Re baby swimming lessons

[Mrsjinglejangle]

Posted here as I know I will get honest answers and possibly a telling off in not sure.
Dd is 18 months and never been swimming or had lessons is she very deprived?! Feeling guilty she hasn't been mainly for 2 reasons firstly I cant swim and am slighty scared of water (partner also doesn't swim!).
secondly (think this is where I'll get bashed) I hate my body and the thought if getting into a swimming costume feels me with dread even after losing 5 stone last year.
Will it matter if she doesn't go until a bit older or am I terrible for not having taken her so far?

We took DD to Aquatots at 10 weeks, she's now almost 4 and still can't swim. She has amazing water confidence and we've had lovely experiences taking her to her swim classes, but actually, I feel like I've paid a lot of money for her to feel happy dunking her head under...

I took DD2 for a couple of terms for the experience and photos but I'm going to leave it now until she's a few years old.

I didn't take my dd to swimming lessons but now, at 2.3, gettin her used to the water is proving hard and so I do wish i had taken her a but earlier for that reason if nothing else. I understand you're hesitance (I'm not overjoyed about getting in a costume either) but it bothers me a lot less when I'm with her than when I'm doing adults only swim for some reason

Meant to say - I don't regret not taking her to actual lessons (further to what CuriousGeorgie said above, that echoes what most of my friends have said) but I do wish i'd taken her to the pool in general earlier

We do it, it's a fun thing to do but I don't think it would hold DS back if he waited until he's old enough to have lessons where he's on his own in the pool.

You don't need lessons at that age but children should be taken swimming so they can have fun splashing around. Do you think she cares about what you look like in a costume. I'm 5 stone overweight and used to be around 8 stone overweight. I swim a lot and no one has ever commented on my weight or appearance in ny costume.

Baby swimming classes are just for fun and mostly for the parent to get out of the house/socialise - they aren't teaching them to swim really!

I had taken DS1 swimming (not particularly regularly) but not to baby classes beyond a couple of times, and he started doing swimming lessons at 3.5 with just a teacher in the water, no parent.

I took dd1 every week from 7 weeks old - she only recently at 5yo conquered her fear of getting her head wet. Twins arrived when dd1 was 3 so I couldn't take all 3. Twins are now 3 and only been a handful of times have lots of water Confidence and terrify me by jumping in.
In short, I don't think taking a baby makes much difference. From toddler years they actually enjoy it. Is there a relative who could take her when she's a little older?

We did lessons when DC1 was a baby and she went from being happy in water when we took her ourselves to being afraid of being dunked and not wanting to go in. So we stopped.

Picked up again aged 4yo and we are probably a bit behind the curve compared to her peers, but she can now swim, so .

I hope that it's ok to leave a while as well. DD is 14 months and has been to the pool 3 times. We will probably take her occasionally again when opportunity arises (rather than specifically making it happen) but I also don't want to start regular visits or lessons till a bit older. I was thinking I need to do something by 3 though as would like her to be ok in water before she starts school.

Congrats on losing 5 stone!
Neither of my parents swam. I did lessons aged 7 and am a keen swimmer now so it doesn't necessarily make any difference.
Two things though, you and your partner could easily learn to swim now with one to one or one to two lessons and you could get so much enjoyment from it, as well as the safety aspect.
Lastly, no one really looks at anyone in the pool. There are people of all shapes and sizes. Some people take a towel which they slip off before getting in, but most don't care. Once you are actually in the pool no one can really see you anyway.

We avoided the expensive lessons and did council cheap baby toddler sessions - only pay if you go and only about two pounds. At 3 both mine started ASA duckling lessons with no parent, which is the norm round us. Most swim by 4-5

I took ds to a swimming pool for the first time when he was around 18 months, I don't intend to take him to lessons until he's older. I also hate wearing a swimmingcostume but actually it's been fine, I haven't felt judged at all, I tend to go in the week and it's usually older people and mums with toddlers so no one is thereto show of their bikini body.

