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?

Of course you're not terrible.
Two boys from two different families, both same age (2.5 years) when I looked after them - boy1 had been to swimming lessons since 6 months and hated it every week, he hated getting changed, he hated getting in, he hated getting wet, didn't learn to swim. Boy2 started lessons at 2 years and was dunking his head in from the first lesson. He looked forward to it every week and was just so confident.
I think what I'm trying to say is, I think some kids just like water and others don't. Swimming is obviously a good skill to have when older, but you're not depriving your child by not taking her. I wish I'd been forced into the pool more as a kid because I'm a bit rubbish underwater and was a useless swimmer in high school, but I can't imagine my mum dunking me underwater every week would have helped really.
But for what it's worth, I have accompanied a lot of children in their swimming lessons and I couldn't tell you what any of the parents looked like in their swim suits. I'm so busy listening to teacher and helping child and so is everyone else!
Kids can normally attend lessons without parent from 3yrs so maybe just look into then if you're still worried :)

No it doesn't matter at all. My ds didn't go until he was 4. And then he went straight into swim classes. It made no difference. 8 months later he was doing his 20 m badges. Although it would be good for you to learn to swim, those baby swim classes are just for the parents benefit really. Its not going to harm your child. Find out what age she can go in a swim class on her own, and send her then.

The swimming costume thing - no one really likes getting their costume on. Everyone is far too worried about how they look to take even the smallest bit of notice of you. Try and bear that in mind :)

When my two were very small we went swimming fairly often but I'd just take them in myself and splash around with them. Our pool has a toddler pool with a little slide where the children are in their depth. I used to sit there with baby DS in the water while 2 year old DD went on the slide, played with toys etc. It wasn't swimming but it was getting them both in the water. I didn't swim just sat in the water. As they got a bit bigger we went in the larger teaching pool. I would put them in float jackets and we would splash around and jump in etc. Again I was standing on the bottom so no need to swim.

DD started doing actual lessons when she was about 4. She was what they call a confident non swimmer and was allowed in the pool on her own (so no need for me to be in the pool). Now at 6 she can now swim a few lengths in the big pool. DS went to toddler swimming at about 2.5 because he wanted to be like his sister. I had to go in with him but again it was just a fun class with lots of singing and floating with floats. He is 4 now and can swim with a float and do a few stroke without.

So I would say going swimming is very important and getting used to the water. Swimming lessons are not necessary though but may be fun for you and may give you a bit more confidence being in the water since you are not a good swimmer.

Swimming lessons have the advantage for me that I can take the 1 and 3 year old and take turns with them supervised at the side. It's not currently practical to take both to a public session on my own.

The big benefit they get is water confidence, but they didn't have to start at 5 months or have formal lessons to achieve that.

Everyone at the lessons is a recent mum, so regardless of shape and size, they've had to adjust to changing bodies. Body hangups and confidence don't discriminate on size and shape. Everyone's attention is on their child. Where lessons may have the advantage is giving bit more confidence and inspiration.

I'm a strong swimmer. I did my first length at16 at adult lessons. I did my first mile within a year. Once the breathing and stroke technique were sorted, the rest became easy.

Yes sorry, I appreciate there is a bit more to swimming lessons but I really dislike the way water babies and similar try to make out that if you don't start them as early as possible then you risk them being scared of water and struggling to learn to swim. I know people who have felt pressured into forking out a lot of money for lessons when they'd would of been better off saving it for something else.

With my DC I think it is going swimming frequently that has built their confidence rather than the lessons.
DD and DS1 both had lessons from 4 months until around 7 when the timings stopped fitting in with our family.
DS1 has never had lessons but went swimming nearly every week from 4 months to 16 months.
Then I had DS3 and the pool won't allow me to take two under 4. So we have only been on average once every couple of months. DS3 isn't very happy in the water and I am going to pay for lessons for him once DS2 starts back at Nursery.

yes sorry, I appreciate there is a bit more to swimming lessons but I really dislike the way water babies and similar try to make out that if you don't start them as early as possible then you risk them being scared of water and struggling to learn to swim

Mine didn't do water babies, they went to normal council lessons and learnt all i said above. I just found it much easier to take them to lessons, which wasn't much more expensive than taking them by myself.

But once they get older you can tell the kids that have been taught by their parents, they don't breathe properly at all and have no style.

Swimming lessons are all about water confidence until they're about 5.

Dh and I were competitive swimmers and didn't bother with dc lessons until 5.

However, it does help them to go fairly regularly just to get used to the environment and build confidence. If there are any lessons it will help them to go younger, and you won't need to get in. I do think for safety reasons it's best they learn about water sooner rather than later. Being able to jump in, turn around and grab the side without panicking can be a life saver...

Have you considered getting your partner to take the lessons? Our local pool is wall to wall with dads at baby and toddler swim lessons on the weekends, it's a nice way for them to bond and not a sneaky way for mums to finally get a lie in at all

Also want to ad we just do the council ones - I emailed water babies when ds was one and was told he was too hold -grrr

Our local pool does under-fives sessions with a teacher poolside. You get in with your baby, and try different holds etc. in the water. It's in the teaching pool (max depth of ours is something like 1m). Lots of inflatables, toys in the water, that sort of thing. Looks like it's a lot of fun, and it's relatively inexpensive (less than 5 for an adult and a child). This type of thing might be an ideal introduction for both of you.

If you can afford it, why not take some lessons yourself? Our pool does adult group lessons, and there are a fair few private teachers around too. Don't worry about how you look in a costume. I look completely awful in most things to be fair but honestly, I never care about what other people look like. I'm more likely to look and think "I love that costume, I wonder where it's from". I have one of these www.amazon.co.uk/Speedo-Monogram-Legsuit/dp/B00LN77WJ6/ref=pd_sim_sg_1/280-2622397-4155167?ie=UTF8&refRID=1S7S4SHH190Y51DBMAEV. Not cheap but has boosted my body confidence.

