to wonder about swimming lessons

[badger2005]

Just wondering whether to get on the swimming lesson bandwaggon. Sounds like kids go for years and years and make slow but steady progress. Would they progress okay without the lessons? I don't remember having weekly out-of-school lessons for ages and ages as a child, and I can swim. Is it that hard?

I guess the swimming pools etc really benefit from this idea that you need weekly lessons for ages and ages to make even slow progress...

What do you think?

I did the swimming lessons thing until I was into my teenage years and always thought I was a good swimmer, I can do 3k in an hour generally and it's really good excercise. That said I've recently started training with blokes who do ironmen comps and compared to them I'm a very rubbish swimmer!

Swimming is in the curriculum from the age of 5 where we live.

Sailing is also in the curriculum from the age of 9.

I send DC to 1 week of swimming lessons at the start of summer holidays to polish their skills. DD (8) is a strong swimmer and can do even butterfly. DS (4) learned to swim this year and does a good breaststroke. He also dives to the bottom of the pool.

I think some swimming lessons are a good idea because they need to be taught the proper styles, but you they don't need to take swimming lessons through the year.

Thank you so much everyone - it has been really interesting to read all your replies.

I totally agree with people who have said that swimming is an important life-skill. I think it's really important that children learn to swim. But not necessarily to be able to do all the strokes for example - unless it becomes a passion for them.

I should have explained that I do take them swimming very regularly. They love going and so do I. When younger they both used to be scared of putting their faces in the water, and really really didn't want swimming lessons, but have progressed to the piont where we love to have 'underwater meetings', and they seem to like swimming underwater more than on the surface. But I am not really teaching them the strokes... I am aware that my swimming might not be in very good technique.

With a view to starting lessons, I had them 'assessed' today. Ds (7) is stage 3, and Dd (5) is stage 2. I think they are probably behind children who have been going to swimming lessons regularly, and was feeling a bit guilty about that. But when I looked round at the lessons, my heart just sank. They don't look that much fun, and also (selfishly) I think that sitting in the reception with one child waiting for the other child to finish his or her lesson is a lot less fun than all being in the water together.

I also just feel slightly sceptical because I hear from people that children sometimes make very slow progress with their lessons. Why is that? Maybe it's because some people really do need an awful lot of lessons to learn to swim. Or maybe the lessons are just going on (and being paid for) while the child is just slowly growing and getting stronger anyway - i.e. the lessons are not really needed, and the 'progress' is 90% about just getting older. Or maybe the lessons are just not that good near us... I don't know!

Maybe I will take some advice from here and see if I can get a few private lessons instead of signing up to the weekly group lessons...

Yes, kids can learn to swim without lessons but you need to take them a lot. Here in Wales swimming is free in the school holidays. My ex-SIL has always taken my nieces and nephews swimming every single day during every school holiday. They are aged between 6 and 15 and can all swim to varying degrees.

That approach didn't work for me as I work as a childminder so can't take the kids swimming in the week. We tried bog standard leisure centre swimming lessons (8 or 9 kids to a class) and NO progress was made! Last year I moved them to smaller classes (no more than 4) and they made swift progress, my 8 year old is swimming well now and is in the last class, my 6 year old has gone from being scared in the water to swimming a bit and being happy to put his head under. I'm happy with their progress.

I do think too much can be made of the idea of getting them swimming from babyhood or age 3 or whatever. My aim is to ensure they can swim by the time I would expect them to be out and about independently of me. We are well on course for that. If I had my own pool in the back garden or regularly went on holidays in villas with their own pool I'd have made more effort to have them swimming from an early age.

I had swimming lessons from age 6 to about 9 (i.e. over 40 years ago).

I am still a better swimmer than most people in a pool,( though I normally flag after about 1 length, but that's another story)

Good practice will stay with you!

