Baby Oliver is Bucks and Beds youngest ever water baby!
Until a child is around four or five months old, it’s pretty much just eat, sleep and cry! But not little Oliver Hardinges. At just fourteen days old, Oliver was already learning to swim, earning him the title of the youngest baby to ever swim with Water Babies Bucks and Beds.
For parents, Emma and Phil, who live in Northampton, their children’s sense of confidence in the water was always a priority. A swimming teacher herself, Emma knew that starting Oliver early meant giving him the best possible chance of growing up to be safe and happy whether splashing or swimming around!
“It’s terrifying to think that children go to primary school without knowing how to swim – some even get as far as secondary school before dipping a toe in the water,” said Emma. “Oliver’s big sister, Bella, started her swimming classes at four weeks and took to it like a duck to water,”
“Oliver was actually two weeks late, so would have been four weeks old by the time his first lesson came around. Even though he looked so small, we never once thought he would be too young. Our swimming classes are at Moulton College, which has a specially adapted hydrotherapy pool – a completely safe environment for new-borns to swim in. We knew that, with the support of his teacher, and of course with daddy in the pool too, Oliver would be just fine.”
Emma herself has been an avid swimmer since childhood, even competing at a national level for Wellingborough. At 17, she became a fully qualified Life Guard at Northampton Leisure Centre and now, at 30, teaches little Water Babies of her own, at classes in Milton Keynes and Northampton. In fact, when Emma returns from her maternity leave in April, she’ll be Oliver’s teacher!
“Phil will carry on bringing Oliver to his lesson every week, just like he did with Bella. He’s a keen swimmer, like me – we actually met at a local pool, during a lifeguard course. Bella was good as gold when I was teaching her but something tells me Oliver might be a little monkey!”
Emma and Phil sought the guidance of Tamsin Brewis, owner of Water Babies Bucks and Beds, before taking Oliver along to the pool for his first lesson. Tamsin, who has taught thousands of local children to swim since launching the business 14 years ago, had no concerns when it came to welcoming the new-born to classes.
“Most of our little swimmers tend to start at 12 weeks’ old, as many parents choose to bring their little one’s along to classes at four weeks – which had initially been the plan for Oliver!” explained Tamsin. “Starting him two weeks early was never a problem as our teachers are fully qualified and trained to support little ones from just a few days old, right through to pre-school age. Swimming is such an important life skill – it aids a child’s development and communication skills and provides a great form of fun exercise for both baby and parent. I know Oliver will continue to go from strength to strength during his lessons and I think Emma is very much looking forward to teaching him.”
“As a family, I think we’re more comfortable in the water than on dry land!” said Emma. “Oliver and Phil always have a great time in the pool – it gives them some really important father and son time. And the best part… There’s never tears at bath-time!”
For more information on the benefits of baby swimming, visit www.waterbabies.co.uk/baby-swimming/benefits-of-baby-swimming
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To speak with Emma Hardinges or Tamsin Brewis, contact Kelly Ayres at Rev PR on 07895 876745 or email kelly@revp.co.uk
Image attached – Oliver in the pool. Further hi-res photographs of Oliver during his first Water Babies swimming lesson available, along with photographs of the Hardinges family.