Fear. Fear is one thing that defines a good parent. When someone finds out they're having a baby and expresses that they're scared, the general response is "well, all good parents are". Fear means you want to protect your son or daughter from everything bad. However, fear can hold you back. Many new parents wait for the toddler years before diving into swimming lessons. Yes, I'm sorry, I took that cheap pun, but hey... that's what I do!

It is completely understandable that parents would want to wait. However, it does NOT provide the best benefit. Teaching your baby to swim can help develop stronger muscles and a better understanding of how the body works in water. This is wonderful skill to have for childhood, as it promotes safety. If you plan to vacation near the ocean, you certainly want your child to be a strong swimmer. Don't take it from me though, check out some extremely useful information from the pros!

Finally, Choose Your Preferred Method 

If you're not a fan of the self-rescue (I don't blame you it looks terrifying), you can try a more hands-on approach with these  helpful diagrams from bringmeup.com.

*PRO TIP - Before doing anything, invest your time in an infant CPR class. Hopefully you'll never need it, but it's better to have the skills in the event of an accident.