To ask if your children can swim? Is it important to you?

[Lionking1981]

Do you class swimming as important? We spend 100 a month on swimming lessons for our two sometimes leaving us short. My two were swimming with their cousins on holiday recently.My brother pointed out how much we all spent on swimming lessons and remarked none of them are great swimmers. They are 8,7,6 and 5. All in swimming lessons since they were 4. They can swim but we couldnt take our eyes off any one of them such is our confidence in their ability. Me and dbro were left in swimming pools by ourselves for hours from age 9. I have always thought it was essential and budget for it, going without other things.My class teacher told me probably only 50% of their 8 year olds can swim. Do you believe that is right?

[toomuchtooold]

Out of interest when do kids start with the ASA swimming lessons in the UK? Our kids are learning in Switzerland and the minimum age requirement was 4 and a half - my girls started at 5. I don't really think it's worth paying for lessons before that age - they are just at the right age now that they didn't take long to adjust to the teacher and are happy to have a go and can cope with getting a bit of water up their nose and stuff.

[Blinkyblink]

I pay for 1-2-1 lessons. They need less but achieve so much in very short space of time. Swim teacher (who teaches both groups and private) said 4 1-2-1s are worth 1@ group lessons.

Consequently my just turned 4 year old can swim well ie jump in to deep end swim half a lap, then flip on to back and swim half a lap and then get out.

6 year old is like a fish.

Single mum here. Only two eyes on them on holiday, so I wanted to be damn sure that they were strong swimmers from an early age.

[Trb17]

It was very important to me that DDlearnt to swim and be a strong swimmer. Family tradition to ensure this. Lessons were £5 per lesson - one each week.

DD started lessons at 4. By 8 I was happy to let her go in the pool with friends and I would sit out in viewing area happy to just watch.

She's 10 now and has stopped swimming lessons as she wanted to do other hobbies that took up the time and money instead. She completed her Bronze award just before she finished her lessons.

Now she goes swimming with friends without adult supervision.

I'm very happy we taught her to swim as it's an important skill to have.

[CoteDAzur]

Swimming is a life skill. Of course it's very important.

If your child has been taking lessons for years and still can't swim properly, change the teacher. DD had weekly swimming lessons for years and still couldn't swim at all without floats at nearly 5. Changed teacher who taught her to swim in 2 days. By the end of the week, she was diving down to the bottom of the pool to pick up stones & toys. DS learned to swim just as well with the same teacher in one week at age 3.

[frenchknitting]

I think it's important to be a reasonable swimmer and confident in the water. My 3 year old is on his second term of lessons and is making some progress (i can let go of the noodle sometimes now). Prior to lessons i just took him myself most weeks, but he wasn't really picking anything up. My 10 week old has been "swimming" three times.

I like swimming myself and have done various water based sports over the years, so I like taking them to the pool.

The most important thing to me is that they enjoy it though. I was in a swimming club as a child, and hated it once it started getting competitive.

I did consider private lessons rather than group ones for the three year old. I think I would switch to that if he wasn't progressing or enjoying the group ones.

Once they are able to swim a couple of lengths in a couple of strokes, I'd be happy to stop lessons and just go swimming regularly.

[Ktown]

Yes swimming and an instrument are the only out of school activities we do.
Swimming is crucial.
The school lessons help but I do think parents need to get involved for a couple of years too.
Our local pool charges 7 quid a lesson so it is affordable.

[user1491572121]

mine both learned from their dad. Neither loves it...but they manage.

[SootSprite]

We always told dd she could choose whatever hobbies she liked but, regardless of interest, she would also be a) learning to swim, and b) learning to defend herself physically. These two things were non-negotiable.

I do think that after several years of lessons you should be able to take your eyes off them in the pool. Maybe consider changing lessons if the current ones are not working that well.

[KERALA1]

Yes but looking back lessons before 4 a waste of time. Also don't think you need lessons for years and years. With hindsight I would have done lessons with a good teacher from 6-8 stopping when they can dive and know their strokes - unless swimming is their sport of course.

In our area they got one term at school in year 5. No way rely on that to teach them to swim. Actually it was ritual humiliation for the minority that couldn't already swim.

[MermaidsTears]

It is extremely important to us, especially as my DP cousin drowned in childhood.
Our 8 yr old DD can swim better than most adults I know.
I don't want to sound rude but we had previously tried a few lessons and they never got her anywhere.
Now she goes to a slightly more expensive lesson but it is only four children to the teacher and in a year she went from being able to stay afloat and 'not drown' to being at level 8 and doing lengths etc

[Binkybix]

Ours, nearly 4, has just started small group lessons. It's the one activity we do. I was told that lessons much before 3 aren't really worth it (unless you enjoy it of course) and friends with older children, who did the baby lessons backed that up.

