Would you?
I can't take him to a normal pool, as they are just too cold. So I need to take him to a Childrens swimming pool, but the only one here, will only take him as a student.
And it's not cheap.
I want him to be 'at one' with water, what would you do?
I can't take him to a normal pool, as they are just too cold
Absolutley yes.
My wife has been taking Sam since he was 4 months old. He's 12 months next Friday. The lessons are great for him. It's in a small pool with a maximum of 5 other children of the same age, so there's no older children bombing the water or not looking where they're going. They take you through steadily, teaching important skills and building their confidence in the water. Sam will now happily swim underwater unaided and he absolutley loves his swimming lessons, splashing and giggling all the way through. I've been a couple of times when I'm off work and it's a really great experience.
I can't reccomend it enough, and although it's expensive it's the best money I've spent on him.
You can get wee wetsuit things that keep them warm for longer...and if you can pull them through the water with the bums under the water they will start to move their legs which will keep them warmer for longer.
We took our daughter to 'swimming' lessons (more like floating fun!) - she loved it and we tend to go to the pool on a weekly basis and she still sings the songs that were sung when she was at the lessons - she has no issues with jumping in the water and playing in it - she's now 21 months, not swimming but is much more confident in the pool and gets very annoyed if she can't get in the pool right away (like if her dad has to get changed into his swimming gear!)...we don't use armbands or anything but I suspect if we did she'd be swimming herself around by now...
I'd take the lessons, they will enjoy them, a chance to interact with other children and see others doing the same thing plus gives them more confidence in the water - they might not be able to swim for a bit yet but they certainly won't have any issues with playing in the water which wil help a long way to the swimming.
Stoner JR started swimming at 12 months (had to delay a bit for some post eye op recovery time) he's now 40 months and has lessons twice a week and can swim unaided for short distances now. By the time he's 4 he'll be safe in water.
He started in a swimsuit and he still wears it. Highly recommend shark fin buoyancy aids as well as they dont restrict arm movement and just assist buoyancy. They arent safety aids though!
Aye, the wetsuits are gleaming, but even with one of those the lessons last for 30 minutes and I wouldn't keep my boy in any longer than that, not least because he starts to get pretty tired after that long as well as a little cold.
Stoner Jr still is only in the water for 30mins a time - and he's pole-axed when he gets out.
Don't all lesiure centres have to heat their pools to a certain temperature?
Kids pools are usually a fair few degrees warmer than lane swimming pools. Might just be all the pee, I suppose.
All ours just went in the normal pool from a very young age - can't remember exactly what age but it was only a couple of months or so
as soon as the health visitor said it was OK [do they still have health visitors?]
Kids pools are usually a fair few degrees warmer than lane swimming pools
send the little chap long - the money spent will ensure life long fun.
No I wouldn't and never did. Another money making middle class angst thread here. I've got 3 kids, all good swimmers and they started lessons at 4yrs, now aged 8, 10 and 12. My 10 yr old daughter is in a top swimming club and loves it, the other 2 kids love swimming and are extremely good but don't want to compete. Ask yourself who are you doing it for? Just take them to the pool yourself or with a baby chum, they'll not notice the difference. Save your money, they cost loads more in the years to come.
I noticed 'footie' lessons advertised locally recently, from aged 6months! I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions!!
We did it from 3 months old with "aquababies" and it was truelly brilliant.
Emily our daughter loved it and it really is so much easier in really warm water to start with, much warmer than any childrens pool at a regular swimming pool. The pool we used was at a special needs school.
We do not have much money to spare but managed to afford a 10 week block of lessons. After which she was happy to be dunked under and swim underwater from one person to another. Most people continued with the course after the first term, we just went our own way and at the age of about 7 months she was quite happy in the kids pool at our regular city swimming pool.
No chance she will ever be scared of the water know. We have to bath her at least an hour before bed time as she gets so excited in the bath you can't get her to sleep afterwards.
No I wouldn't and never did. Another money making middle class angst thread here.
No angst or middle class here, but thanks for the assumption.
All good swimmers and they started lessons at 4yrs, now aged 8, 10 and 12. My 10 yr old daughter is in a top swimming club and loves it, the other 2 kids love swimming and are extremely good but don't want to compete.
I'm glad for you. However, I didn't do this to make my son the next Ian Thorpe, I did it because he enjoys it, my wife enjoys it and it gives them both confidence. When I go, I like the structure and the learning environment. When he falls in the water now he automatically spins round and grabs for the edge. Not something I'd have thought to have taught him, but something that's covered in these lessons.
