Morning, evening or weekend: choosing your child’s batch
Our batches run from 6 am to 9 pm. How the time of day changes the class, and which slots suit which children.
Swimming through a Pune winter: answering the cold worry
Many parents stop lessons in November for fear of coughs and colds. What the heated pool is like, and how to keep children warm after.
Every November our winter batches shrink by about a third. Most of the parents who stop are worried about the same thing: that swimming in the cold months will give their child a cough or a cold. It is a fair worry, so here is what winter swimming at Lahar actually involves.
From November to February, the pool is heated to about 28°C, which is warmer than many people’s bath water feels after a few minutes. Children are moving throughout a 45-minute session, so they rarely feel cold in the water. The chill comes afterwards, in the walk from the pool to the changing room and in the car home with wet hair. That part is where parents can help most.
Pack a hooded towel or a dry robe for the walk to the changing room. Our showers run hot, and we keep the changing rooms closed to the outside air in winter. Dry your child’s hair fully with a towel and a cap before leaving, carry a sweater and socks, and avoid the evening batches if your drive home is long and open. The 11 am weekend batches are the warmest choice.
Colds are passed between children in schools and buses all winter, and a pool is no different from a classroom. Keep your child at home if they already have a fever or a heavy cold, and use one of your two make-up sessions later. If your child has asthma or frequent chest infections, check with your own doctor before the season.
