Why can’t everyone swim???

[GorgeousFox]

Am interested in understanding what is stopping children from learning to swim? Is it the cost, lack of facilities, time constraints, something else?????

1. finding somewhere that has a space on a weekend.
2. Persuading ds that he wanted to learn

Cost wasn't an issue for us, but I'm sure it is for some. And travel. The council pool had a four year waiting list and the only place I could find was 11 miles to a rural prep school.

I'm in my 50's and haven't swam since leaving primary school. I also don't "paddle" in the sea without shoes on...I have deformed toes and was constantly tormented about it at swimming lessons. In fact I never have my feet on show, even in the hottest days....no open toe sandals of flip-flops for me.

Lots of valid reasons here OP but I agree it's a life skill everyone should have, even if they choose never to use it. We don't live in the US anymore but the county there where my DD went to high school required basic swimming in order to graduate. No basic swimming skill, no high school diploma. The schools had their own pools though - harder to do without facilities.

People prioritise other sports. Imagine your child playing football and only going once a week. People expect to take their children to lessons each week and not take them for any practice/fun water times. Ok kicking a ball around a field is free but swimming is only a few pounds.

People also don't seem to grasp that swimming is technical not like football. It's not easy and takes practice esp the different strokes.

Didn’t mean to be middle class or to offend. I am considering starting a charity with this aim. I learnt to swim aged 50 and now realise how much easier it would be to gain water confidence at an early age. I know what obstacles were around 20 years ago when I had kids but am aware times change.

All of that. Obviously.

Did you grow up with a pool at home or something?

Severe skin condition means regular lessons have never been possible.

If my child didn't have lessons, she wouldn't be able to swim. I'm a lone parent (through bereavement so there is no other parent) and work full time.

Access to the local pool is limited as they're still selling slots as they did during Covid and there aren't many family swim slots that I could make around work. There are waiting lists at many of the swim schools now. Fortunately, I got her in early and can afford the costs. I can see this would be a big issue for some parents.

My local pool does lessons - but it’s a two year waiting list! Had no idea till I went to register my youngest DC.

I’ve been taking them since they were a baby but Covid caused a big interruption. The pool has put their prices up too, and that would also be a factor. The lessons aren’t cheap and it’s not cheap to take DC myself either. I really wish the government would subsidise pool entry for younger children so it could be free.

Fear of water. I had lessons all through school but none of it worked. I went to an adult class aged 45 and learned but I still don't enjoy it.

Well it causes no harm until they fall into a deep pond... and then it becomes an enormous problem!

What is this obsession with formal “lessons”? I just took my toddlers to the swimming pool with flotation aids and got them going by myself. Just make it fun, keep them in the shallow end, and encourage their efforts. We were lucky in that the municipal pool in St Andrews was always virtually empty - we often had a life guard just for ourselves! When they were a little older, we went to Perth so they could play with the current, the water cannon, and swim from the indoor to the outdoor pool. They loved floating under the stars in the heated outdoor bit of the pool on winter nights.
It meant that on summer holidays in the Greek islands they could have fun in the swimming pools and water parks, and cool off there in the hot sun. They are in their thirties now, and are both much more confident swimmers than I am!

Cost, time, logistics.
My mum had to help out as lessons were before I finished work. Mine ended up just about OK swimmers but it cost thousands and took up a lot of time.

DH can't swim.
He had lessons as a child - quite old - 7/8 ish - and hated it.
His DM can't swim (cost, opportunity growing up) and his DF prefers other sports.m, so they never pushed him with the swimming.

(I have probably never gone more than a week without swimming since I learnt at 3, and both our dc could swim a width before they started school. I is a "natural", one has to try much harder and is less enthusiastic).

I didn't learn to swim until I was 27. I didn't like it then I got to that age and realised it would be a good thing to learn. My 9 yo is a better swimmer than me but she's a water baby like her dad

Both my children had lessons via school. One a week for six months (then take off school holidays , inset days, lack of ta support etc). By the time you took off changing room time their swim lesson ended up being 30 minutes. To teach 30 7yr old to swim. It was rush rush rush so the children weren't in the right headspace to learn. Despite me and DH trying to teach when we are on holiday, neither child can swim.

In comparison I was taken to lessons once a fortnight for a full 1 hour for 4 years. Many children took their gold, and all the children could swim enough to get out of reasonable trouble, ie falling into a river.

Yes. Its the cost, lack of facilities, time constraints and other things such as parents not seeing it as a necessary life skill for example.

My dad was 'taught' to swim by being chucked into the deep end by his dad. Yes. Really. That is a horrible thing to do to a child and would have given me a phobia for life! Funnily enough, my dad loved water so much I'm surprised he didn't grow gills. Swimming pools, lakes, the sea... Couldn't get him out.

He never forgot what his dad did though and taught us to swim when we were tiny in an appropriate way.

I can't swim. My parents never had the money for lessons. School lessons with 40 in the class (1960s) , and it was the form teacher who concentrated on those who COULD swim. We only went from the 4th year (now year 6), and for 1 year.
Lining up down the side and being forced to jump in, when you cannot swim is very scary.
In contrast, I made sure my DC could all swim; taking them regularly each week from 6 months old, and lessons as soon as they were 5. (our borough started from age 6, so went to a different area, where lessons started age 5). So BECAUSE I can't swim, I considered lessons a priority.
(Yes, I have had lessons as an adult, but still can't swim)

Cost
Lesson Availability
Lack of access to local pool
Time
Lack of transport

Plus cuts in school funding means not all kids get lessons in primary

I was terrified of water for 45 years so no I didn’t have a pool in my home.

Looked into lessons for my little one, found them to be ridiculously expensive. I’m saving to move to an area with cheaper cost of living and I’ll try there. Also couldn’t find a pool I could get to without a car.

I personally cannot swim because I was born with a perforated eardrum and putting my head underwater/getting my ear wet caused me extreme pain.

For me swimming was always a ‘need’ not a ‘nice’

obviously if people are struggling paying bills that’s a diff issue but outside of that I made my kids go from age 2 for formal lessons

we went as a family every week too - £10 for family four unlimited time at our council pool

i made them continue to go to lessons til they could swim 20-30 lengths no probs

I do think for some parents prioritising other things is an issue eg footy, cubs, netball etc - they are not life skills and shouldn’t come before swimming

i would be a nervous wreck if my kids couldn’t swim

I have twins when they were 6 months I started just taking them to the pool couldn't afford swimming lessons. I did pay more for better facilities with good showers and baby equipment. When they were 3 we started paying for swimming lessons but I was still taking them for swim min once a week mostly weekends. They swam at holidays in sea and swimming pools. Now we swim in the river summer time. They had swimming lessons at school from Y4. They are now confident swimmers. I love swimming and I think I pushed hard to make them to love water even so was hard to go with 2 on my own. . I scuba dive as well.

It's the simple things of cost, availability of facilities, time etc etc

Ideally there would be lots of small learning pools around, run publicly with subsidised good quality lessons for those on low income and/or benefits. But that would require investment and no one would be prepared to fund it.

Meant to say I taught my children to swim from birth and followed that up with private lessons from a professional who was qualified to teach swimming and water safety rather than them relying on learning my comical breast stroke 🤣.

Which was a good job because their school swimming lessons consisted of standing in a queue at the side of the pool, getting in when it was their turn, being guided one width and getting out again. Utterly pointless.