Ask yourself who are you doing it for?
For my wife, my son and myself. This seems like a silly question.
We take Sam to lessons for various reasons I covered above, but mainly it's the use of the pool with only 5 other similar aged children, the fact that it's structured with proper lessons plans and outcomes. It's also another place for my wife and son to socialise, so it's all good. It's expensive, but it's certainly more value than some of the other activities you can take your child to.
We take my boy to lessons run by a company called Waterbabies at a local hydrotherapy pool, and have done since he was 6weeks old, it's pricey, but amazing to see how they progress - and the lessons are very cleverly structured.
I do feel it is a tad expensive, and kind of resent that - but watching him swim underwater toward me now at 4months old is incredible.
I think if you can afford it (we only just can, but I'm glad we do!) - do it, it's got to be beneficial in the long run.
We took our daughters to a nearby centre with a kids pool. 90% of learning to swim is confidence and being relaxed in the water, so its just about having fun really. Splashing, going under water, going from one parent to the other, etc etc.
I'm a good swimmer so I taught them until they got to the point they could just about do a width of something like front crawl. Then we joined a swimming club. Much cheaper than lessons and better quality teaching IMO, plus there is a structure to progress on to. Now my eldest is pretty good but not competative, but my youngest is regional pushing on national level.
Oh yes I forgot a story. We met a family on holiday one year. Daughter was ~12 and could not swim a stroke. Dad told me about the time she fell off a quay and went straight under - and he still hadn't taught her to swim!
So it doesn't really matter, learning is the important bit because if you don't then you might die!
I am with teagirl. Learning to swim is vital but it doesnt have to be structured and expensive.
What happend to playing around with your dad in the pools like most of us did when we were young. I didnt get the shock of my life when i went to school and someone ducked me under the water. I was used to my brothers doing it and gave as good back. Everything has to turn into a structured stressfest that can be measured.
We did the water confidence classes etc with our youngest. He was going great guns untill he got into the deep water for swimming lengths. Froze up. We ended up cancelling the lessons and letting him piss about in the pools. He asked to restart lessons last year and always has a smile on his face in the water now. A lot to be said for having a laugh.
but mainly it's the use of the pool with only 5 other similar aged children, the fact that it's structured with proper lessons plans and outcomes. It's also another place for my wife and son to socialise, so it's all good. It's expensive, but it's certainly more value than some of the other activities you can take your child to.
Yep, middle class 
In Oz it's pretty well standard. The kids are in the water as soon as possible.
It's good for them. They develop core muscles and have a ball.
Middle class? - phooey!
I seem to have missed on something then...the lessons we got at our local pool cost something like £40 for a block of 12 - that includes entry for the parent...a swim at the pool for an adult costs £3.50 so I reckon it's saving us cash...
stw in "it worked for me so it must work for everyone else" shocker.
STW in "we can afford to pay extra for something so it must work" shocker
Ask for opinions you get different answers.
I don't disagree with different opinions, but "Another money making middle class angst thread here." is nothing to do with that, it's making a judgement on our personal choice.
Ours have been going since they were about 6 months-ish. They have mostly enjoyed it. However if the goal is to give your children a "head start" in swimming compared to other children who start lessons at a later age then I don't think it really works.
We did it. For two reasons; first because we thought it would be good to have a structured introduction to swimming / water / safety. Second; because my wife never learned as a child and when she first started swimming as an older child was terrified of the water and as a consequence never took to it. She was then 'bullied' by teachers and other kids and as a result never learned. There was no way we were going to even risk this happening to ours.
So for her, a class with half a dozen other parents and babies in a safe environment with an instructor in the pool ready to assist if she felt at all uncomfortable was a huge benefit to her. It also gave her the chance to participate in enjoying the experience instead of being terrified by being bombed by the older kids at the local pool, which would have transmitted itself to the girls as well. The girls are older now and generally I take them to the pool myself but the wife has sufficient confidence to come occasionally.
Middle class angst? Money very well spent in our situation.
Another money making middle class angst thread here
Both ours went since 6-months. Hasnt taught them an awful lot other than being confident in the water, eldest is four & still panics occasionally. Dont go thinking yours will be re-creating the Nirvanna album cover straight away - thats the exception unless they're pushed very very hard.
Cost about £40 a term, so bit cheaper than going weekly. Its more an organised fun session really, you cant really teach kids that young, more about them having the baby pool to themselves for 30mins.
