Grace Fanelli from Florida, USA, took her children to the pool from an early age to make them feel confident in the water. Grace’s two daughters have learned to swim since they were nine months old; an age when many babies can barely manage to crawl. Her eldest daughter is now three, and the youngest is only one year old. And they both look like real little mermaids!
The mother herself decided to demonstrate the incredible skills of her girls and posted the video online. A baby of the same age shows extraordinary skill, making confident strokes with her hands and feet, as well as turning over in the water without the slightest fear. It is especially impressive that the material was shot just a few weeks after her first birthday!
The proud mom, who watched her girls while they were swimming, explained: “Drowning is the main cause of death of infants and children under the age of five. Please teach your children to swim so that they can save themselves, or at least hold out until help comes. They both learned to swim starting at the age of nine months with the help of our swimming instructor, Brigitte Strickland, who specializes in infants and children.”
Bridget herself said this on her website: “Our swimming lessons for children are based on a gentle and caring approach that focuses on creating a fun, positive experience for babies that will not only help them develop physically but also emotionally, intellectually and socially while equipping them with key skills for safe behavior in the water.”
Those who saw the video were fascinated by the independence and strength of such a small child, and many were inspired by it!They wrote: “This is really amazing!” “How great! I must admit that while I was watching, I even felt ashamed of my swimming skills.” According to the website of the American Academy of Pediatrics healthchildren.org drowning is especially common among infants and young children:
“Drowning is the leading cause of death among children, including infants and young children. Most babies drown in bathtubs and buckets. Toddlers from one to four years old most often drown in swimming pools. However, many children of this age group drowned in ponds, rivers and lakes.” Therefore, the love of water for these little girls is doubly good! And we won’t be surprised if they make swimming their future profession. Have you taught your children to swim?