Ear Piercing and Infant Swim Lessons?

[MrsAdventure]

Anyone planning to do any of these soon(ish), or have you done them in the past?  What do I need to know?

I am hoping to get Pips' ears pierced sometime this year, fairly soon I think.  And early this summer, or late spring (May, I hope), DH will be taking Pips to swimming lessons.  I'm currently looking into a couple of places that offer them, but I'm not entirely sure what to look for...

[zengal]

Infant swim class sounds fun. I saw it on a movie once, but hadn't really considered it until you mention it. I hate to swim myself, but it's a very important skill I definitely want my daughter to learn. I'll follow to see what others say.

As for ear piercing, we're waiting until she can request and take care of the piercings herself. I remember my own trip to Claire's boutique in the mall when I was 12. It was like a rite of passage, ha!

[marcyreyes]

I pierced DD ears at 3months. she still has them and she is 5 now. There has been no problem with them she doesn't remember and thing and I'm glad I did ! She loves them too!

[moonandback]

I did an infant swim class with DD when she was 6 months old. It was fun. We did a parent-child class. It was essentially singing songs and playing games with our babies in a group. DD hated the water. She was a screamer! I think timing is everything with these classes. Ours was in the evening, I think that was a rough time for her.

I feel the same about ear piercing as zengal. I don't have any helpful advice there!

[ninergirl52]

My SIL owns a swim school so we'll be taking lo as soon as he's 4 months old. I'm super excited about it because he loves all things water (baths, showers, little hand rinses in the sink). He'll also be familiar with my SIL who said she'd get in the water with us.

As for ear piercing I have a boy so not something we'll be doing. Fwiw I'm 38 & have never had my ears pierced & am happy about that. I was a true tomboy & was never interested in it. My mom let my sister get hers pierced when she got her period. Which I think was a cool way to do it. If I ever have a daughter that's what I think I'll do.

[jac409]

i have a boy, so we won't be piercing his ears. But, I also have a two year old girl, and we won't be piercing hers until she is old enough to ask for it and take care of them herself. As for swimming lessons, I will probably wait until just before summer. We have a neighborhood pool that we go to a lot, so it would be good to have him used to it before we start there.

[jjh1119]

Swim lessons will start at 6 months. I was a swimmer so definitely itching to get in the water with him. He loves baths, so hoping he will like it.

I won't pierce my (nonexistent) daughter's ears until she wants them. Mine were pierced at 3 months old and I remember growing up hating wearing earrings. Soon as I was able to take them out, I always did.
I wear earrings occasionally now, and got second holes pierced as well. But i was much older.

[HutterFlutter]

What makes me nervous about piercing DD's ears early, is that in a temper tantrum or excitement, she may accidentally grab them and rip them out.

Also, it was a rite of passage for me when I was 13 and could take care of them myself, and I want to keep the tradition for her.

Haven't even really thought of swimming lessons. Maybe when she's a couple years old.

[spikesmom]

We will be doing swim lessons at the YMCA that my H is a member of at 6 months. We do not have a little girl so we don't have to worry about ear piercing yet! However I can tell you my mom had mine done when I was threeish and I let them do the first one no problem but it took 4 adults to hold me down for the second (for some reason they didn't do it at the same time). This is one if my first memories and I still to this day have been unable to bring myself to get second holes put in. If/when we have a girl we will wait until she is old enough to make the decision for herself and take care of them on her own.

[ladybird]

We'll wait on ear piercing til she's older and wants them. I'm thinking 12 or so.

I had completely forgotten about swim lessons! H will be taking care of LO a lot during the week—might be a fun activity for them. When I was pregnant, we got a mailer announcing a new, super nice Y near us and I remember thinking "Ooh—baby swim lessons!". Guess it's time to check it out

[briannea]

I think both will be at six months. The swim lessons are offered at our community center beginning then. I think early lessons are mostly about being comfortable in the water and knowing what to do if you accidentally fall in. My ears were pierced at six months so we'll just do the same.

[kaimee27]

DD will definitely be getting swimming lessons at some point early on, but we'll wait for ear piercing until she's old enough to take care of them. My parents would have let me get them pierced at 12-that's probably what DH and I will do too. I didn't actually get my ears pierced until just a few years ago right before my wedding-not for any reason in particular, I just didn't care that much about it. It is nice to be able to wear earrings now though.

[moonandback]

Oh! Your baby might not fit in a age leveled swimsuit. DD was in an 12mo suit at 6 months. She was really tall in the torso. We also got some good deals on suits at a consignment store.

It's hard to find baby swim gear in winter. I suggest buying up when it's swimsuit season so you are ready if you continue lessons when they are babies.

[sweetmelissa5]

We do swim lessons with all of our kids, and so far we've mostly had success; my oldest daughter is a huge fan of being in the water and my son has gotten a lot more confidence when we take him in pools. DD2 (2 years old) is the only one who has struggled a little bit, but that seems to be because she wants to do her own thing in the pool, not be forced into what the rest of the class is doing. We'll probably start classes with this little one at the first fall session, so she'll be around 10 months or so.

As for ear piercing, I'm not opposed to it for babies, but I personally don't want another thing I have to clean, so no earrings for any of my girls until they're mature/aware enough to take care of the piercings without my help (so just laziness on my part, really).

[KMW08]

We will be doing swim lessons early. We have a pond and lots of water troughs around on the farm. Swimming is a must know in my book because of living on the farm.