YANBU at this age, but I would strongly suggest you check out the potential waiting list situations for lessons at your prefered pool - ours is currently 1 1/2 to 2 years wait! I didn't get my boys in until 6 and 8 and tbh I regret it bitterly - whilst they're making very rapid progress due to strength and maturity, they're a couple of years behind their friends in terms of technique and competence, and it impacts considerably on whether they can go in pools and on inflatables on holiday by themselves (we're in the water but the level of supervision a good swimmer requires compared to a non swimmer is vast!).

And in terms of getting changed, being seen in a cossie etc - no one else gives a shiney shit, trust me. They're all to busy trying to deal with their own kids/families/bags etc.

swimming lessons I think are neither here nor there, but can you find a swimming pool with a learner pool or similar? The hydrotherapy pool where we go is no more than waist deep kneeling down to an adult, I have met non-swimming adults there. With regard to how you look, they'll be all shapes and sizes there, and you can get pretty covering-up swimsuits these days. But I appreciate it's hard - DH is pretty hairy and self-conscious about ti so has never taken DD though I think they would have a ball - I have told him I've seen way hairier men than him there but he's still not been.

I didn't take dd to a pool until she was considerably older, we have a LOT of allergies / asthma in the family and I wasn't keen to expose her to the chlorine (not woo - study here, but it specifically only refers to children who already have heightened risk).

Anyway, long and the short of it, she had no swimming lessons until age 7, though we did do a certain amount of sea / river swimming, and she caught up within a few months with those who'd been learning since they were tiny.

Sorry, better explanation on the NHS website here

Being able to swim is a huge life skill as it could save your life. Having said that, your child is tiny so don't feel sorry about not taking her yet but don't use your inability to swim as an excuse. Maybe look at family lessons.

I took my older two fairly regularly until they were 2 and four and all three went with school from about 6/7 but none could swim until they were nine. Same as me funnily enough.

It's a LOT of fun for the babies/toddlers. Personally I go to lessons because there's no frickin way i'd be singing nursery rhymes in the public swim sessions and also because i'm in with other mums and it's sociable and we all help each other with drying and dressing afterwards and go to the cafe with the babies too.

It is the best thing I did with ds (now 1), and means we're both confident to have a little swim whenever we're in a hotel with a pool or away on holiday or whatever.

Lot of people are saying they don't think lessons are necessary, but for you, with low water confidence yourself, i think they'd be a very good idea. It's best to learn safe water playing before your dd is old enough to be running around on holiday or invited to pool parties etc.

What Whois said. I can't swim either, it's my Autumn To Do. I took DD1 from 3-6 months until I went back to work and she really enjoyed it.

As a bonus they are shattered afterwards so it's a great way of getting a solid afternoon nap from them

Of course she's not deprived but it is a lot of fun. You will regret not learning yourself for your own peace of mind by the time she is old enough for a splash around

Its fine to wait until they are 4 or 5 for lessons but as you are nervous, taking them to a baby/toddler swimmiing group might be good for both of you. Some children can swim when they are younger but the vast majority don't learn the actual strokes until about 4+ so you would save money waiting until later.

I totally agree with signing up to adult lessons. I used to teach swimming and adults learn much quicker once they've got over their nerves. Our adult lessons were for adults only and we were the only ones in the pool.

Swimming teacher here..... I teach from 6 months and most tots are independent in the water by 2 / 2.5 but we live in a hot country where most people have access to pools daily. Pool parties for little ones are common so it's the norm unlike the uk.

Kids love water from an early age so it's a good idea to capitalize on that and get them swimming, bypassing the fear of water that sets in around 2/3 years old. Taking them swimming is a fun activity that they naturally enjoy, it's good for bonding and meeting other mums .... But it's not the only activity that provides this so please don't feel bad. Your dc doesn't miss out because you don't take them swimming from an early age. Find a good, kind, experienced teacher who can instill confidence and show them how to enjoy being in the water and you're nearly there. I would've say, please do make sure your kids do learn to swim, whether babies, toddlers or children. IMHO it's one of the most important life skills like crossing the road. It can save their lives.

Nobody likes how they look in a bathing suit. The other mummies aren't happy either. Congrats on the weight loss.
It is fine to wait until children are old enough to take lessons without you in the pool.

Just wanted to add re: being embarrassed in a cossie, well, assuming your baby is cute (which of course they are), everyone will look at the baby, not you. It's like wearing the most flattering costume ever - no one bats an eye at your wobbly thighs and cellulite, they smile at the baby. People need something to look at, and a baby draws the eye perfectly trust me I'm fat and no one glances at all

Absolutely Humpty. Because I teach tiny ones, I need mums / dads in the water too. Some of the mums are skinny and some are much larger ladies but I don't really look at their sizes and couldn't care less what size they are, we all have a laugh, they are lovely people and the babies are 100% the focus of the lessons. I am a size 16 and wear a swimsuit, long board shorts and a rash top because I'm not super confident with my size and because I teach several lessons back to back and want to stay warm!

I took DD at 7 months. I persevered for a bit but she hated it. Taken her a few times here and there and even now at 2.3 she will scream.

Plenty of time for swimming when older

I don't see any point in taking a dc to lessons before they are about 4, but I do think it's a good thing for them to be used to the sights / sounds / smells of the swimming baths, the earlier the better. You've hardly "deprived" her or been a "terrible parent" but it's just easier for them if they are used to the baths before they start lessons.