There is a pool near us that has a really shallow splash/fun pool, it's only about half a meter deep so perfect for toddlers.

Ds was terrified when we first took him and I felt bad that I'd left it so long before taking him but he got used to it quickly.

DD1 is nearly 5, and she's never had swimming lessons, although we do plan to start in the future. She's really confident in the water, can happily swim with arm bands, and thinks nothing to climbing out and jumping back in so she goes under. We do take her swimming infrequently, so she's gotten used to it slowly. I can't say I've ever paid any attention to anyone else's body, or swim wear, other than perhaps a quick "Ooh, that's lovely, I wonder where she bought that!" I too could do with losing a bit of weight, toning up etc etc, but some of the nicest holiday snaps of me, are when I'm in the pool with our DDs. Wobbly tum is hidden under the water, and I was having such a good time, I'm beaming!

If you don't want to take her swimming, don't. But don't let body image concerns stop you if you do want to. I'd put good money on you looking far better in a cozzie than you realise.

I took my DS to swimming lesspns at 10 weeks, did a term and then stopped coz he cried everytime we went - the water was sooo cold.
He is nearly 3 now and loves swimming, can jump in on his own and 'swim' about with armbands coz we used to take him every week. Haven't been for a while having moved house and had a baby but will be going as soon as I can fit in swimming costume again!
I didn't have lessons til I was 4 (but parents took me regularly) and ended up swimming for a team when I was older so I don't suppose whether your LO has lessons now matters at all.
As always do what is best for you and your family.

I think it would be a good idea of you and your partner learnt to swim as a priority more than your 18 month old.

Being able to keep afloat and do a basic stroke is, literally, a life saver.

Would you be happy going on holiday to somewhere with a pool and not being able to swim? Would you let your DD? Time to shake off the body fears and get some adult lessons.

The UK has a completely different mindset to swimming then Australia (where I'm from). Most children can swim before year 1. A lot start at 12 weeks. Yes, we have the weather for swimming and lots of pools, creeks, ocean etc. however in the UK you also have ponds, streams, lakes etc.
Just because you and your DP don't swim doesn't mean your DC can't. You might just get the swimming bug!

As for your body. No one looks. If you want to cover up then how about board shorts and a rash top? Google 'modest swimwear'. Lots of options there too.

We took both dc from 8 weeks old regularly, mainly because I was nervous of water and wanted to make sure they never got the fear that I had as a child. I think you and your DP not being good at swimming is more of a reason to get your dc used to water as early as possible.

I could swim beforehand but went to adult swimming lessons when DS1 was a toddler just to increase my confidence. They were great and people with varying ability (from absolutely no swimming ability to people like me who could swim but wanted to improve). Perhaps you could look into that for yourself?

With regard to swimming costume, I'm a size 18, I have never felt judged. I figure out that people know what I look like in the playground, they are not expecting a size 10 in a swimming costume!

Good luck.

As others have said, it's all about water confidence at that age. You definitely aren't depriving her by not taking her to baby "swimming lessons". I never took either of mine to such lessons, but I started them both at three at the local pool for 'proper' lessons. They were both very cautious in the water (I love swimming so I definitely didn't project anything onto them - it's just how they were) and it was a way to get swimming in regularly. At 6.10, DD1 is a good swimmer: she's got her 100m and is working on Stage 5 of the ASA awards (her lessons have a quite correct emphasis on good technique). DD2 is working her way through the Duckling awards and at 3.9 is making lots of progress in terms of confidence.

What I want for them, and what we have achieved with DD1, is for them to not know what it's like to not be able to swim: they're in water; they swim. We went to hotel with a pool last year and seeing DD1 swim confidently and have tons of fun was wonderful. I did take DD1 a bit when she was tiny and what made me start her young was seeing a school group of 9/10 year-olds looking mortified because they were in armbands. DH had the same experience - his mum can't swim so never took him - so it became important to us.

