwear for our child based on their favorite color and characters, and it's normal to want our child to enjoy their swimwear. However, it's much more important to consider the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of a swimsuit, as the name indicates, it's UV RAY PROTECTION.
During swimming in the pool or the ocean, UPF swimwear provides good protection against ultraviolet rays for hours of exposure without the worry of applying sunscreen repeatedly. For this reason, swimwear is one of the best allies to protect the skin.
AND FOR THE LITTLE ONES, IS A SWIM DIAPER A GOOD IDEA?
Absolutely! There are different options in the market, but the important thing is that a swim diaper is designed precisely to provide the protection a baby needs during their time of learning and fun in the water.
Our Midori Bahía swim diaper is designed to offer the best experience during and out of the water! We're confident that your baby will love it during the summer, whether they're walking along the shoreline, attending swimming classes, playing in the pool, or even taking a bath at home.
"The interior of the diaper features a fine mesh for anti-solid leakage protection."
Midori Bahía is resistant to salt and chlorine, with high sun protection (UPF 30+) even in the water, and a waterproof interior for when the baby is out of the water. Additionally, it doesn't swell like other diapers. An important feature that sets our swimwear apart from other bathing suits is that the interior of the diaper features a fine mesh for anti-solid leakage protection, strategically placed for use during swimming and easy insertion of an absorbent insert when out of the water.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO CHECK UPF IN SWIMWEAR
UPF defines the amount of ultraviolet light (UVL) that penetrates through a fabric. So, a swimsuit with UPF 30+ indicates that only 1/30 part of Ultraviolet Light will be able to pass through the garment.
Don't confuse UPF with SPF (sun protection factor, commonly used in sunscreens). In other words, while the sun protection factor indicates the level of protection provided by sunscreens, the ultraviolet protection factor indicates the level of protection provided by swimwear.
One of the advantages of using swimwear with UPF 30+ is that it's designed to be used in the water or for sports and offers the user quicker drying, unlike cotton, which takes longer to dry and offers very low UV protection (unless treated as a smart textile). Remember that a wet garment provides only half the protection of its dry protection level.
Clothing with a protection factor is more reliable since it remains unaltered: it doesn't change with friction or water exposure, unlike sunscreen. It also decreases the risk of allergies.
WHAT IF I CHOOSE SUNSCREEN INSTEAD OF SWIMWEAR TO PROTECT FROM ULTRAVIOLET RAYS?
In principle, clothing is better because anti-UV protection doesn't change. Additionally, with just swimwear, it's sufficient for water activities, so you won't need to reapply sunscreen constantly to protect your skin.
If you're concerned about covering areas of the body that the swimwear leaves exposed to the sun, consider applying a small amount of sunscreen to those parts of the body, such as hands, face, and legs. Remember that for sunscreen to work effectively, it should be applied before sun exposure, reapplied every 2 hours, or after swimming or sweating.
We recommend paying close attention to the ingredients in sunscreens, as some contain chemical compounds like oxybenzone that have negative effects on health: allergies, burns, skin aging, skin cancer, sunburn, immune system disruptions, and it has been shown to have toxic effects on marine phytoplankton, crustaceans, algae, and fish. If possible, choose a sunscreen made from more natural compounds.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
It's commonly believed that choosing white color clothing is more suitable for protecting against sun rays, but various studies have shown that colored clothing offers better protection than white clothing.
If the swimwear has chlorine-resistant technology, it's much better, especially for preserving the swimsuit in excellent condition and maintaining durable colors for a longer time.
For babies under 6 months, it's better not to expose them to the sun for too long. If you go outside with your baby, dress them in light clothing that covers their arms and legs, and don't forget that a hat is a good option to protect their head.
"Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in young children aged 1 to 4 years."
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO START CHILDREN'S SWIMMING LESSONS
As soon as possible, because it's through this type of physical exercise that they develop the ability to float in water, and perhaps the best time to start is in the summer.
There are places where you can start with your baby from a very young age, for example, between 3 and 6 months old. Survival skills in the water and swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in young children aged 1 to 4 years. In any case, swimming is a fantastic way to instill good water safety habits and begin preparing them to learn to swim.
Instead of setting a specific age to start, it's more important to consider the child's emotional maturity, physical development, limitations in their abilities, and their level of confidence in the water. If your child loves water, don't hesitate to enroll them in swimming classes.