I'm a swimming teacher and have taught 2 year olds to swim independently as well as older children. The successful swimmer have a mixture of lessons and time in the water with an averagely confident adult. It's like learning to drive or play a musical instrument ... if you don't practise between lessons, it will take you ages longer to achieve your goal. Of course, unlike swimming, you are unlikely to need to play the piano in order to save your life so learning to swim over a shorter period of time is probably fairly important.

While it's possible to teach your own children to swim (and there are videos on youtube that are pretty good), I do think that swimming lessons are helpful in a variety of situations:
If your child has a fear of the water - unless it's a full-blown phobia, teachers and sometimes small peer groups are particularly helpful in this situation
If you have a fear of the water - you may pass this on to your child which is not desirable
Once your children are mastering technique - teachers know how to teach good technique and not pass on bad habits that may lead to inefficient swimming, which isn't great if you find yourself in trouble in the water
Lessons will ensure that you swim once a week at least, even when the winter weather hits and you don't feel like it
Teachers often get much more out of children in formal learning situations than parents can. It's not just because we have lots of tricks up our sleeves, but also because we're not parents of the children learning. I didn't teach my own kids to swim simply because they wouldn't do what I asked them and there was lots of backchat. I have a 4 and a 9 year old and both can swim 4 strokes competently over fairly long distances for their ages.
Teachers know shortcuts to good swimming. If your child holds her nose when she swims underwater, I know how to help her correct that. If your child has a very splashy backstroke, or doesn't want to swim on her back or won't jump in I can help with that too .... and it's not just by persuading them to change habits.

It's really up to you how you go about it but I think that as a parent, swimming is up there with crossing the road on the list of important skills you should ensure your child acquires, whether you book those lessons or not.

My DCs have started with the baby lessons at about 5m, mainly for water confidence. DS1 is 2 3/4 and is happy to submerge, jump in, can swim with a float etc. I noticed the benefit of the classes in the heatwave at a public paddling pool. He was chest deep in the water, and slipped a few times, and was able to calmly self-correct. Out of all the baby activities, it was the one that I wanted DS2 not to miss out on as it has a longer term benefit than anything else. It's not practical to take both on my own at this stage, so a lesson each it is.

As a child, the only lessons I had were in school, but the numbers of the group meant I never sorted my technique and remained a non-swimmer until my teenage years. I always enjoyed being in the water and liked things like swimming through hoops, but burnt out too quickly to swim a notable distance.

I finally learnt to swim at 16 at an adult class when I had to do a physical activity for DoE. In 4m I swam my first length. Having developed a good technique, I seemed to gain a badge most weeks, and within the year could swim a mile. I'd gone from 25m to get the DoE section done, to getting a Silver ASA award for the next award. I still love swimming when I get the chance, and I'm so glad I've developed 3 good strokes. I recently went for the first time in nearly a year (for myself) and swam 1km. I want the DC to have the confidence and skill that I got in the end.

One option is holiday intensive courses rather than weekly. They can be good for intermittent jumps in progress.

Mentioned up thread but similarly I take mine to lessons ( they are two and seven) because they simply don't listen to a word dh and I say! Although dh is a fantastic swimmer they hang on every word of their teacher.....

Dh and I are both competent swimmers, and we took our dc swimming every week from about 3m old. They were perfectly at home in the water, happy to jump in and to rude our backs underwater - dd even learned to swim underwater - but they did not learn to swim.

I could not cope with the weekly after-school swimming lessons, especially after dc3 was born, so I would sign them up to intensive swim-weeks during the holidays once or twice a year. Half an hour lessons every day for a week. Dc1 and dc2 both learned to swim that way.

When dc3 was 3 I signed them all up for weekly lessons. Dc1and2 improved enormously, learned more strokes, learned to dive, etc, but it took dc3 2y just to become a competent doggy-paddler.

IMO intensive sessions or 1-2-1/1-2-2 are the way to go to get them swimming, but regular swimming with a competent instructor (not necessarily professional) is the way to improve.