As an aside, I've improved my stroke technique no end by watching DD1 and by swimming more myself, am hopefully showing her that it is indeed a life skill and not something I make her do of a Saturday morning

I think it would be great if you and/or your partner had lessons so you can enjoy the water when dd is older. I know lots of people who haven't been much or taken their DC to lessons until older and they have been fine.

Fwiw I took DD from about 12 weeks and now at 4 and a half she can swim very well, has never needed armbands and loves playing in the pool. I have started lessons with DS too (started at 7 weeks) and he loves it at 4.5 months (obvs he can't swim!!!!). A lot of it originally was because with DD I had to get out the house as I hated being at home alone with her and I enjoyed swimming so it was something to do. Now it means that every weekend we have something to do that everyone loves which is nice!

We recently took DD for her first swim at just over a year and she loved it. Had been meaning to take her sooner but always so busy.

She was so confident, and I even played '123 under' with her a couple of times and she was fine. Felt very glad I didnt spent £££ on water babies after all. Will just take her every few weeks when I can from now on.

I really don't think babies are missing out if they don't go swimming under 18months and have always been quite at the concept of swimming with and dunking newborns....I mean is it really necessary when all they want at that age is milk, sleep and cuddles?

You do need to try and look past the swimsuit issue as now you will be getting to the point where your LO will be missing out on something they might really enjoy.

Find a really small pool with a family changing room for your first go. You don't really need to be able to swim, just a play around in the shallow end is fine at that age.

I used to swim competitively but didn't bother with baby swimming lessons bar a few tried. Even the council ones were expensive for what they were (half an hour of splashing). I preferred to spend my money going to playgroups where I could sit down and chat with a cup of tea! I started DD at 3.5 and she did a term before deciding she didn't want to do it as going under made her nervous. I didn't want to push her and put her off so I stopped it and just took her a few times myself. She is now just turned four and is jumping in and going under water so we are starting her in lessons again in Sept.

In short, no I don't think it makes a difference but I agree that you should look into learning to swim yourself (and not worry about what you look like in a swimming costume!) My DH can't and I am thinking of 'surprising' him with an adult course one birthday!

PS try just taking her yourself sometimes to baby or splash type pools. No swimming necessary for the adult! And often v quiet in school hours.

I was really worried about it and most my friends have swimming toddlers.
we started lessons when he was 20 months and he loves it and i love it too.
For me lessons are good as he gets songs sees other children.
I am not a great swimmer but love being in the water. Swimming fro me is a life skill which can mean the difference between life and death.
swimming costumes - i used my maternity one at first then bought a tanktini from BHS which i think is ok - cheap but bottoms and tops can be in different sizes. I daren't even try my pre pregnancy one on - but to be honest no one ever looks at the mums its all about the kids.

I dont regret a penny i spent on baby swimming lessons (ds was 1yr and and dd 6months.) My dc loved them and i made friends. DC are now 16 and 18 and are qualified lifeguards. DS has earned money from it for nearly 3 years now.

I would point out that baby lessons do teach a little bit more than dunking. They teach babies to automatically reach for the side and not to inhale under water etc.
My dc had lessons most their lives and actually missed them when they stopped at about 14/15 when they passed their bronze medallion and then a week to take their NPLQ.
I was always a good swimmer and went back to lessons myself over 10 years ago. It also became a social thing as we had lunch afterwards and it makes me go knowing i have paid for the lesson.

Who cares what you look like in a swimsuit, i very much doubt anyone will notice. Most of the ladies in out swim classes are 50+ so not young spritely things.

We loved dd's swimming lessons and took her to waterbabies from 3 months. I am Expecting dc2 and already signed up to take the new baby next term.

Dd is 4 now but has been swimming unaided for over 6 months - no floats or armbands. She moved from waterbabies to private lessons as she enjoys it so much.

It makes me feel so much better when we are around water knowing that if she fell in she wouldn't panic and would be able to reach the side and climb out.