Those who have their child in swim school

I am signing up my DS who is turning 5. He is great in the water... can hold his breath etc, but has never swam without a puddle jumper. I am considering putting my other child who is almost 2 in classes as well. Is he too young to start now? Would I wind up paying for classes for 5 years before he really learned anything? Just curious how young progress can be made. TIA

Those who have their child in swim school

DD started at 15 months. She's 2.5 now and can swim maybe a foot by herself. She seems comfortable in the water, but tbh she doesn't spend much time in a pool besides swim lessons.

Those who have their child in swim school

My oldest has done a session or two a summer since she was 3. At 5 she started doing really well with a minimal bubble (the styrofoam belts they use at the Y). At 6, she regressed a lot at first but by the end of one session she was swimming with no bubble.

My 3.5yo had her first lessons this year and while she enjoyed it, she didn't exactly make much progress. I'd definitely wait at least one more year on your younger child.

Those who have their child in swim school

My son is 4. He did lessons when he was 2.5. It was a mommy and me class and he hated it. The summer when he was 3, he wouldn’t put his head under the water. I did lessons again when he turned 4 this spring. It was a group setting and I hated the entire experience. He learned literally nothing.

Fast forward to this summer and it’s a totally different story. We go to our town pool at least 4 days a week. About a month ago, he told me that he didn’t want to wear his puddle jumper anymore. Within two weeks, he was going off the diving board. He’s by no means an expert swimmer but has enough skills to swim the length of the pool.

I think the only way lessons pay off at that young of an age is if you are consistent with practicing regularly.

Message edited 7/31/2018 7:59:11 PM.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I think while the kid can enjoy it early, best time to start is somewhere between 3 & 4.

DD started at 4 and is now 6 and is a very strong swimmer. She is now only learning strokes and perfecting breathing.

DS started at 6 (but could swim on his own at 4) and is now almost 8. He could compete and is faster than me.

Will start my last kid at 3, but she is a fish. She puts her head under the water, blows bubbles and jumps into the pool. Also, she will get into lessons before I pull other 2 out (there is sibling priority).

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I started DD (2 in April) in the classes this summer and it's been a disaster. She started out great and the first class the instructor had her jump in and go under the water. There has been nothing but tears and screaming since then and we're 5 classes in.

My takeaway, really talk to the instructor and let them know what you think your child will and won't do. I really regret that we turned her off swimming. Now she hates class, though we did a mommy and me class and she enjoyed it, but she has to get used to swimming with someone besides me ya know? And I'm no instructor, I can't teach her.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

At that age my DD was terrified of the water. She would scream bloody murder even for a bath.
Swim lessons at that age would have been a disaster and a waste of money.
I'd wait a bit, but every kid is different so you never know

Those who have their child in swim school

My daughter's swim instructor says that 3 is when they really can begin to learn swimming concepts. Before that it's really just getting them used to the water. If he loves the water I'd try it.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I wouldn't worry about formal lessons before 3ish personally...especially if the child likes the water already. My daughters all started around 4 and were swimming independently by the time they were 5...they are in the pool every day though and have a lot of practice.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I tried putting my DD in when she was almost 2, she hated it. I had to transfer all of the lessons to her brother, since it was a place where you buy a package of lessons.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I used to teach swim lessons. Anything before the age of 3 was just water readiness. Most, were 'parent and child' lessons. At 3 we started the basics: assisted floats, blowing bubbles and then putting their ears in the water to get used to the idea of breathing from the side, "scooping ice cream" (basically freestyle like stroke), and of course the ever so popular "monkey, airplane, soldier". All of these are assisted by the teacher. We do not expect them at this age to do this independently.
Around 4 is when we would try to expand on these concepts by encouraging them to do it with a little less support. We also encourage them to submerge their heads below the water if they were ready. Both 3 and 4 we do a lot of using the kick boards as well.
5 is when we tried to encourage them to float on their own, and started with putting the strokes together.

Message edited 8/1/2018 1:10:19 PM.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

Every child is different. We started DD before she turned 3. She's typically scared of everything and the first time she was in a pool she was shaking and crying hysterically. We were going on vacation so I hoped lessons would allow her just to be comfortable being held in the water. But, she surprised us and was so excited to learn to swim. She literally jumped into the water the first time and has been great since then.

Try it. You can always stop and try again in a few months.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

My 3 year old just started in the spring. He can already float, swim well enough to get to the side of the pool, and he has learned to pull himself up and out. They are working on treading water now. I'm not concerned about him learning technique really, I signed him up because I want him to be safe around water.

I always talk to another mom when I'm there. Her 18 month old (that's been in swim lessons since 2 months old) can do so much and is probably better at swimming than my son. I mean he's not doing the breast stroke or anything, but he can get himself to safety. It's crazy. I never would have thought to put DS into classes that early.

If your goal is water safety, then I would start the lessons now. If your goal is for them to learn proper swimming techniques, then I would wait.

Those who have their child in swim school

Dd1 was 6 months when she started lessons. She didn’t really get it until 3. At 5 we are now placing her on a competitive swim team. She is an amazing swimmer. She swims better than me with strokes and such.

Dd2 will go in probably when she is 2.5. She loves the water and I don’t want her to lose that plus I want to be comfortable with her in a pool.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

Both my sons were 1.5 -2 when they started taking swimming lessons. My older one was just shy of turning 4 and my younger one had just turned 4 when they jumped off the diving board in our public pool and was able to swim independently. I am a HUGE proponent of early swim lessons and swim safety. However I TRULY dislike saf-t-swim. Every child I know that takes classes there ends up needing assistance to swim for a long long time.

Re: Those who have their child in swim school

I have my 3 sons, ages almost 7, just 3 and 22 months in British Swim School. They have been going since July and the progress is amazing. My baby can float on his own! My 3 year old can float and climb out of the pool. My older guy went from being barely able to float to doing freestyle, breast stroke and now hes learning butterfly. The teacher is terrific. So glad I did it.