Swimming with Baby | Why it’s important!

This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

One of the most important things to figure out with a growing family is how every one can have fun together, doing something that is active and that each person enjoys. For our family, that has always been being in the water! It doesn’t matter if its swimming in our above ground pool, the Columbia River or off the shores of Maui! We have all loved swimming. It has been something that we have always all enjoyed together.

My daughter has a hard time EVER getting out of the water. I think if we let her, she would be in the water way past dark. I can’t blame her, she gets it from me. My brother recounted the legends of the many times that I, as a 4-6 year old would be swimming in the lake till every one else had gone home…as he and my mom waited till I decided I had enough (or probably till I got hungry).

Even as an adult, I’ve swam late nights in the lake, floated in the Aegean Sea till 1am and drifted in Lake Shasta till the stars came out. Then on our recent trip to Maui, my daughter carried on the swim-forever tradition and did the same thing at the beach right outside our condo, swimming till the wee hours. Why get out when swimming is just so fun?

I always find it fascinating and somewhat sad when people “don’t like swimming”. It makes me wonder if they had a bad experience as a kid. Did you know that there is an actual National Learn to Swim Day on the 3rd Saturday in May? It’s so important for us, as parents, to create GOOD and safe memories in the water at an early age so that our kids can enjoy water for the rest of our life! SwimWays encourages families to celebrate National Learn to Swim day on Saturday, May 20th, 2017. SwimWays started National Learn to Swim Day to educate families on the importance of swim safety and the benefits of being introduced to water play at a young age.

Now that we have added another little one to our 13-year-old and 10-year-old, we are so glad that baby E loves the water just as much as the older kids! We are just needing adjust and to bring different items to the beach or pool now.

SwimWays Baby Spring Float

Enter the SwimWays Baby Spring Float Sun Canopy (available at Target online and in store)…this is such a perfect way to introduce baby to the water, which allows them to safely become comfortable with the water and eventually learning how to swim. My favorite thing about this Baby Spring Float is that it has a removable spf 50+ canopy that can give baby much needed protection from the sun! We have very hot and sunny summers and little baby skin needs to be protected!

I also love that baby’s feet are in the water in this float. He can feel the water, but he is feeling very supported. I get to relax too, as I hold onto the float, not the slippery, wet baby! This Spring Float also has a place for baby to splash and play with toys…so that his hands can get in on the water action too! The SwimWays Baby Spring Float is a perfect way to start creating fun and safe memories of being the water for baby.

Here is a reminder of just a few of the benefits of swimming!

Swimming reduced stress! According to a survey of 4000 swimmers, 74% say that they feel less stressed and less tension after swimming!
Swimming helps your mood! Swimming exercise and being in sunlight helps to boost levels of serotonin which in turn helps boost your mood.
Swimming is Low Impact exercise. While swimming, we are only bearing 10% of our weight on our joints like knees and hips, therefore allowing us to exercise without added strain on our bodies.
Swimming can help our sleep. People who vigorously exercise, like swimming, are 2 times likely to have better sleep than those who don’t according to a survey done by the National Sleep Foundation.