To try and take a baby and 3 yr old swimming on my own

[Whirliwig72]

Reality check needed please. Ds1 wants to go swimming - he's 3 and can only really doggy paddle if holding on to me. Also have 8 month old who I'll need to keep hold of. The local pool is shallow enough for ds1 to paddle about in on his own in shallow end but deepens quite quickly. He's quite sensible and I don't think he'd do anything silly like try to jump in out of his depth but you never know. In torn between thinking I'm being a bit paranoid to worry and thinking its a mad and dangerous idea. I'm too tired to be logical today - please tell me what to do!

Put the younger one in a baby float and a noodle for DS

I use an outdoor pool and you can take 6 dc's

Those jackets are very safe for toddler - no chance of the sinking in one of those

Tbh, I wouldn't bother, but I didn't like taking babies swimming cos of unnecessary chemicals and asthma risk, so that probably has something to do with my lack of enthusiasm.

Those jackets are very safe for toddler - no chance of the sinking in one of those

Tbh, I wouldn't bother, but I didn't like taking babies swimming cos of unnecessary chemicals and asthma risk, so that probably has something to do with my lack of enthusiasm.

I used to take mine swimming lots at that age. Get a buoyancy jacket for the older one, Zoggs do them then an inflatable seat for the baby. Give your older one a noodle as well then they can paddle around happily near you while you hold the baby.

Getting undressed then dry and dressed again is another matter...

Good luck it is great fun.

i live in a building with a pool and do this daily. my three year old was swimming well at 2.5 and at 3.5 does lengths.

but i still keep eyes in the back of my head while dealing with 9 month old as well.

I posted this years ago when I was a childminder taking 3 under 5 swimming, maybe it will help. OK are you ready for the masterclass.

Before you go, change all kids into all in one fleeces, and vest and nappies.

When you get there, change yourself first, then eldest and so on down the line, as you take the clothes off, hang on peg the way you are going to put them back on, with nappy over the top.

Once in water, all have arm bands and rubber rings, that way you can keep them all above the water level and grab them by the ring, if they float to far away. Never Ever put child in ring without armbands they can slip through.

Once swimming is over, strip child, sit on floor (they will fall off benches) with bum in the ring, (they cant crawl off then) cover with towelling poncho so warm and give snack and drink.

Dress yourself, you cannot dress them if you are cold and shivering, it takes twice as long.

Then start with the youngest usually they are dry by this time, dress, put in buggy cover with blanket, do the next child.

I can usually get us out and all 4 of us changed and in the car in 15 minutes.

Then straight home to bed, if they make it that far before falling asleep.

So endeth the masterclass

It's fine. Have been going since 3 months and 20 month old together. In for 20/30 mins max as all get too cold tbh. Just allow ages before and after to get ready/ changed etc..

I wrap eldest and plonk on floor of changing room armed with raisens and drink which occupy whilst change youngest. Then put youngest in car seat/ buggy/ on floor also depending on age. At younger age they would fall asleep or be fed then sleep, now then sit on floor/ buggy armed with snacks/ lunch also. Then get yourself and eldest ready.

Usually put bands on eldest and hold baby in arms

I did it when ds was a baby and dd was 2. Ds used to be in the car seat on the side of the pool (stripped down to his nappy because of the heat.) and then when ds was a little bigger he came in the pool with me holding him, and dd had armbands on. It worked really well.

Well there's nothing wrong with it, but when I did it I nearly let my eldest drown... just saying! (Horrible experience)

I did weekly swimming with four children as a nanny aged 6 months, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.5 years.

They all had swimmers on before going to pool and myself as well. They all had "the rules" said to them and they recited back to me before we got out of the car. The three older ones could strip themselves of their top layer while I sorted baby and I.

In the pool baby was always held, middle two had floats and older one could nearly swim. They all stuck to a certain area in the pool and if they broke a rule would have to sit on edge for a specific length of time. I always gave them plenty of warning when swimming was to be over.

