At what age did you start your child doing swimming lessons?

[CarlaTheGnome]

And what form did the lessons take? Was it a block of classes or an ongoing PAYG type thing, did you have to get in the pool with them, did you just keep going until they got to a certain stage (could do a length alone etc.), was it 1-2-1 or a bigger group? I'm doing some research for DS (age 4) who has almost no experience at all and need all the advice I can get!

Eldest DD had baby lessons at around 7-8 months. Then we moved internationally and she just did ad hoc swimming sessions with us until we settled. She started weekly lessons at about 3 and has done ever since. She's now almost 10 and a great swimmer.

Younger DD just did ad hoc sessions with us until she was about 18 months and we did formal weekly lessons with one of us in the pool until she was 3 and then she moved onto lessons without us in the pool. Took a little while longer with younger DD as COVID messed stuff up. She's 7 now and getting there but definitely still needs to keep learning.

12 weeks old.

we started my little boy at age 4 just as he started reception. It wasn’t great ( we had to go in with him) he hated it and was tired after school, we persevered for a while and In the end stopped as it wasn’t doing any good. We try to go swimming as a family quite often and he’s enjoying that. We will start lessons again at some point but he’s now 5 and a half and is still not keen on going.

8 weeks

Both started at age 3 . They had an instructor in the pool with them. There were around 5 kids in the class. Pay monthly with a direct debit, classes run all year apart from 2 weeks at xmas.

3 or 4. DS1 is 7 and has finished swimming lessons now. Never had to go in with him.

DS2 we tried at 3 but cos covid I had to go in with him and he just wanted me to do it all for him. He’s started again now he’s 5 and loving it!

Group lessons, rolling direct debit 51 weeks of the year. Local leisure Center.

4 months, he's 4 now and can swim a width of the small pool, his technique isn't great obviously, but he does ok, can float and loves the water. That was the most important but for me the confidence and being able to get himself out of trouble, we live by the coast

Always group lessons no more than 5 in the class

At four, in a group at the local leisure centre, cheapest lessons we could find, half an hour a week. Both DDs are excellent swimmers now, far better than average, but that is because they carried on with lessons until they were fourteen. Lots of their friends stopped lessons once they had mastered the basics at between eight and ten but both DD wanted to carry on. As a result they can strongly swim using all four main strokes and with the proper breathing techniques. I think that they'll keep this skill for years which makes the boring hours watching from poolside worthwhile 😀

Our dtwins didn’t do swimming lessons until age 3 because of the 1-1 baby ratio.

I taught them to swim myself at 2.5. They went for lessons with an instructor for two years, not group lessons, just the two of them. We then continued swimming regularly without an instructor and they became very confident in the water. They joined a swimming club at age 8.

Water babies from 6 weeks. Mainstream lessons from 3.5.

8 weeks. Water Babies. Then transferred to council swimming lessons from the age of 3.

We did baby swim lesson which were a complete faff and waste of money. Both boys started proper swimming lessons around age 5 and are now very confident swimmers. There was a term of swimming in yr 4 but both mine had already gone past the expected level of competence by then so didn't bother attending the school swim classes. I was actually surprised how many kids were unable to swim - we live by the sea it's massively important! Find a class that works for you, avoid early mornings at the weekend! Ive seen far too many children (and adults) rescued by our RNLI.. a child / adult knowing how to survive in water is a huge thing.

From 2.5 months at a nearby baby swim facility, 25 min session once a week during term time. Somehow we started in September 2020 which I now realise is a bit odd given it was Covid Times. DD is now 2.5 and has started swimming independently, I’m more interested in the life skill aspect of it rather than any competitive feats of brilliance by starting early.

4 years.

Due to lockdown ours were 6 and 4 when they started group lessons (4-6 kids in a class). They picked it up quickly at that age and have progressed through the stages fairly easily.

6 months and 11 weeks at Aquababies. DH and I were both non swimmers until adulthood so we were determined not to let the same happen to our kids. We moved on to private group swim school lessons when DD was around 5 and DS around 3, and I would say that's when both started learning to swim properly. Tried council lessons briefly with DD when she was around 3.5 but they were rubbish, she was mostly sitting in the side waiting her turn freezing cold. When we realised there wasn't much difference in cost, we moved to the swim school lessons which were far better.

From 12 weeks . Weekly group class. Continued all through primary school

Aged 5 (year 1] but been going most weeks with dh since a baby so was water confident. Just needed more structure to learn

About six years old - then a block of about 10 intensive one-on-one lessons once a week for 10 weeks or so. Getting to the pool is tricky for our family, so we telescoped the learning process into as short a time as possible, then maintained it by going swimming as a family on holidays and as an occasional thing in between.

Not sure why a few people are saying baby lessons are a waste of time, yes the baby won't learn to swim at 3 months but it is good to build water confidence as well as a fun activity to do together. You'll be amazed at how much they can do even at a very young age

Mine was a shit for swimming. Took him every bloody week from 3 months. At 2 years he had swimming lessons 1:1 for 3 years. He went with school from 4 till 8. The sod still can't swim.

Now 21, and the sod still hasn't drowned

Took kids to the pool a lot, taught them to blow bubbles, float and doggie paddle. Always wore floaties until they could doggie paddle strongly. Then lessons once about 4 yrs old each Summer holidays for 10 days straight through local pool - subsidised by government but small charge paid for by parents. Swimming every year at school each day for about four weeks - government school and included in fees. Once in Secondary school - similar swimming for three weeks at school and further training each lunch time for three months if qualified for state championships etc. Lessons and training with swimming club for three months over Summer additional - membership charge, fundraising invoved and weekly pool entry charge etc. Paying for a family membership to the local pool over Summer was beneficial.

Mine had small group lessons at 5/ 6 for around 12-18 months. Could stay afloat afterwards but would say being confident swimmers around age 8/9 - either before or on holidays where swimming = acess to all the fun bits!
We took them regularly swimming from around 1 year old.

Judging from this thread, nost DC seem to learn around the 5- 7 yers of age.
I also think the UK is not a country with a great swimming culture - it's mostly a sport rather than recreational fun.

DD1 at about 9 months. She is a student now and a fantastic swimmer.

DD2 at 3 months. She is a lifeguard and a decent swimmer.