Diving

Diving

Step 1 “WASHING”

In the first step you and I practice preparing for dives. This step has 3 parts.

Part 1

Washing with a wet hand from the forehead down to the chin. In spite of the simplicity of the exercise you start to monitor the baby’s breath retention. At the moment when water gets on your face, the child activates the reflex of breath-holding, and after you take your hand away from the face, the child should make a bright enough entrance. Often the child is accompanied by a loud appropriate sound. Repeat this exercise every 3 seconds, not before. The child needs time for a full inhalation and adaptation of the sensation of water on the face. The next thing we pay attention to is the body response. When washing for the first time, the baby may squeeze, tense the body. Your task is to catch the moment and the number of times to adapt your baby. We are going to work with body language in all stages of learning to dive. And the 3rd point that we have to pay attention to is your baby’s emotions, they should be neutral and positive.

      Let’s summarize. When washing, we pay attention to:

activation of breath retention (a bright breath after washing).

body language -body quite relaxed.

neutral -positive emotions.

If one of these points is not made, we do not go further, and continue to practice!

Part 2

Washing with the addition of water.

Same as in the previous exercise, but we add water to your palm and wash with a little water. We pass the hand with the addition of water from the forehead down to the chin. Pause for at least 3 seconds between each approach. And check our points:

activation of breath retention (a bright breath after washing).

body language -body quite relaxed.

neutral -positive emotions.

Part 3

Watering. You take water in the palm of your hand and bring it to the side of the baby’s head and pour it on his forehead and let the water run down his face. We try to do irrigation of the baby’s back, so that the child did not see your hand. IMPORTANT: We do not use commands or speech accompaniment; baby begins to get used to the sensory experience of water on his face gradually. And the water itself is a signal to activate breathing.  Pause for at least 3 seconds between each approach. And check our points:

activation of breath retention (a bright breath after washing).

body language -body quite relaxed.

neutral -positive emotions.

       If for some reason the baby shows negative emotions or strong body tension, we always take a step back. Our task is to carefully create a positive reaction to the feeling of water on the baby’s face and to remind him/her to activate the correct holding of the breath.