WHAT BENEFITS DOES CHILDREN'S SWIMMING OFFER
As parents, we understand perfectly the concern that arises when a child is near a pool, especially if they don't know how to stay afloat in the water, as a small lapse in attention can change everything.
For this reason, we invite you to consider providing your child with the tools to learn to stay afloat in the water. Additionally, with swimming, a baby gains significant benefits for their body and psychomotor development.
WHAT SWIMWEAR IS SUITABLE FOR SWIMMING
Many times, we choose swimwear for our child based on their favorite color and characters, and it's normal to want our child to enjoy their swimwear. However, it's much more important to consider the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of a swimsuit, as the name indicates, it's UV RAY PROTECTION.
During swimming in the pool or the ocean, UPF swimwear provides good protection against ultraviolet rays for hours of exposure without the worry of applying sunscreen repeatedly. For this reason, swimwear is one of the best allies to protect the skin.
AND FOR THE LITTLE ONES, IS A SWIM DIAPER A GOOD IDEA?
Absolutely! There are different options in the market, but the important thing is that a swim diaper is designed precisely to provide the protection a baby needs during their time of learning and fun in the water.
Our Midori Bahía swim diaper is designed to offer the best experience during and out of the water! We're confident that your baby will love it during the summer, whether they're walking along the shoreline, attending swimming classes, playing in the pool, or even taking a bath at home.
"The interior of the diaper features a fine mesh for anti-solid leakage protection."
Midori Bahía is resistant to salt and chlorine, with high sun protection (UPF 30+) even in the water, and a waterproof interior for when the baby is out of the water. Additionally, it doesn't swell like other diapers. An important feature that sets our swimwear apart from other bathing suits is that the interior of the diaper features a fine mesh for anti-solid leakage protection, strategically placed for use during swimming and easy insertion of an absorbent insert when out of the water.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO CHECK UPF IN SWIMWEAR
UPF defines the amount of ultraviolet light (UVL) that penetrates through a fabric. So, a swimsuit with UPF 30+ indicates that only 1/30 part of Ultraviolet Light will be able to pass through the garment.
Don't confuse UPF with SPF (sun protection factor, commonly used in sunscreens). In other words, while the sun protection factor indicates the level of protection provided by sunscreens, the ultraviolet protection factor indicates the level of protection provided by swimwear.
One of the advantages of using swimwear with UPF 30+ is that it's designed to be used in the water or for sports and offers the user quicker drying, unlike cotton, which takes longer to dry and offers very low UV protection (unless treated as a smart textile). Remember that a wet garment provides only half the protection of its dry protection level.
Clothing with a protection factor is more reliable since it remains unaltered: it doesn't change with friction or water exposure, unlike sunscreen. It also decreases the risk of allergies.
WHAT IF I CHOOSE SUNSCREEN INSTEAD OF SWIMWEAR TO PROTECT FROM ULTRAVIOLET RAYS?
In principle, clothing is better because anti-UV protection doesn't change. Additionally, with just swimwear, it's sufficient for water activities, so you won't need to reapply sunscreen constantly to protect your skin.
If you're concerned about covering areas of the body that the swimwear leaves exposed to the sun, consider applying a small amount of sunscreen to those parts of the body, such as hands, face, and legs. Remember that for sunscreen to work effectively, it should be applied before sun exposure, reapplied every 2 hours, or after swimming or sweating.
We recommend paying close attention to the ingredients in sunscreens, as some contain chemical compounds like oxybenzone that have negative effects on health: allergies, burns, skin aging, skin cancer, sunburn, immune system disruptions, and it has been shown to have toxic effects on marine phytoplankton, crustaceans, algae, and fish. If possible, choose a sunscreen made from more natural compounds.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
It's commonly believed that choosing white color clothing is more suitable for protecting against sun rays, but various studies have shown that colored clothing offers better protection than white clothing.
If the swimwear has chlorine-resistant technology, it's much better, especially for preserving the swimsuit in excellent condition and maintaining durable colors for a longer time.
For babies under 6 months, it's better not to expose them to the sun for too long. If you go outside with your baby, dress them in light clothing that covers their arms and legs, and don't forget that a hat is a good option to protect their head.