If I had my time again with dd1 I would wait until 7 and have 1:2 lessons - her 'progress' at the moment is non existent, 20hrs of lessons plus a similar amount of time with us in the pool and she's still on the same level. Trying to find someone to share lessons with - have been recommended someone but the cost of 1:1 are just too much.

Dd2 has lessons too and is making similar 'progress' will wait until fish ds is a bit bigger then put them in together for 1:2. He is 3, has had no formal lessons and is already swimming a few m underwater, he even 'invented' a new stroke - underwater butterfly - makes no progress in the water at all but v funny to watch and he loves it. He and dd2 have mushroom float competitions.

I have been trying for months/years to get my 2 DC on to swimming lessons at our local leisure centre. It's impossible. So, DD aged 6 is starting her first course next week at another leisure centre which is going to be 2 bus rides away. We will try it for a term and then if it's ok then will start younger DS. We go to water parks regularly so they are used to the water and going down fairly big slides (which come out into water which is not out of their depth). I am hoping that by next summer they will be able to swim so they have more confidence in the water parks.

I'm one those mums who spent years by the pool. It never bothered me, I see it as a necessity. I'm not fussed about any other sport, but swimming is compulsory in this household.
Yes, the progress is slow and with each milestone overcome I felt like another stone has been lifted off my back. Doesn't help if you have a daydreamer who's really laid back. But she is a very good swimmer now.
Not practising between lessons means the progress will be slow. We didn't, I just took her to the pool and played silly games and had fun, to reward good lessons. I hoped she will differentiate between: you work hard during your lesson, you have fun during out weekly sessions. Mucking about during the lesson means no fun sessions.

I solve all my problems while I swim. I just get in the water and work through the problems lap by lap. I want her to have this luxury.

Am just listening to swimmer blokey on BBC breakfast who says swimming is a 'human right'.

3birthdaybunnies my dd1 was the same, swimming didn't click with her until she was 7. I sign mine up for a week of lessons in the holidays, then a 8 week follow up course. Then that's it, I take them swimming every 10 days or so to practice but I don't understand the months or years of swimming lessons unless it's a hobby you actually enjoy.

Mine would rather play other sports.

Kids need to be able to swim properly and sooner rather than later. It's a life skill. But I don't think you need to rush in to weekly lessons at aged 4, or younger.

I was going to put DS in for lessons at 4 but couldn't find a class time I liked, so left it as he was already doing gymnastics, and took him every school holiday for fun instead. During the last summer holidays, after he finished reception, I signed him up for some weekly intensive classes. 5 x 1 hour classes over a week. This was after watching some of his friends struggle with weekly classes, but another friend progressing with the intensive classes plus going weekly with dad.

He's gone from being happy splashing around in the water with me, to being able to use a float properly and swimming properly over three courses/weeks. (He's nearly passes level 2, just needs to work on his breathing.) His progress is was amazing. (to me, his mum)

I'm only reluctantly signing him up for weekly lessons now, because we won't be able to do an intensive course until Feb next year, which I think is too long to wait. Once he's passed level 2 I might pull him out until he can do an intensive level 3. Or do both.

wigglesrock she can swim - nearly 8, but been stuck on level 5 for over a year. I guess the problem with 1:8 is that it is easy to hide, they usually swim 4 at a time.

I've taken DCs for years of swimming lessons, as well as having lessons with school. DS1 can just about doggy paddle (9) and DS2 (8) is in armbands still. That looks shocking now I read it back! Most of their friends are several classes ahead and doing 200m badges, etc.

For various reasons they are a bit timid but I just feel that they get so little out of the lessons. In a group of say 8 kids, they might do 6 times across the pool with the teacher in the half hour, and jump in from the side a couple of times. If they are reluctant to do it properly, the teacher can't give them extra attention without keeping the other kids waiting. They are both stuck around Stage 1 and the teachers just seem to go through the motions and be happy to keep taking my money week by week. I have suggested one to one lessons but the teacher said the children were making OK progress .

