to wonder do babies/ toddlers actually learn to swim early by following waterbabies??

[workinggally]

My son does waterbabies, it's quite expensive but fun. After one term he's being submerged and playing games etc. Apparently level 4 is when they start to swim properly.

Has anyone ever followed one of these programmes all the way through and how well could their child swim at the end of it?? I think it's worth it for the fun factor but curious as to whether it's worth it for the learning to swim.

Depends on the child imo.

One of my children did the whole baby/toddler swim sessions thing and absolutely loved it but still couldn't actually swim with a proper stroke on top of the water (fine underwater!) until he was around 11.

DS1, on the other hand, didn't do any classes when he was that age but picked it up by going with us to the local pool and could swim independently by around 4.5.

I'd like to have done it because it looks fun, but no idea if it is really effective!

I'm a pretty poor swimmer though so I'm happy enough with the idea of my kids just waiting until they are a 3/4 older and having thorough lessons with an instructor.

What one person counts as swimming in young children another person may not see the same way. Most children cannot hold themselves out of the water until at least 3 years old, until then they sort of swim under the water. But really does it matter? What matters surely is that a child is enjoying themselves and is not scared of the water.

Swimming is our children's main sport, they were all taken to the pool from an early age with mum and dad, no 1 and 2 learned to swim at aged 3 1/2, yet our no 3 refused completely to swim unaided until age 5 1/2! Then along came no 4 who swam above water with a recognisable back and front stroke and completely water confident (physically far more advanced than age) at only 2 1/2 and she became quite a celebrity at the pool, got her 100m badge at age 4.

We never did waterbabies classes, but if I they had been available, I'm sure I would have done them, not to make our children swim early, but because I know I would have loved doing them!

Don't expect your children to swim like an older child from these classes though.

DS has been to the swimming pool since he was a baby and has been having lessons since he was three. At eight, he has completed all the swimming levels and is now on lifeguard training, so something went right for him!

We did it as well and it scared my daughter from going swimming for almost 2 years, she'd scream as soon as set foot near a pool. I take her every week now and she's starting swimming lessons next week and I expect she'll pick it up fairly quickly now she's older.

This is really interesting

I took my DS1 to lessons until 20months and he really enjoyed them. I stopped because I got pg with DS2 and have not been again for either child.

We take both boys swimming around once a month and on holidays. My eldest is quite cautious of the water now, but my youngest loves it and he has never had a lesson.

I do feel they are more expensive than fun at the moment. But will be investing in some before our holiday abroad next year to build the confidence up again.

DS1 is now 3.5yrs so its the ideal time to start again. DS2 will be 2yrs so good for him too.

If the pool is warm and you enjoy it, do it! Otherwise wait till they're 3

You're not that wary, this is about the 10th thread you've posted the same identical post on today, and you had a thread deleted on exactly the same issue last week.
My twins love waterbabies and we've always been treated well. So no I don't agree.

reported on another thread also

Hahaha ceevee, lovely reply! I've reported too, when active threads suddenly became waterbabies threads.

Completely agree with one of the above posters that it depends on the child. I took my DS to water babies classes up until the age of 3.3. He started getting the wobbles about 3 months before turning 3 and never got quite over it. He also had the wobbles at some point before cannot quite remember his age. It may have also been huge toddler tantrums. Nevertheless at that point he refused most of the routines, hated going underwater or swimming with the noodle. It became a very frustrating exercise. A lot of the other kids were doing really well though, were swimming unaided, jumping in head first etc.
Even when I am taking him to the swimming pool now at 3.5 he clings onto me and refuses the float. TBH his confidence was stronger at 2 than at 3. Not sure if persistence over months and months did him any good..

Oops just noticed this is an old thread...