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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder what he bruhaha is about learning to swim..

167 replies

AtYourCervix · 27/01/2011 11:17

great if you want to but why the years of weekly lessons and enforced cold dripping and swallowing someone elses wee?

what's the point?

OP posts:
PaisleyLeaf · 27/01/2011 11:26

By going weekly you build on what you've learned.

BirdyBedtime · 27/01/2011 11:27

AtYourCervix - I don't think you can learn to swim properly without lessons although you could probably learn to keep yourself afloat which is a step in the right direction. I'm lucky that my DCs enjoy their swimming time but as said they've been going since 4 months and 7 months respectively so are totally used to it.

piprabbit · 27/01/2011 11:27

Also, I love going swimming with my DCs and teach them bits and pieces - but DD doesn't take advice from me easily, I'd rather pay someone else to do the teaching so I can just enjoy sharing the results.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/01/2011 11:27

Niecie - I don't think that is true. Of course you can't do butterfly strokes or whatever, but you can swim at 3 (which in my book means keeping afloat and getting from one end of a pool to another)

Original poster
AtYourCervix · 27/01/2011 11:27

and the terms worth didn't teach her how to swim. both DDs just got the hang of it at some point.

i do think it's weird though. and not fun at all (except in the sea/lakes/rivers.)

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 27/01/2011 11:28

but realistically how often are you likely to be falling in a lake and at risk of drowning?

Perhaps if you looked through some 19th century coroners records for drowning you may change your mind- it is staggering the amount of children that drowned in canals due to them not being able to swim

RMCW · 27/01/2011 11:28

To prevent death by drowning I would guess? Hmm

PaisleyLeaf · 27/01/2011 11:29

Oh those slides are fun though Cervix!

Socy · 27/01/2011 11:29

So swimming lessons too early then really are a waste of money? And most schools take them now anyway, so we don't have to!

Original poster
AtYourCervix · 27/01/2011 11:29

of course you can earn to swim without formal lessons. how the chuff do you think pearl divers learn~? through weekly dips in their local municipal pool after school?

OP posts:
RMCW · 27/01/2011 11:30

My cousin drowned aged 27...not just children I'm afraid Sad A local man died in the cancal here just before xmas Sad

PaisleyLeaf · 27/01/2011 11:30

I didn't find early lessons to be a waste of money Socy. Best thing we ever did. DD won't remember a time when she couldn't swim.

falsemessageoflethargy · 27/01/2011 11:30

Yes but ivykaty we dont live in the 19th century - how often does my 7 year old amble off by himself by the side of a canal?

I think its important but dont really understand the level of interest some people have with it beyond safety.

RMCW · 27/01/2011 11:31

My parents could not afford lessons.

I got so fed up being the only one of my friends who couldnt swim I taught myself!

Its dont look too pretty but I stay afloat! Grin

PURPLESWAN · 27/01/2011 11:31

I dont often bother to say this, because things in this subject are rarely worth commenting on

BUT YABVU

Swimming can save your life

Better to learn when young than when older

I have known two people who couldnt swim and both (adults) wished they had learnt.

sparkle1977 · 27/01/2011 11:32

atyourcervix - am completely in agreement with you.

as a child my parents made me have swimming lessons and I absolutely hated them and made no progress whatsoever, in fact my parents tell me that I just got worse so they stopped them.

i did learn to swim whilst at school, maybe at about age 7/8 but still i can only swim about a few lengths at a push.

i just don't understand the big deal with swimming. i never really swam as a child and do not nowadays. I get in the pool with my toddlers and into the pool on holidays but just to muck about not swim.

each to their own I say, i shall not be forcing swimming on my children.

like you say its not a daily risk that you might just happen to fall into a river!

i think being able to drive and being able to provide things like first aid are far more useful life skills.

RMCW · 27/01/2011 11:32

My 7 year old has been having lessons for a year and my 2 year old starts on saturday.

They both love it and its great exerciseSmile

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 27/01/2011 11:32

I know three children that have drowned from just my primary school - one couldn't swim and fell into a pool -the other two drowned in the sea trying to save each other

Stupid stupid stupid question.

DanJARMouse · 27/01/2011 11:32

We do it just as an after school activity to be honest, it knackers them out before tea time and monday nights are the best night they sleep! (usually a full 12hrs!)

I started adult swimming lessons on Tuesday night, I can do a few lengths but im not confident - I didnt want the kids to show me up Grin

I dont see it as a life skill though, just as a form of fun, and my kids see it as fun and not "work"

Niecie · 27/01/2011 11:32

GOML - I got that from DS's OT. Not saying you shouldn't have lessons for fun if that is what you like or that you can't swim after a fashion under 5 and not drown but proper swimming with recognised strokes? Not really.

I think that is the reason schools don't do swimming until Yr 5, not round here anyway.

PaisleyLeaf · 27/01/2011 11:33

The lessons are cheaper than if I were to take DD myself.

I used to enjoy those lessons where I went in with her (they were a nice thing to do together - and made me shave my legs once a week). And we also used to go just for fun once a week.
Now that DD's at school there isn't so much time for the fun swim once a week.
The lessons are cheaper than if I were to take her myself.

RMCW · 27/01/2011 11:33

sparkle you make a valid point about 1st aid for children...my ds1 will be doing his 1st aid course for beavers soon...I think its really important.

nikki1978 · 27/01/2011 11:34

I cannot afford lessons for my kids. I have only just found a pool where I can take them after school that does not have lessons in it so they are spending time in the pool for the first time ever at 3 and 6 years old. Are people saying that just being in the pool and me and MIL showing them what to do isn't good enough. Do I HAVE to pay for lessons then?

PURPLESWAN · 27/01/2011 11:34

tbh if you really dont want to be involved take your child to proper lessons once they are 5 or older.

I just read my book while he swims...win/win

Original poster
AtYourCervix · 27/01/2011 11:35

thats sad lady, but i still think that's more a question of supervision and knowing when or when not to go in the sea. not sure swimming lessons in a pool wouild have helped.

OP posts: