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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that swimming is not a "life skill"?

131 replies

Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 27/04/2012 20:00

A friend today said to me that swimming was a life skill (and that's why her son took lessons).

I don't think it is a life skill. AIBU to think that?

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 28/04/2012 10:03

I agree star tail-especially with the wash! It must be scary to be the non swimmer.

FallenCaryatid · 28/04/2012 10:19

'It will simply be assumed by scouts, guides and senior schools that all DC can swim'

No, you have to fill in a form for any activities like this and state if your child can swim or not. The usual criteria is 25m with confidence. Any organisation that assumes is dangerous.

bruffin · 28/04/2012 10:33

I have filled in forms for scouts, mariners base and schools about dcs swimming ability.

Safire · 28/04/2012 10:37

I think you can't rule out culture. I'm not originally from the UK and swimming is not seen as an essential skill, neither bike riding might I add. Falling into water is not necessarily the most likely accident that is going to happen to you. My policy is, can't swim then stay away from water. Most of the leisure activities mentioned don't take place in my corner of the (developing) world anyyway! So I would say it is a useful skill to have if you live in the Western world (for want of any better way to put it) but not a necessary life skill for humankind in general IYSWIM. If you are going to be living in a desert region all your life it wouldn't be top of your priority list of essential sklls to have in life.

So I would say it boils down to where in the world you live, and in the UK would be more of a priorityy than in some otHer places.

yakbutter · 28/04/2012 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

irememberthesilverjubilee · 28/04/2012 10:48

Yanbu it isn't a life skill BUT what it is is MUCH easier to learn as a child - easier cheaper more convenient
So I would say children should learn to swim!
Although my mil who can't always says that she won't fall in water as she won't be near it!!

ragged · 28/04/2012 11:18

DC about to go off for Scouts/Guides water-based holidays, and I'm being asked if they can swim 50m unaided very explicitly on the forms.

Even in the deserts there are still rivers, flash floods, sink holes, coastlines & hot springs.

Imho, swimming is an essential life skill. So is knowing how to interact with dogs.

FallenCaryatid · 28/04/2012 11:29

I have a friend from upper Egypt, her little brother drowned in the household water tank when he was 4.

exoticfruits · 28/04/2012 13:48

You have to fill in a form for water based activities, I was merely talking about them all going off to the swimming pool for a swim when on camp, and it is a bit miserable if you are stuck in the shallow end, watching the fun.

quiplite · 28/04/2012 14:04

Swimming's fun. Potentially life-saving, but mainly fun. Fun stuff is important in life.

Nancy66 · 28/04/2012 14:06

I can't swim and have no interest in learning.

Amuses me when people say things like 'what if you were walking along a river bank and fell in?'

exoticfruits · 28/04/2012 14:17

That is fine if you want to take that short sighted view Nancy but as a responsible parent you should ensure that your DC can swim.

quiplite · 28/04/2012 14:20

Nancy... what would you do if you were walking along a river bank and fell in?

Nancy66 · 28/04/2012 14:24

quiplite - believe it or not - knowing that i couldn't swim means I would not take such risks as walking close to a river bank.

quiplite · 28/04/2012 14:29

Very sensible, very. My SIL can't swim, but regularly comes out on boat trips with us. She usually wears a life vest. Drives me insane.

For your DC, though, it makes much more sense to learn to swim than to spend their lives never going near a body of water. Which is a shame, because, as previously stated, swimming is fun.

LadyBeagleEyes · 28/04/2012 14:36

I can swim, but after a big scare many years ago when I was a child, I hate going out of my depth.
I'm pretty sure I could save myself from drowning, but I've missed out on so much fun with this ridiculous phobia.
Definitely a life skill as well as a social skill.

Hopandaskip · 28/04/2012 14:49

it is a life skill when you live in an area with a lot of pools in friends backyards and a very big ocean that you visit regularly.

maddening · 28/04/2012 15:01

my mum never learnt and is now scared of the water (we even tried to get her to float once and she sank ) but she found it to be something she really wanted us to learn as she found it to her detriment that she didn't.

SimoneD · 28/04/2012 15:03

Of course its a life skill, one of the more important ones

And apart from it potentially saving your life its a skill that brings so much fun with it. I cant imagine not being able to swin in the pool whilst on holiday or in the ocean, or go on boat trips, banana boats, jet ski's, snorkelling etc

My dd started swim classes aged about 3 months - she absolutely loves it and Im so glad I started her so young. Its so important to be confident in the water. Im not a good swimmer myself and wish Id started earlier.

Nancy66 · 28/04/2012 15:12

More important than:

The ability to communicate
empathise
socialise
sense of humour
work ethic
kindness
sense of responsibility
problem solving
literacy
creativity

.......being able to thrash about in water on holiday is more important than those? Really?

CupOfBrownJoy · 28/04/2012 15:15

I imagine once you're drowning, swimming looks like a pretty important life skill!

And there's quicksand in North Wales too, although I'm not sure that knowing how to swim would be much help...

SimoneD · 28/04/2012 15:17

I was thinking more in terms of practical skills Nancy not emotional ones.

And I think being able to swim has more advantages than thrashing about on holiday. Its not likely to kill you for instance if you dont have a sense of humour whereas not being able to swim might.

maddening · 28/04/2012 15:19

but why would anyone be anti-swimming Confused

Nancy66 · 28/04/2012 15:20

I bet you anything that the majority of people who drown are swimmers not non-swimmers.

CupOfBrownJoy · 28/04/2012 15:20

jealousy, and an inability to admit they are missing an important life skill