Swimming lessons should be essential!

I agree and I spent 8 blooming years putting 2 kids through swimming lessons. Their school hardly did any swimming so essential to learn seperately

I think it's all a bit overhyped, frankly. For most children, learning to swim very young is entirely unnecessary. Some children love it, and some families love going swimming together. But I think it's just another thing beat stressed out mothers with, and a cash cow for swimming schools.Learning to swim in a heated pool wearing a swimming costume is not going to help if you fall into icy cold water fully clothed, and is like to give both child and parent a false sense of security. So, if your young child loves it and you can afford it then go. If they don't or you can't, then wait until they are a bit older, and they'll learn happily and quickly.

The RLSS thinks that children learning to swim is an important part of water safety. It says it in the National Drowning Report:

www.rlss.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=2b08fcb2-ba55-4055-a90b-b509322650d4

See the recommendations on page 10.

Year 4 or 5 is far too late!

Rubbish. It's never too late to learn....

I agree it is essential. I only wish we had adequate leisure facilities throughout the country to make it happen earlier and for everyone.

But if you live rurally, a return bus ticket for a parent plus dc can be £10+. Subsidised swimming lessons are still out of the reach of many.

Exactly, not to mention transport to/from the pool (if you don't drive), parking (if you do), potential childcare for other siblings, fitting it in around school, work and other commitments etc.

I mean - I think swimming is great. It's good to be able to swim.

None of my kids took to swimming when they were small, at least the three older ones. THey were too skinny I think, they became cold and miserable, and they sank.

The two girls became reasonable swimmers later, my son even as a teen is so stinky it's not funny. He'll swim a bit but he cannot float at all, he drops like a stone. So - it's not that enjoyable.

My youngest used to have the problem with temperature until we went to a tropical vacation, and she learned to swim there. She still gets cold at home but at least she got in enough practice to feel confident.

I suppose if we were more pool oriented it might help, but none of us deal well with the pool chemicals. So it's natural bodies of water and they are cold.

The council in the city I live in are shutting community pools like there's no tomorrow.

Being able to swim and being safe around water aren't the same thing. The latter is far more important.

Lots of people can't afford swimming lessons or access a pool - our nearest pool is a 40 minute drive away. If you don't have a car, it takes even longer by train. Add on the expense of parking etc. and you can see how it's easily out of reach for lots of families.

I have no idea if it is lifesaving. Surely if you can't swim, you are highly unlikely to be in water to drown.

But it's like learning to ride a bike, if your parents don't teach you/arrange for you to be taught, you are unlikely to learn as an adult. So it's something I have prioritised. I feel like it's an essential part of parenting.

Is that all?

I didn't realise how good our local Primary school was in that regard. They swim the whole summer term and first half of autumn term in the school pool. Maybe because we live by the sea.

Swimming isn't an essential life skill, water safety is. They are not the same.

Swimming is a good hobby and lead in to other hobbies. That's the reason to learn.

That child died as a result of neglect.
There should be equal access nationally. Lessons are £4 each were I am for people on low income, £6 otherwise. Baby/toddler swims are free if signed up with a children's center. I'd say year 4/5 was about the right time for schools. Often medical issues that prevent swimming are starting to get sorted out by then.

if you can only afford one class for your baby/toddler then make it swimming

I think this is largely a waste of money. Take them for a few fun splash sessions at your family swimming pool when they are babies and toddler. Save the lessons for when they are around five or so as they will then learn quickly, but babies and toddlers don’t typically learn to swim no matter how many times they go in a pool.

Once at school, some have their own pools for lessons or share a pool with other schools, but it’s also part of the KS2 curriculum so lessons are available for all of those in state education in England.

School swimming isn't a thing in Scotland. It used to be, we were taking to the nearest school pool when I was in primary school, and my secondary school had its own pool. Schools are now being replaced without pools and there is no requirement to provide swimming as part of the curriculum, so schools don't do it.

So it's up to parents to organise lessons, or take their kids and teach them themselves. Lots do, many don't for all sorts of reasons.

My best friend was a weak swimmer because she’d never had lessons and rarely been taken swimming as a child. By the time she had school swimming lessons, she was already petrified.

She has now got 2 kids and to her credit, they both attend swimming lessons and have done since they were little. I think she was keen that her children never felt the way she did.

I was taken swimming as a tot and enrolled in swimming lessons aged 4. I am a strong swimmer as a result.

Here it’s £36 a month and includes free swimming for the person learning at any of the council pools too. Cheaper than school lesson swimming for the “coach”

Swimming lessons here start at £15 a week for group lessons. Again, beyond the finances of many families atm

Swimming has been priced out for many families now.

Here only one pool re-opened anywhere near us after Covid and since it has a few flumes they charge and absolute fortune.

it's £9 for an adult and £6 for a child. They do a parent & toddler session on a weekday and it's £11 for 45 mins. The car park (and you can't get there by bus since Covid either) is £6 for an hour. £17 is beyond many people

Just knowing how to float for a few seconds could be enough to get rescued and save your life.

Absolutely essential, especially if you live near open water. My country is full of lakes so most people live near open water so teaching children how to swim is very important. Its a compulsory part of the curriculum every year in school but its only 2 or 3 lessons per term per year so doesn't teach a huge amount, they really need teaching outside of school too. My town doesn't have swimming lessons except for a week-long course for preschoolers every spring, so I taught my children myself (well, my youngest is still learning). We swim in the pool in the winter and in the lake in the summer so they get used to swimming in open water too. And once they can swim well enough, jumping in off the swimming jetty so they learn how to swim with a sudden start, out of their depth. Plus its fun!

When my DC started swimming lessons at 4 he cried and cried? It took three lessons to even get him in the pool, and months of lessons to manage a whole half hour without tears. He hated the water, the noise, the cold, getting changed, going home with wet hair, everything. We tried two different places as the first place, the instructor just ignored him when he was unhappy getting in the water, the second place was better with smaller groups but still he wasn’t learning, still hating every second and it was a battle every time which was costing a fortune. We persevered for ages but eventually gave up. He still can’t swim without a floaty at 10.
not every child is good at it, not every child enjoys it, not every child will “just get ised to it”, not every family has money to burn on activities the kids hate.

The earlier the better

I swim, my kids swim. It's good exercise and handy for holidays, but an essential life skill it is not. I'm sure none of us would stand a chance in a cold river/lake/sea or in strong currents.