How are things going? Swimmingly!
June 18, 2010 4:59 AM   Subscribe

 
The kids who have the pink wings attached are likely to find those pictures a major source of embarrassment for a number of years.
posted by Gratishades at 5:05 AM on June 18, 2010


The pink wings are indeed awful. What are those parents thinking?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:07 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Why are there so many gingers? Do parents of such secretly want to drown them?
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 5:10 AM on June 18, 2010 [2 favorites]


I had something witty to say about this, but---- Nevermind.
posted by Bromius at 5:12 AM on June 18, 2010 [18 favorites]


Heh. This brings back a lot of memories. My mother worked in publishing for 40 years. In the 1970's, one of her partners did the first book (or at least the first hugely popular book) on water birth, and when I asked why the babies don't drown, my mother explained this gag reflex to me.

The same partner had a baby shortly there after (at home, in a birthing pool) and I remember thinking that was really cool. That baby learned to swim in infancy, just like those photos, in her mom's backyard pool. I did a report on the gag reflex involved for some science paper or project when I was a little older and quite possibly used the partner's baby as what passes for a case study when you are 8.

My mother had my sister in 1982. I was still fascinated by this, and really wanted my mother to teach my sister to swim but we did not own a pool and it wasn't really practical. My mother did, however, let me submerge my newborn sister in the bathtub to try it out, and I'll be dammed if it didn't totally work, tiny baby bubbles and all.

So cool.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:16 AM on June 18, 2010 [5 favorites]


It's not the same as the Gag Reflex, it's the Mammalian Diving Reflex
posted by delmoi at 5:18 AM on June 18, 2010 [2 favorites]


MonkeySaltedNuts: Why are there so many gingers?

Because Caucasian infants are predominantly born with red or blonde hair, which changes colour at around six months. Other colours certainly happen but are less statistically likely in WASPy babies. Underwater refraction (or reflection, or something) tends to highlight red, too - those of us who have settled into brunette will see rich, flaming red hair under water, even in the bath.

It's sad that my childhood love for science didn't survive, since I apparently know the difference between neither the Gag Reflex and the Mammalian Diving Reflex nor reflection and refraction. Sigh.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:23 AM on June 18, 2010


OK, look. Nevermind was a long time ago, people. Let it go!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:24 AM on June 18, 2010 [4 favorites]


This kid is all like, "Yeah, I'm swimmin', that's right. I'm just gonna swim over here now."
posted by uncleozzy at 5:31 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


It's not the same as the Gag Reflex, it's the Mammalian Diving Reflex

Thank you. Also, those babies aren't swimming. You can tell because they are sinking.

Yes, it's funny to trigger baby reflexes. No, I'm not going to take time to get us both dressed and travel to a pool, let alone pay $$$, to make it happen. Just blow on their faces for the same reflex at a tiny fraction of the time and expense.
posted by DU at 5:33 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Here's my eldest son in just such a picture (excuse the bad scan). He's not ginger, incidentally. Oh, and here's another.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 5:33 AM on June 18, 2010 [3 favorites]


GenjiandProust: "OK, look. Nevermind was a long time ago, people. Let it go!"

Oh well, whatever ...
posted by bwg at 5:41 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Holy crap! One of those kids looks freakishly like Baby Zizzle.
posted by zizzle at 5:43 AM on June 18, 2010


How good is the chlorine for their eyes?
posted by stormpooper at 5:53 AM on June 18, 2010


How good is the chlorine for their eyes?

Probably as good as it is for yours and mine.

I like how some of the babies are naked and some of them are swim diapered. I wonder if they form gangs at swim practice, with all the clothed babies making fun of the ones whose parents don't let them wear pants. Or maybe the naked babies are like the people who strut around all naked and proud in YMCA locker rooms and look down on the clothed babies.

Actually, now that I think about it, both factions probably band together to make fun of the kids with the fruity wings, pants or no.
posted by phunniemee at 6:01 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


creepy.
posted by chococat at 6:01 AM on June 18, 2010


What, a bunch of pictures of babies doing adorable things? That's it?

Thanks!
posted by Mister_A at 6:18 AM on June 18, 2010


I really wanted to do baby swim classes, but moving between countries at the time left me rather confused as to where to go and when, and suddenly the formerly-brave person I was turned into "don't touch my baby she's fragiiiiiiiiiiiile" freak. (That has passed). Shame I missed the window.
posted by dabitch at 6:37 AM on June 18, 2010


How good is the chlorine for their eyes?
...
Probably as good as it is for yours and mine.


No, really: even unchlorinated water hurts my eyes, let alone pool water. Do the babies just get used to it or what? I'm picturing my 8 mo old with bloodshot eyes, screaming bloody murder...
posted by werkzeuger at 6:50 AM on June 18, 2010


I like how some of the babies are naked and some of them are swim diapered.

I can't figure out of the parents are confident that their kid won't crap in the pool or just don't care. My young toddler daughter, who has a subtle anti-social streak, would convert the scene to the pool in "Caddyshack" in under three minutes. Swimmies for her.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:05 AM on June 18, 2010


anyone else ever try to replicate the pool scene from "Caddyshack" and discover that Baby Ruths sink?
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:07 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Do the babies just get used to it or what? I'm picturing my 8 mo old with bloodshot eyes, screaming bloody murder...

