Iceland review - 2016, Page 73

ICELAND REVIEW 71
F A M I LY
ment about witnessing their child’s capabili-
ties. Instructor Hrund Jónsdóttir says: “For
me, it’s about the quality time between the
parents and the baby. All the distractions
from your busy life go away and you focus
only on your baby.”
Hugrún Jóhannesdóttir, mother of four-
month-old Magnea, and a baby swimming
alumnus herself, says: “I like to see how
strong she is. She is very strong and
capable.” Atli Már Sveinsson appreciates
watching his son Daníel Breki develop
and advance. “I like to feel connected
to him and to see all the things he’s
capable of doing. Also to see how he
feels in the water. He enjoys it most
of the time—unless he needs a nap.”
Hrund Þórsdóttir and Óskar Elfarsson
say they cherish the time in class with
their five-month-old daughter, Sunna
Karen. “You’re here for one hour,
not focusing on anything else,” says
Óskar. “It’s really nice family time,”
Hrund adds. “It’s safe and separate
from daily life, just for swimming.”
It’s safe to say that baby swim-
ming has an established following in
Iceland and is continuing to grow
in popularity. According to Snorri,
around 35 percent of babies attend
infant swimming in Iceland—a
higher ratio than anywhere else in
the world. Becoming immersed in
this aquatic world seems to be an
overwhelmingly positive experi-
ence for all: the teachers love it,
the parents love it, and the babies
definitely love it—you just have
to look at their big, toothless
smiles. u