I'd be interested if any of the swimming teachers on this thread have any suggestions, TBH. I worked out I spend about £400 a year on swimming lessons . We do manage to go swimming as a family but it's a big chunk out of the weekend to go into town, so it's only once a month or so.

It's one of my particular bugbears at the moment.

We took ds till he was confident and could float. Hes almost out of his very deflated armbands. He's now enrolled in lessons aged 5 to help him with technique. At the moment he looks like he's still drowning while trying to stay up

Pointless sending a complete none swimmer to swimming lessons! You can do this bit by taking them (if you can) on your own. Get them used to water floating around and moving about.

Swimming is as essential as teaching your children how to cross the road safely IMO.

An important point is, if you swim with a good technique, then you swim efficiently and can travel 5x the distance that a swimmer such as myself could cover with the same amount of energy used. That could be vital if ever needed. It's not about technique for the sake of it, or for badges or for 'looking good', it's about using the energy efficiently.

For me, the key thing is going every single week
We would end up putting it off half the time if we hadn't paid for lessons, and you can't learn much if you're not going.

Plus my DC respond far far better to constructive criticism from anyone but me. we often bicker if I try to teach them something (all due my crap teaching style no doubt).

I will also add that my dd is the only girl still having lessons in year 2. The others stopped once they could swim 25m. I don't think it's a coincidence that a year after the rest stopped she's noticeably the strongest swimmer when we go to swimming parties, despite having inherited her mother's lack of sporty genes.

I was taught to swim at home, and I know my style is inefficient. I'd love improver lessons myself, but can't find any for adults locally.

I would always go for it, go every week, practice when you can. We did that and went from stage 1 - ASA gold in 2 1/2 years. It can be done, just stick with it and go whenever you can and make it fun as well as the emphasis on learning.

At our local pool the kids who are signed up for swimming lessons get a 'free swim' card which allows them to swim for free at any other time. For us that's definitely a benefit and we probably wouldn't go nearly as much without it. I found the beginner lessons quite frustrating as there seemed to be a lot of sitting around waiting for their turn. Now he is on the intermediate level it seems much better - they are swimming for the whole time and barely get a breather!

Local leisure centre -slow progress, kids plateau a lot, noisy, larger classes/less attention, changing rooms sometimes a bit grim, cheap but didn't get value for money.

Changed to private lessons (swim rite). Smaller classes, much more expensive, lovely calm clean environment, kids swimming 200m within a few lessons. Much better value for money and they can actually swim now (the whole point of it all!).

We def found that you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

5yo DS LOVES his lessons. Far prefers over going for a play.

I find lessons waste of money below about 5yo.

I put mine in and out of lessons which suits their pace of development & saves me some dosh. The kids do plateau so there are spells when they just won't improve enough to make cost worthwhile.

I snurk when parents take their kids to pool during fun session (when there's a shallow floor for small kids) and insist on kid practising swimming. I feel so sorry for those kids, and you can see the parents resenting all the distracting maniacs merely throwing balls around. AND it costs more for parent+child (£7) than proper lessons (£5).

Otherwise, what OP observes is mostly my opinion, too.
Can teach DC yourself, they won't learn as well as in lessons.
A lot depends what you want out of swimming.
Most people only want reasonable safety from drowning, so teaching yourself would be fine.

I agree, progress is very slow in large group classes. Both of ours go to our local pool for lessons (about 8 in each class) and it's great for them to have time in the pool. However, they don't learn a lot very quickly.

DS1 (5) has recently started 1:1 lessons and within a few weeks can now do 50m backstroke, racing dives, tumble turns and is just about there with freestyle. I was amazed how quickly he progressed in such a short time, but apparently it's not unusual.

He's still doing the larger lesson group as he loves it and it's very hard to get back in if you come out, but we'll do another term or so of the 1:1 lessons until he has his strokes sorted.

My main goal is for him to be able to swim well in all the strokes in time for him started lessons in school (P3) here I think. It's also important from a safety perspective.