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AIBU?

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Original poster

If your child is an excellent swimmer, how did you get there?

130 replies

ABakersDozen · 07/02/2015 07:50

Just that really. My child is very slow to swim. I am so keen for him to learn as it is a life skill and could save his life. He has no fear of the water, just not really getting it yet.

Children in his class (Y2) are swimming 100 metres! If you have a child swimming to this level, what did it take?

Did you start them swimming as babies, do they have a weekly lesson, one to one coaching (with you or a teacher), do you swim religiously even in school holidays? Did you do other activities to work on 'core strength'? I have friends with DD's who say gymnastics has helped with swimming because they have strengthened their core. Am I just not putting enough thought and effort into this?!

OP posts:
Preciousbane · 08/02/2015 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bigbluestars · 08/02/2015 13:17

My kids are great swimmers- but never had a lesson. They learned to swim on summer holidays and regular visits to swimming pool.Both late to swim ( both skinny kids) they taught themselves at the age of 8.

Laura0806 · 08/02/2015 17:20

Its so individual. My middle dd learnt to swim on holiday oin 1 week at aged 6. She had only been in the baby pool at our local swimming pool before that and no lessons. Now, she can swim 200m easily ( 5months on ) and she's joined a local club. However, she struggles with just about every other sport!

PavlovtheCat · 08/02/2015 19:09

agree with the many posters who talk about it being individual. DD took a very long time to swim distance, despite going since a young child, having some 1:1 lessons, and loving being in the water. She then sort of 'got it' at about 6-7, and has become steadily better since. She is now 8.5 and her stroke is beautiful and she now has the muscle strength to swim distance but with lovely stroke.

DD is 5, has had swimming lessons for a while, and went swimming lots before that since being a baby, and he has not yet 'got it' despite being hugely water confident. It will happen when it happens.

Don't worry about it, as long as he is swimming regularly, he will get there.

In DD's class (yr4) the majority of her peers could not swim 25m when they did their recent school swimming sessions.

christinarossetti · 08/02/2015 21:57

Neither of my children (7 and 5) can swim, despite several attempts at lessons and regular visits to the swimming pool for fun. Both were very fearful of water on their faces, letting go of me in the pool etc for ages, despite my following all sorts of advice and suggestions.

My eldest is now making good progress with her lessons at school, although not actually 'swimming' yet. She's very co-ordinated and sporty, just not very confident in the water.

I've actually stopped worrying. I can't physically make them get in the pool and join in during lessons, so we stopped going.

I didn't learn to swim until I was about 9, then progressed very rapidly and have always been a very good swimmer since then, so I do think they'll get it eventually.

deste · 08/02/2015 22:39

Do you watch your children when they are at lessons, are they paying attention or looking around them? Children hear but they are not listening if you know what I mean. If they are having the same lessons as the rest of the class and the rest of the class are improving then it's down to them. I did teach swimming many years ago so I've seen it before.

Romann · 09/02/2015 00:37

Mine all went to a club once a week from about 3-4. They learnt to swim very fast - DC2 could swim unaided at 3. Tbh I can't quite remember the others' progress. DC1 is talented, but doesn't enjoy it enough to train with a club. He could swim 1000m without much trouble by year 3 and was asked to compete by different clubs when he was about 7. Several years on he's just a popular team member in school races.

The others have a lot of fun in the water but aren't especially good at the various strokes. They could probably manage 100m in year 2, can't remember though.

bitofanoddone · 09/02/2015 09:37

My 3 year old can wriggle 10m. My 4 year old 25 m. My 8 year old swims 2km 2ce a week. It all started with weekly lessons in classes of four from 2yrs and a fun session in a pool twice a month. My eldest is naturally better than the other two, with my middle child the weakest.

My DH is probably not far off the standard of my 4 year old, but then he is from NI and was more into rugby anyway. Grin

I think any child can swim but until they are swimming in a proper stroke style and can do at least a 100m they can't really swim, they can manoevre themselves to the side. I was horrified by a friend telling me that their children could swim and discovering that they couldn't. Her breezy,' oh well i always have to tell them to avoid the deep end' did not cover it with me --nor my wet clothes and ruined watch.

Please don't tell your children that they can swim if they cannot.

bluelamp · 10/02/2015 22:32

bitofanoddone I think there's a bit of a difference between telling your child they can swim and telling an adult who will be looking after them at a pool they can swim. Hell I told my 2year old he could swim when he was kicking his legs in the pool at the weekend but I'd only tell an adult DD1 could swim (hits your criteria).

LynetteScavo · 10/02/2015 22:40

I took all my DC swimming weekly from when they were babies, and they started swimming lessons aged 4.

DS1 learned really quickly, and could swim 100m in reception, DS2 and DD didn't learn to swim until Y2.

Weirdly, they all learned to swim at the same age they learned to read. Therefore I conclude there is a line between swimming and reading. Grin

LynetteScavo · 10/02/2015 22:42

bitofanoddone, how long does it take your 8yo to swim 2km? DD swam 2km when she was 8, and it took over 1.5 hours!

WaroftheRoses · 10/02/2015 23:22

Not read the thread but my experience... All 3 of my kids were hopeless swimmers-frightened of going under water and never making any progress. They all had private lessons from the age of 3-initially either one to one or one to two, then group lessons. It wasn't until the kids started having lessons at school as well (private school so once weekly) that they really started swimming properly. I think they were so far behind other kids that they ended up with a one to one situation at school again, which made so much difference. So swimming twice weekly and being that bit older was the thing that seemed to make it fall into place for them all. Two of them now swim for their school! But it took a long, slow, painful time and it was about Y4 when it all fell into place!

bitofanoddone · 11/02/2015 05:32

lynette in an hour they do drills that add up to 2 kms. In races she swims 25m freestyle in a smudge over 20secs. I think her steady fs pace is about 25 secs.

