to not see the point of baby swim classes?

[Madmum24]

Another epic thread about baby swim, but I honestly don't know what the point is so someone please enlighten me.

My kids go swimming once a week and at the same time there is a baby swim class in another pool; it is a half hour class with babies ranging from about 4 months to maybe a year. All they do is walk back and forward and occasionally join in a circle and the instructor (who is by the pool side) floats little plastic ducks in and pours over some water in a little watering can.

I understand these classes are a rip off expensive, so I am seeking MN wisdom on this one :-D Are they more a social meeting for the parents? I get the whole water confidence thing, but you could just take your baby for a regular swim and walk up and down the baby pool for a fraction of the price.

Have my children been disadvantaged due to missing this experience?

I just showed the link to ahowvwhat babies are capable of as there seemed to be doubters. The baby classes we went to were lots of nursery rhymes and play but also teaching them to automatically turn to the side, hold breath when going under water etc.
This set them on a life long love of swimming although they never got into competition swimming, they love water sports so being strong swimmers is vital.

. You can see the baby turning round and swimming to the side at the end.

I just don't see why it is necessary to have lessons to teach a baby that. My ds is coming up to 3 and has never been in a situation where he could fall alone into water.

Neither has mine, but in this kind of situation I'd rather they know how to hold their breath and kick to the surface.

And we usually holiday in a villa with a private pool, so although we are ultra aware about keeping pool doors locked etc would rather the kids were water safe as soon as possible.

well Maja i would hope DS wouldn't be in it too. But DH can't swim and often walks with DS near water. i want DS to be as confident in water as soon as possible. Plus he loves it.

Backforgood - i have no idea what a child's developmental age for doing stuff is, i have no experience of babies at all. All i know is ds has been able to stand and hold onto the side in his tummy tub since he was 3mo and now at 7mo if you hold him in front of a rail at the pool he reaches out and holds on - just like all the other same aged babies in the class.

But the main reason I took my DC was for the sheer love of it. Theirs and mine. Plus it helped to get me out of the house when I was struggling on mat leave.

thanks for the replies :-)

I was asking a genuine question, wondering what is the purpose of these classes, I certainly haven't witnessed any of the babies swimmers performing any dramatic tricks, rescues or hand rail grabs (and I have been observing for several months) The class in question (which seems to be crap in comparison to those that sing/dance aswell) is £7 per half hour, so I'm wondering where those of you live who get it free? I wasn't aware of these when I had my pfb I'm very sure I would have been first in the queue if I had

Actually my five are all good swimmers, despite the fact that they had very little exposure to any water other than the bath, until they started lessons at 5.

From a medical point of view falling into most waters, whether they be rivers, lakes, sea etc baby swim will not prove very useful as hypothermia sets in very quickly so I'd hardly think anyone would join these classes in fear of their three month old falling off the Stena Line?

Again, just want to reiterate that I'm not against them, just wanted to know why people went/if they enjoyed it.

Actually swimming lessons or not a baby wouldn't stand much of a chance in rivers/lakes etc. However, a lot of drowning actually don't happen in deep water, it can be in a bucket, or paddling pool, bath or other shallow water. We all think we wont let our children get into those situations, but none of us are perfect and those things do happen. In the situations I've described a young child who isn't familiar with water/submersion may be more inclined to panic and not know how to get out, compared with a child who regularly looks for objects under water, reaches for the side, dips their face in and raises it out.

Exactly. Or small ponds in back gardens.

What techniques do they teach in order to prevent a child in (water related) danger panicking? It has been mentioned a few times in this thread.

listen up and listen too me good ! as long as the babys there have got bubbles it ok by me. babys and kid 1s need too be wearing bubbles when there in the water and when there by the water too drop in so they dont get drown

water is a mean bitch and then you can die. pools are a evil peace of work some times just make sure your babys and kids is wearing bubbles at EVERY time !

I had a chat with my gf over the weekend about this.
She think I should put the kids in swimming class as lil as 1 like her and everyone according to her. I think is fine not against it or anything but I never get the chance to do so. She would go out of her way just to get to class, find a class to register, get frustrated looking for a class calling around but she manage to get them done. I think is unnecessary to go through all. You can just take the kids to swims at your own time and you both have fun. She think that you have to get them start early in order to learn how to swim, the older you wait the harder for them to learn. I totally disagree.

If you have the time and money yes go for it. If you have to go out of your way to go be in the class don't.

YABU. According to the lifesaving society...

"In Canada, drowning is the No. 1 cause of unintentional injury deaths among children 1-4 years of age, and the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years. With some 500 fatalities annually, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death among Canadians under 60 years of age (surpassed only by motor vehicle collisions and poisoning)."

I know your probably in the UK but I'm sure you'll find drowning similarly concerning in your area.