Having said that though, I had a surprise when I popped along the other week & the eldest was in the big-pool looking confident.
Advantage for us is that we pay up front so are more inclined to take them along weekly.
Both ours have the swim-suits but eldest probably not needed now.
Them shark fins look good but I'd have been better chucking the £20 in his money box instead. Another "must-have".
All mine went when they were babies, but I think it was more to do with my wife getting out and socialising.
We did though take them back for proper lessons when they were older (5+).
I took little P last Friday - he's 10 weeks old! Seemed to like it!
I'm working on the basis of exposure at the moment - when he's a bit older I'll get him structured lessons i suppose.
DrP
I read that although babies can 'swim' they don't really like it. I have seen it recommended to wait til the kid is 1.
Took our 1 year old lass to the leisure pool the other day, which has a shallow beach bit in it. At first she just stood and observed the mayhem around her, but eased her into it really gently with a few toys and she loved it to bits. Needed a swimmign cozzie with floats in it though - she kept wanting to swim off not realising that she couldn't!
My lad started at 6 months, my daughter at 3 months. The boy is 2 ½ now and can swim without panicing. More importantly he can get out on his own if he falls in… although he invariably jumps straight back in.
Both have wet suits so we can take them to Manchester Aquatic Centre, which is not the warmest pool in the World, outside term time. The little one (now 6 months) is OK for about 20 minutes exposure, the bigger one would stay in until he dissolved if we let him.
It’s not cheap but the whole family get a lot out of it. Also, it’s my money so I’ll do what I want with it thankyouverymuch.
What happens to all these 'protected from the riff raff' kids who are able to swim without getting splashed by the other kids when they get to school? Most of my early memories of swimming lessons and in general were of water fights and dunking each other. You learnt to swim whilst your borthers/mates were trying to semi drown you.
I did the lesson thing with my son and it didnt work very well. My daughter hasnt had any lessons. Age for age she is pretty much a higher confidence level. We put this down to her having an older brother who she can play with in the pools. Strange that eh
We put this down to her having an older brother who she can play with in the pools. Strange that eh
Sorry, but just because she has an older brother to play with in the pool is hardly compelling evidence that baby swimming lessons are a waste of money. Our youngest also did baby swimming using the same pool, same teacher, same lesson plan (aka under the same conditions?).... and advanced far faster and is even now at 4 at least as if not not more confident than her 6yo sister.
You learnt to swim whilst your brothers/mates were trying to semi drown you.
Or in the case of my wife was so traumatised by the experience that to this day she still cannot swm, cannot even consider entering water above about waist deep, and is practically phobic about the fear of going under or even having water splashed in her face.
NEWSFLASH: all kids are different.
Just because it worked for you, doesn't mean it would be the right thing for everyone. Just the same as I don't think anyone here is suggesting that attendance at baby swimming classes be made compulsory. The OP asked for opinions about whether we thought babyswimming was worth it. Some say no, some say yes. He can now make his own mind up.
I'm in Beijing and there is only 1 childrens pool, owned by a British Company called Familybox. The other pools are all lane pools, and unless your pounding the pool, you'll get cold very quickly.
We took him for a 'freebie' lesson 2 weeks ago (then we had to listen to the sales spiel), and he loved it. Stole the limelight from the others and the instructor kept using him for Demos as he was just so relaxed and laughing the whole time.
It probably helps that at bath time we have fun, and splash and try and cover Daddy with as much water as possible.
This place is 'seriously Middle Class' lessons come in a £20 a pop and you have to pay for 20 courses up front.
We can afford it, although it means that my new wheels and brakes etc get put to the bottom of the pile
Yup, petrieboy v2.0 has been going since a fee month old. Warm pool (it's a pool at someones house) With lessons limited to half a dosen. Gives him and his mum lots of confiddence and he'll now happily swim away under water. Happy to get his hair washed in the bath now too! Think it's a couple of quid a week.
Must admit, I learnt to swim with my dad teaching me and have always been a strong swimmer and love the water. I tend to agree that swimming lessons for kids so young is a bit of a money-spinning exercise and (I'll get shot down for this:))another excuse for parents to pass responsibility to someone else for their children's upbringing. I'm sure that spending the time with your children will do wonders as a bonding exercise but also will allow you to have fun together..... just a thought
another excuse for parents to pass responsibility to someone else for their children's upbringing
Or just admitting an area where you dont' have expertise.
For example, I'd pay someone to teach my kid say Spanish.
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