Our family went swimming yesterday. I took our daughter to ladies' dressing room and my husband took our son to men's dressing room. (Children that are under 7 years old can go to either side with their parent.) My son usually loves to go to sauna before going swimming, when my daughter doesn't enjoy sauna as much (all indoor swimming pools have saunas in Finland). Yesterday there were several adults who had tattoos. My son was wondering loudly to his Dad that is it allowed to draw to skin.
Visiting a Finnish indoor swimming pool might be an awkward experience for a foreigner at first. Women and men are not using the same dressing rooms, showers and saunas. However, you must undress before going to shower and to sauna. There are no curtains where you could hide yourself from others. You are not allowed to go to sauna wearing your swimming suite, because it is not hygienic.
When a child turns five, he or she is able to attend swimming classes to learn swimming. We call it "swimming school". Because there are 187 888 lakes in Finland, swimming is a useful skill and it can safe lives. I am going to sign up my oldest one for swimming lessons for next summer. She is very enthusiastic to learn to swim.
The most enthusiastic parents attend baby swimming lessons with their babies (3 months and older). I regret that we didn't. It would be easier for a child to learn swimming if she had not lost that reflex that every newborn baby has that they don't breath underneath water.
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