[moonandback]

Feb 8, 2015 16:48:48 GMT -5 KMW08 said:

We will be doing swim lessons early. We have a pond and lots of water troughs around on the farm. Swimming is a must know in my book because of living on the farm.

You have a pond and a farm? It sounds like a story book. How fun!!

[things]

No ear piercing until she expresses an interest, and swim lessons, not sure... this summer? DH is a swim instructor, so he'll likely be the one to teach her when it's time.

[KMW08]

Feb 8, 2015 18:10:40 GMT -5 moonandback said:

Feb 8, 2015 16:48:48 GMT -5 KMW08 said:

We will be doing swim lessons early. We have a pond and lots of water troughs around on the farm. Swimming is a must know in my book because of living on the farm.

You have a pond and a farm? It sounds like a story book. How fun!!

moonandback Yep! I'm a terrible farm wife though lololololol. We have 60acres, a pond, at least one cat, 20ish cows, 2ducks, 20 chickens and a male peacock (something got the female peacock )

[zengal]

KMW08 So. Cool!!

[zengal]

But not about the peacock

[moonandback]

Feb 9, 2015 0:07:09 GMT -5 KMW08 said:

Feb 8, 2015 18:10:40 GMT -5 moonandback said:

You have a pond and a farm? It sounds like a story book. How fun!!

moonandback Yep! I'm a terrible farm wife though lololololol. We have 60acres, a pond, at least one cat, 20ish cows, 2ducks, 20 chickens and a male peacock (something got the female peacock )

That is so awesome! We have a postage stamp and neighbors who can hear us argue. Lol

[moonandback]

Feb 9, 2015 0:54:43 GMT -5 zengal said:

But not about the peacock

Agreed.

[krgriffin26]

Swim lessons sound so fun! I might look into it for this summer at the Y. I'm not sure if its even offered around here but Kenna loves the water.

We will be talking to Kenna's pediatrician next month about ear piercings and then probably doing it fairly soon after. I chose when to get mine (I was probably 8) and it was a very traumatic experience even though I asked for them. My brother took his little girl when she was a few months old and they never had a problem. Neither did BIL's daughter and she was also a few months when they took her.

[catlady22]

LO is a boy so we won't be piercing any ears. However, I would love to get him into swim lessons. I might look into it in the summer. He loves water so I think he would enjoy it at any age.

[MrsAdventure]

Feb 9, 2015 10:20:48 GMT -5 krgriffin26 said:

Swim lessons sound so fun! I might look into it for this summer at the Y. I'm not sure if its even offered around here but Kenna loves the water.

We will be talking to Kenna's pediatrician next month about ear piercings and then probably doing it fairly soon after. I chose when to get mine (I was probably 8) and it was a very traumatic experience even though I asked for them. My brother took his little girl when she was a few months old and they never had a problem. Neither did BIL's daughter and she was also a few months when they took her.

That was me, I chose to get mine done when I was 8, and I still remember how awful it was. I kept them in until they healed, but not a day longer. I didn't start wearing earing again until my senior prom. I would hate for her to go threw that.

[MrsAdventure]

Feb 8, 2015 14:34:16 GMT -5 moonandback said:

Oh! Your baby might not fit in a age leveled swimsuit. DD was in an 12mo suit at 6 months. She was really tall in the torso. We also got some good deals on suits at a consignment store.

It's hard to find baby swim gear in winter. I suggest buying up when it's swimsuit season so you are ready if you continue lessons when they are babies.

Pips already has a swim suit. 

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HLM5YA6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I ordered it off amazon, as soon as it nearly fits her, we'll be signing her up. If she out grows it quickly, it will be nearly summer, so finding one will be easy enough.

[moonandback]

MrsAdventure Cute suit!! Do they make that for grown ups?

[wildflower810]

I can't even swim myself, so I have no idea how to go about teaching LO to swim. I want to learn, and I really want him to learn! I'm tall enough that most swimming pools aren't an issue for me but I was seriously freaked out by the ocean last year. Nothing like being on a tropical vacation and hating the beach!

I won't pierce future daughter's ears until she wants them done. Her body, her choice. I got mine done when I was 13. 10 or 13 sounds like a good age for my kids.

[MrsAdventure]

Feb 9, 2015 22:20:48 GMT -5 moonandback said:

MrsAdventure Cute suit!! Do they make that for grown ups?

I know right!

Since DH will be doing the swim lessons, his requirements for a suit was nothing with too much pink and something 'age appropriate' (absolutely no bikinis, lol) and something. And, seeing as I know how he is, it obviously couldn't be anything too complex to put on and take off. The man can has the patients enough to rebuild an engine, but dressing a wiggly baby makes him nuts. Men. Lol!

[moonandback]

Feb 10, 2015 0:43:45 GMT -5 MrsAdventure said:

Feb 9, 2015 22:20:48 GMT -5 moonandback said:

MrsAdventure Cute suit!! Do they make that for grown ups?

I know right!

Since DH will be doing the swim lessons, his requirements for a suit was nothing with too much pink and something 'age appropriate' (absolutely no bikinis, lol) and something. And, seeing as I know how he is, it obviously couldn't be anything too complex to put on and take off. The man can has the patients enough to rebuild an engine, but dressing a wiggly baby makes him nuts. Men. Lol!

Wait until he has to put tights on her! Hilarious!