Coming out of the pool we all showered together. The older three were pretty good about drying and dressing themselves just needed me to remind them to dry certain places which left me with arms free for baby and I.

When back in the car they'd have a snack or sometimes I'd have prepared tea so that we could go straight back home for tea.

I did this for nearly two years by which time the oldest three could swim independently and the baby was in just arm bands.

Sorry to hijack, OP, but....Shoshe OMG!!!!! I can't get myself done in 15 minutes on my own! That is the masterclass of masterclasses!!!!

Do you still childmind? and is travelling to the Midlands too far?

Oh spoke to soon! Mrswishywashy just out-masterclassed you, Shoshe

OP, you need to call your pool before you decide. Our local pool was very strict on the adult to child ratios and I'm pretty sure a it was 1:1 for a baby so you wouldn't be allowed to have the two alone here. If they will let you, and you want to, I would say snacks are essential. DH and I forgot them last time and two wet, cold, hungry, crying DCs was not fun!

I wouldn't even consider doing this.

There is no way to safely monitor a baby and a toddler on your own in a pool.

That's why so many pools don't let you do it.

I used to take my 8 month old and 2 year old- but it was before silly rules. I t was fine.

We all used to do it and there were no problems! It is another example of health and safety gone mad and the poor DCs miss out- we went every week.

A towelling dressing gown worked well on coming out, put them both in one with a snack while you get changed and then get them changed.

I've done this in the past with my two.

3 year old in floatsuit. We had this one: www.amazon.co.uk/Sevylor-Puddle-Jumper-Floatation-Device/dp/B0047T69PA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1337892856&sr=1-1-catcorr which I liked as he couldn't unclip it himself.

Baby in one of those baby float chairs which she loved.

Even when both DH and I were around, usually one of us would go and do some lengths whilst the other watched the kids, and then swap over.

Biggest problem was trying to stop the younger one escaping in the changing room. Our pool changing room had curtains, which were no good at keeping an active crawler contained! I used to take our pushchair in with us, to put the younger one in as soon as she was dressed, which tended to work provided I used one of the larger cubicles.

It is doable, you just have to get organised and have a routine/plan which covers most of the potential eventualities.

The benefits of taking them outweighs the difficulties. One would hope that if AThingInYourLife won't consider it she is at least taking them with a other adult.

Wow S thanks for the master class I'm very impressed[ !

I have done it too every week with a 21 month age gap from when the littlest was 6 months. Second having a floatations device on each child. Lots of snacks for while you are getting changed and a pool with lockable cubicles or a playpen to hold the baby while you get dry and dressed.

Gosh some pools are over cautious. I take dsx3 to pool aged 5, 3 and 9m. That's allowed. 5yr old swims, 3yr old swims in armbands, and I hold baby. Simple.

I took mine at a similar age gap regularly. Just put the baby in a float seat thing or life jacket and if your 3 year old isn't very confident put arm bands on him. My baby would either be floating around in her seat or on my hip whilst most of my attention was on my 3 year old. The hardest part is getting them dried and dressed after x

I think it just depends upon how confident you feel with doing it athinginyourlife I was. You clearly wouldn't be. My dc certainly were not put at risk though. but if you lack confidence in the situation then best to listen to your instincts.

I've always taken my two on my own and they are now 5.5 and 3. If they fall into a river they need to be able to survive; these ridiculous rules stop children gaining water safety knowledge. If I stuck to those rules my children would never be able to go as I am a single parent.

The main thing is having a plan for getting changed afterwards and I do it in the same way as shoshe but without the rings. My youngest would often fall asleep wrapped in the towel and I could get him dressed, into the car, home and into bed without him waking.

I did this all the time when mine were little.

Our toddler pool lets you in with 2 under 5s (or IIRC 3 children, but one has to be over 5).

It's not a problem if you all stay in depth. I agree take baby seat for baby and noodle for 3yo.