QueenofLouisiana · 11/02/2015 07:39

Again I think each child will develop at their own pace. If you look at the handwriting of yr2 children it varies from precise, joined script to barely formed letters- the motor skills at that age are often miles apart!

DS couldn't really swim a length until yr 3- he was 7.4 I suppose. He just suddenly 'got' it after that. He swam 3,000m at 8 and has places at county champs next month (age 9).

He only had group lessons at the local pool, no 1:1 until he needed help with track starts and getting his 'fly legal. I don't know how he became a good swimmer- it's definitely not an inherited talent!!

Most of the swimmers at his club have a similar body type. Long and lean, very little body fat- however they all eat like horses. There must be a tonne of pasta eaten at each swim meet! A big emphasis is put on general fitness and nutrition, land training is circuit training once a week and there is core strength work built into most pool sessions.

ellieclarke1 · 11/02/2015 10:03

Every child is different!

I took my little ones swimming from a very early age and I believe that helped. I also take them swimming at least once a week between lessons to build their confidence in the water!

Have you tried using swim toys to help make swimming more fun rather than a task ?

LynetteScavo · 11/02/2015 22:11

bitofanoddone I'm impressed! Smile

ellieclarke1 · 26/03/2015 10:53

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reni1 · 26/03/2015 12:03

I have a really strong 6yo swimmer, but one with zero technique. Took the swim wings off her as a toddler and gave her a pool noodle. Never did any clubs or lessons, just went often with her. Pool noodle play in the deep end led to learning without noticing. Had to point out to her that she often lets go of the noodle, ie can swim! She swam without noodles or any other floats before 4. Won't make any swimming teams though since she has no "proper" strokes, but she can swim lengths and dive to the bottom of the pool.

Early and often if you are after a safe and enduring swimmer, formal lessons if you want dc to learn technique and join teams.

ragged · 26/03/2015 12:18

Z O M B I E

ceeb · 27/03/2015 14:24

I started both my boys swimming very early - 4 months! A couple of things I learned along the way:

  • not using armbands is really smart, because armbands restrict the arm movement that helps them learn how to swim. It just means you have to be in the water next to them at all times, but it is worth it - they learn so much more quickly.
  • agree that buoyancy is a big factor. My older one is very lean and couldn't float, so he learned how to swim very quickly (or else he would sink!). My younger one floated easily, so he actually learned to swim much more slowly - he could just hover on top of the water with minimal effort.
  • I wasted a lot of money on swim lessons from the time they learned to keep themselves afloat (age 2) to the time they actually were strong enough to learn technique (age 6). I strongly recommend that you just bring them regularly to learn confidence in the water from as early as possible, but don't worry about lessons until they are about 6. Save your wallet!
SisterMoonshine · 27/03/2015 14:29

We did the expensive baby lessons that everyone says is a waste. DD was just under 2.5 when she swam 10m. And got her 1000m at about 8. She does lifesaving now she's 10.
DD2 is now a toddler and doing similar baby lessons - she can swim a few metres and will be able to swim accross the pool once she susses the breathing as she's going along.
We do go often as well.

grannytomine · 27/03/2015 14:34

I have 4, the best swimmer started at 3, weekly lessons in a group and swimming with family a couple of times a month. By year 2 he could swim over a mile and David Wilkie watched him at a pool and said he reminded him of himself at that age. I quite liked David Wilkie and went all silly. The weakest swimmer also started at 3 with group lesson, intensive courses, one to one lessons. By year 2 could just about swim 25 m, the other two are inbetween. Honestly there is no magic formula and if anyone thinks there they just don't have enough children to be proved wrong.

Northernlurker · 27/03/2015 16:37

I think the swimming lesson industry is huge con tbh because it does so much depend on the child. I rather pride myself on having never paid a penny for lessons except for contributions to school lessons. Dd1 and dd2 both learnt that way with a bit of time from us and grandparents (but nothing like every week!) Dd3 has just started school lessons. At the age of 7 she can swim quite well on her back and is getting there on her front (afflicted with a sinking bottom but on her back she floats fabulously) She has no fear of the water now (she was scared as a baby and toddler, partly because of the echo and noise in pools I think) and has benefited a lot from holidays with pool too.
Some of you must have spent a fortune on lessons and it's really not needed. Fine if you want to of course but I do think a lot of parents think paying for swimming lessons is an essential part of 'good' parenting and it really isn't.

bruffin · 27/03/2015 16:47

Some of you must have spent a fortune on lessons and it's really not needed.

I have spent probably £1000s including 12 years of my own and my dc from babies until they were qualified lifeguards. I don't regret a penny.

Stealthsquiggle · 27/03/2015 16:54

Both DC have weekly lessons at school - where they never wear armbands. Worked fine for DS in terms of competence and confidence, although he will never be the fastest. DD was still swimming downhill a bit in Y2 so I enrolled her in weekly after school lessons. She is now (Y3) super confident and at home in the water, swims all strokes including butterfly well, if not particularly fast. She is desperate to speed up and get into the team but her peers are speeding up too Sad.

..so for us extra lessons did make a difference, but clearly it depends on the lessons and the child.