Neither of ours had any problem with it. The instructor suggested getting them used to having water splashed on their faces at bathtime in preparation for the pool. After the initial shock (the 'deciding whether to scream' face), they both found it hilarious. Going underwater has became the favourite part of swimming.

What you do need though is a fairly warm pool. Our first lessons were at a hospital pool, where the temperature was above 30C (86F). Otherwise, you'll need one of those baby wetsuit things. Mind you, they do look quite cute when their little gums rattle together...
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:26 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


I don't have any kids yet. Tossing a baby in the pool (for Science!) sounds really cool but I'd never get away with it. People don't know about the diving reflex. They'd think I was attempting to drown my baby (and on some level, even knowing the facts, I'd feel that way too). Seems like allowing an infant to go underwater contradicts every deep-seated parental instinct I have; to push through my gut reaction and do it anyway would feel, to my conscience at least, like I was a horrible neglectful babykiller.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 7:38 AM on June 18, 2010


Gingers? When did it become ok to call people this?
I ask because the only time I've heard it used before has been in cases of schoolyard bullying and mass tormenting of people.
It seems like a very artificial division and just a made up way to cause problems between peoples.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:45 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Letting the baby go UNDER the surface of the water? Okay, okay, okay, I'm a worrywart. At one year I just started getting comfortable with taking him the water and letting him splash around while I hold him. Hmm... new goals...
posted by cavalier at 7:58 AM on June 18, 2010


It reminded me of this: http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-04-27/film/babies/
posted by codacorolla at 8:48 AM on June 18, 2010


Up until the age of around nine months babies have a miraculous gag reflex which blocks off their windpipes as soon as they are underwater, allowing them to instinctively hold their breath

Hmmm, so you're saying 11 months is too old to try this...
posted by madajb at 8:56 AM on June 18, 2010


Swimmies for her.

Uh. Been reading a lot about this in our cruise material. Swimmies are just "fecal tea bags". Basically, the 'matter' hangs out in the diaper as the water swirls in and out. So...no babies in the pool til they're trained.

Other than that, love the cute little pictures of the naked swimming babies. Thanks!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:14 AM on June 18, 2010


On chlorine and babies: we were all set to have our son start swimming very early until we read some things about the chlorine levels in the air around indoor pools and asthma, so we've held off. I had a friend who had to have an ambulance come to treat an asthma attack during swim practice, so discretion, valor, etc.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 9:35 AM on June 18, 2010


Awesome. As far as I am concerned babies should be in the water as soon as possible, way before they get old enough to learn to be scared. It's definitely one of those things I've noticed: no one who learned to swim when old enough to remember is as comfortable as the water babies, even if they do eventually become proficient.
posted by dame at 9:50 AM on June 18, 2010


All those babies look like Kyle Gass.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:20 AM on June 18, 2010


Swimmies are just "fecal tea bags". Basically, the 'matter' hangs out in the diaper as the water swirls in and out. So...no babies in the pool til they're trained.

Oh please. I don't know how often your children poop, but the odds of it happening inside a 30-minute session in the pool seem pretty small. Besides, what's all that chlorine there for?

Get them into the pool. They'll love it, and so will you.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:26 PM on June 18, 2010


Count one, two, three. Blow in their little face. They hold their breath. Give a push off and swim over to mommy about two or three feet away. Come up and laugh. Repeat.

You don't just throw them in and say swim kid and don't poop in the pool while you're at it.
posted by tamitang at 3:14 PM on June 18, 2010


metafilter: swim kid and don't poop in the pool while you're at it.
posted by cucumber at 4:45 PM on June 18, 2010


Up until the age of around nine months babies have a miraculous gag reflex which blocks off their windpipes as soon as they are underwater, allowing them to instinctively hold their breath

Mammals are so damn cool sometimes.
posted by mediareport at 5:29 PM on June 18, 2010


The Mammalian Diving Reflex is just not for infants - all humans have it.

I remember when on a family road-trip vacation we stayed at a motel and my 3-year-old little sister loved to be actually thrown into the swimming pool and have her approx 10 year older brothers rescue her. We eventually had one brother fling her off the end of the diving board in the deep end while 2 others were in the rescue squad that would bring her back to the surface. This was not cruelty against 3-year-olds because she was basically directing the game and wanted more.

She was more of a chestnut than a ginger.
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 12:23 AM on June 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


I'm not down with the very recent American adaptation of 'ginger', people. Just so you know. In the states we're fucking redheads. So for those of you posting from Ireland and the UK, apologies. Americans - spend some time thinking about how easily you might be letting Parker and Stone sway your thinking.

said the (fucking) redhead.

(I loved South Park, and then they came for me)

oh, and to be on topic we had our now 5 year old daughter in the water at a very young age, and in our experience it was beneficial, but without continuous instruction all it really did was make her comfortable in the water, not necessarily more physically able. Others may have different experience on that point.
posted by Dr. Boom at 6:10 PM on June 19, 2010


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