Baby swim might not teach your child to swim but it doesn't hurt to get them comfortable in the water while having fun. Classes keep us in the routine of going when we would otherwise perhaps not feel like it. We slacking off on classes for awhile and my 2 year old was noticably more skittish when we would take him to the pool. Now that he has been back in a weekly class his confidence has quickly grown - he is putting his face in the water, kicking his feet, laughing, smiling and having a ball with it.

Beats having the kiddo who's terrified down the road, clinging to you leg refusing to get in the pool. That is not going be the outcome for all kids but I used to teach swimming, lifeguard etc and saw plenty of that too.

If you don't want to do baby swim then don't but I wouldn't be smug about others "wasting" their time and money participating either.

yabu we did them £10 class in private pool on sun so was me husband n baby n between 3 n 7 other babies. if we went to local council pool would cost £4-£6 per adult.

my now 2yr old is confident in water puts his face in climbs out n jumps in happily all taught from early age.

we only did lessons from 5-9mths then as i was night nannying weekends husband took him local pool as cheaper on his own used all things taught n i slept!

You dunk the babies under water - just because you can under the age of one because they have an automatic reflex action to hold their breath - and the thought is that they come accustomed to water and so don't fear it.

I tried it with my son who hated it so I stopped!

I recently looked into swim classes for my 14 month old ds & was shocked to find they cost the same as those for my 10 yr old!! I don't feel the need for them at such a young age! I'd rather go when it suits me & pay half the price for a splash around as I don't think they'll actually be learning to swim that young. Hopefully my dd will have completed all the levels in a year or so & then I'll start ds as I can't afford both. I don't feel my ds is missing out though as my dd only started lessons aged 8 & is already a fab swimmer she's even been chosen to swim in a gala (very proud mum)!! :)

I think YABabitU!

I signed up for baby swim when DS was a baby. It was the only costly thing I did. It wasn't about socialising for me. I booked it as a treat for myself really, just to spend some time with baby DS doing something different / nice together.

I preferred to go to a class rather than just splash about as DS was my PFB, and so I appreciated being in a class where an instructor demonstrated what was possible / safe to do. Also signing up for a class made me get out and do it every week rather than putting it off.

Now I'm pregnant again (due 2 days ago!) it's much less likely I'll do a class this time round (although I might). I'm much more confident with babies in water now so I'll probably just go for the splash about option this time. I might do baby massage or something though, that reminds me I must have a look at what's available locally.

Relatively few children under 5 drown in the UK (about 15 in 2010) and half of those are children drowning while unsupervised in the bath. I fail to see how baby swimming lessons are going to prevent a baby drowning in a few inches of water, or indeed how swimming lessons make a child that age any safer than just regularly splashing about in the pool with a parent.

As I said though, I have no problem with baby swim classes and understand that many parents like the routine and structure of them, I just don't buy that they give babies/toddlers any advantage over just going to the pool.

This thread prompted me to book DS (4yo) into lessons at the local pool, been meaning to do it for a while, so thanks for that!

Its not just about life saving, its part of a fun time. It doesn't cost any more than going swimming by yourself and usually a bit more fun because you got to meet others.
You can always tell if children have been taught to swim by parents. They have no breathing technique or good style.

You're lucky if it costs the same as just going to the pool - Water Babies type courses cost about £12-£15 a session! The local council classes are only a couple of quid more than just going to the pool, but just seem to be splashing around in a group with singing and games rather than teaching anything.

Actual swimming lessons, for 3/4+ year olds I can understand. Still don't see the benefit for babies.

Op - it seems obvious to me that the specific baby swimming class you are watching is shit.

My kids both do them - 3 yo DD has just finished and is now in local authority lessons. 11 month old DS has been in them since he was 3 months.

They hold onto and move along the side of the pool, get used to swimming under water, build their water confidence, have fun and many more things. They are sat on the side and helped to 'fall in to the water', they learn to turn in the water, make their way back to the side and hold on. The kids learn not to panic as they are so used to the water from an early age.

My kids love it. DD is 3 and can swim on her own and is very confident in the water. It is also an activity that I have met loads of new friends at. We have thoroughly enjoyed baby swimming lessons and I am glad my kids are water confident.

Baby swim classes didn't help ds to learn to swim but it gave me time out of the house with other mums. There were many activities ds did as a baby which had very little to do with what he learned and had more to do with my social life!

Its not just splashing around that's the point. They are learning through play ie jumping in, you automatically turn to the side. Blow on the face so they hold their breath then dunk them etc. Its fun that's it.
Mine went to council lessons and there was pennies in the difference and because you overpaid you are more likely to go.
I have spent 1000s probably on lessons for me and the dcs over the years. I don't
I have gone to adult lessons for the last 10 years and am still learning, but i go for the social aspect as much as anything and its my me time.