[yikesanotherbooboo]

Swimming is a life skill and it is important to learn.
I don't fully buy into the swimming lessons for years set up. Yes , if your child or you want their strikes to be perfect or for competitive reasons if they have an aptitude a qualified teacher will be good , but children learn just by being exposed to water so you can go once a week as a family and the children will learn confidence and safety quite quickly. When they are physically able.
Everyone I knew could swim when I was a child and we went swimming for fun with our friends from about 10 years old. Nobody had had swimming lessons .

[lljkk]

I could take eyes off mine from about age 6-7yo.
Would still want a lifeguard in the area, though.
It seems similar for other children who had regular lessons -- safe enough from 6-7yo to turn back on (if not younger).
I don't understand OP. How bad quality are the lessons, how un-natural swimmers are the kids?!

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Yes. Ds (6) is hugely confident in water but needs to know his limitations too. I don't need him to be an Olympic swimmer but I need to know he could get himself out of trouble if necessary. Dsis and bil decided to send dniece to lessons after they saw a young girl being resuscitated at an outdoor pool.

[cliffdiver]

DDs age 3 and 5 started swimming lessons in February.

IMO learning to swim is an essential life skill.

We waited longer than usually with DD1 was very apprehensive about the water and we didn't want to push her. I wish we had started sooner.

[znaika]

I agree it's so valuable and above all fun. I do think lessons for toddlers are a con though. The idea of paying for years and years for no progress is nonsense. Also all the stupid badges for doing nothing. Im not talking life guarding levels but the whole little Johnny got his 5m or 10m badge. If all you can swim is 5m you can't swim I'm afraid. 4-5 onwards is perfect. By 8/9 fairly confident.

[jarhead123]

Very important, the only activity I've ever insisted they do. Costs us £45 a month for 2 kids.

[BertrandRussell]

I don't buy into the "essential life skill" either. It is very unlikely that bthat in about to swim In warm clean water in a swimming costume is going to save your life. Being able to float, and to know how to turn round and grab the edge if you fall in may well save your life-swimming 100m butterfly? Not so much.

But unless you live near water or have an unprotected pool then the "life skill" stuff is a marketing exercise created by swimming schools.

[Brighteyes27]

Yes and yes it's very important. Seems expensive for swimming lessons??? Is there non on offer at a local pool/leisure centre cheaper near you. The prices used to vary considerably in my area. I think swimming lessons great but also need fun in water with mum and dad. When our DC's first started school we would take them out of school for a week once a year in January (cheapest week) and go to Centre Parcs if brings them on enormously swimming most of the day every day and also go one weekend a year.

[Wondermoomin]

No twooter re-read the OP:

We spend 100 a month on swimming lessons for our two sometimes leaving us short. My two were swimming with their cousins on holiday recently.My brother pointed out how much we all spent on swimming lessons and remarked none of them are great swimmers. They are 8,7,6 and 5. All in swimming lessons since they were 4.

[GreenGinger2]

It absolutely is a life skill hence schools spending precious money on teaching kids to swim. I find it heartbreaking seeing kids as old as 9 terrified of water. Nobody can say they will never be near water their whole lives and thus don't need to learn. The pessure as an adult to engage in water activities is huge. It isn't just your own safety that is important but your children's and those who have to fish out those who get into trouble. I can't imagine going to the beach and letting my children in the sea without knowing I could swim to them if needs be. We live near the sea and rivers. Our DC and their friends are in some kind of free water most days during the summer. It would be quite isolating not to be able to take part.

That said op I'd look at another instructor. 4 years is a long time to be paying with no results. 121 is better in my experience.

[SnapCrackleOutOfIt]

Started DD1 at 2 years 8 months! I can't believe she went into the pool on her own! I doubt very much DD2 who is approaching this age will be confident to do that.

We pay about £100 a term for DD1 this is in a class of about 5 kids. She's 5 now and can do a front crawl and also swim on her back. If anything she progresses the most only when my husband manages to take her for a practice. I guess the lessons just keep her going.

Aim to start swimming with DD2 sometime closer to age 3. I don't think she'll go in the pool on her own

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

Not RTFT but I think you have picked the wrong instructors/ swim schools.

DS has been in lessons since he was 6. He is now 6 (7 in a few months) and swims 3.5hrs a week with a competitive swimming team. Probably swims 1000m ish per session. Costs £33 a month for the lot.

I'd be questioning why the older 3 DC are not better swimmers by now. How big are the groups they swim in and what distance is it set up for (hard to build strength swimming widths in a narrow pool)?

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

Sorry, been in lessons since he was 4.

[exLtEveDallas]

Yes, v important and a life skill. But I never did lessons, I taught DD myself, taking her from when she was 1. She's never had arm bands, never known that she 'couldnt' swim. When she was 3 we had a back yard pool (overseas) and she was a strong enough swimmer for me to be able to keep just 'half an eye' on her.

She had 1-1 booster lessons when she was 6 that taught her better stroke control etc - that was money well spent.

If your DC are still weak swimmers after 4 years I would look into 1-1 lessons for a short period.

(And I was very impressed on a First Choice holiday a few years ago watching the swim school. Their instructors were excellent and the kids I saw improved 100-fold)