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?

I pay £36/month for 4.5 year old DD.

We did things like Waterbabies as a tot so she was confident but it's only been this year she has come on and can swim short distances unaided.

It's important to me that my DC learn to swim well and with proper technique. To me it's a necessary skill like riding a bike, skiing and golf. Its something they can carry all their lives and get pleasure from.

DS1 is now swimming for a club and it gives him some structure and discipline as well as a social life outside school. DS2 likes a variety of sports but is keen on swimming and will likely follow his brother into club swimming within the next year or so.

Age wise. I don't see much benefit in lessons before around 5. We did Waterbabies, but to be honest could have just taken them to the local pool. Most progress is made between 5 and 7 learning the basics. After that it's just practice under the eye of a good coach training in a squad.

I would find a decent swimming school OP. A lot of clubs have a section which caters for learners or some have an affiliation with a club.

I learned with my school around the age of 8 and my parents took me swimming and tried to teach me too. I think it's important but I wouldn't leave yourself short for it personally.

It's very important and a key life skill. At £100 a month though and lessons since 4 they should be like little fish by now. I'm sorry it's leaving you short and am sure you could save by going somewhere else. They can't be that good to be honest.

The other thing which is not really taught to children (or lots of adults) and should be covered regularly is basic first aid.

I agree guineapig. My SIL's life was saved by someone who knew how to do the Heimlich Manoeuvre.

I keep meaning to take a course, but will probably never get round to it. Daft really, because in the last 10 years I've been on hand at three serious accidents where people have been hit by cars - one cyclist and two pedestrians and one time where someone collapsed in front of me, possibly from a heart attack. There was nothing I could do to help them, but luckily others could.

Maybe knowing how to do first aid on myself - such as stemming bleeding - might even save my own life in the event of a serious accident. But I suspect when you're very badly hurt there's probably little you can do to help yourself.

But yes, I'd agree that first aid is a life skill

Yes I think it's important. I'd be changing lessons though if they weren't competent after 4 years.

Yes I think it's super important. I think £100 pm is quite expensive for two children. Our two do weekly swimming lessons at the council run pool for £20 pm, that includes free leisure swimming sessions for them too. I am of the opinion that being a strong swimmer with good stroke techniques can take years to hone, so when I enrolled my dc I was of the expectation I was in it for the long haul. My dd is almost 9 and has very good technique, good stamina but I'd still never leave her unattended in a pool.

Yes.. Ds1 did lessons right up to advanced and life saving, ds2 enjoyed the lessons less but kept it up until intermediate level so is also competent and safe. It means that when we go on holiday they can safely enjoy the beach and pool, while I can sit back and watch. That means that family holidays are possible despite me being a single parent with a disability (so basically no one to jump in and rescue them if they can't take care of themselves). It was a pain dragging out to lessons at the time, but totally worth it now!

We don't pay for swimming lessons but absolutely think it's important. We take them ourselves and (try to) teach them. My 12 year old is a fantastic swimmer and was swimming alone from about the age of 6. Our 6 year old has been much harder to teach but hopefully she'll get it soon. We did take the eldest to lessons for one term when she was very small but they didn't do anything we felt we couldn't do on a family swim lol so didn't go back after the first term.

I learned life saving skills as part of a swimming qualification.

It was about how to survive if you find yourself in water in clothes - so lots of taking off your pyjama trousers, knotting the ankles and flinging them over your head to make a buoyancy aid and then treading water.

I was also taught how to rescue an injured person - swim out with your head up so you can keep them in sight, make a pointy fist and grip them under the chin and hug them so they can float on their back with their mouth and nose out of the water while you sidestroke to the shore. Then clear their airways, arch their neck and do CPR - but I don't think they concentrate as much on mouth-to-mouth as on chest compressions now. I should really take another course.

But the chief instruction is to keep yourself safe. No going in after dogs - they often get out by themselves anyway - and no contact with a panicking drowner who is likely to drag you to your death too. Let them weaken a bit first

That's easier said than done when it's not your dog or your loved one though.

I genuinely don't understand why children are having swimming lessons for years and years
I'd be questioning the quality of teaching
I never had a lesson nor did my siblings and we were little fish from 3-4 years old as lived by the sea
My DC went with me to local pool from 4 months old on average once a week and were both proficient before starting school
I do agree that it's a necessary life skill though
We all still enjoy swimming DD (25) and I go 2-3 times a week even now as I prefer it to the gym

We pay £130 per month as 3 dc have lessons twice weekly. Dc4 is a fish and enjoys it, dc9 has sen so needs the extra practice, dc11 is also a fish so enjoys it.
Its the best thing we spend our money on...and we live water so need them to swim for safety.
Dc could swim a width and climb out independently by age 3.

I genuinely don't understand why children are having swimming lessons for years and years. I'd be questioning the quality of teaching

That would only make sense if the entire class are taking years of lessons and still not learning. My daughter had already been in her class for several months when one of her school classmates joined, unable to swim. Same teachers (it was the council pool, there were several different teachers), same frequency of lessons. Three years later, she can now swim approximately 5m and he can swim over 1km and has lifesaving badges etc.

And a lot of parents can't take kids to the pool and teach them to swim because they don't know how. I'm a strong swimmer but I wouldn't have any idea how to teach a child to do it.

There is a middle ground to being a breathless doggy paddler and Michael Phelps.

Swimming lessons from the right teacher are the key. I can swim really well, because I was taught by a good teacher, but I couldn't teach. That's why I would send a child to swimming lessons, probably from about 5. I don't think it's a good idea to teach your child to swim unless you are (a) a good swimmer and (b) a good teacher.

People think one-to-one tuition would be great but at that age a small group of about 5 children is much better. I'd say that for adult novices too. Bonding in a small group helps learning and makes friendships. That, for me is the point of swimming if we are going to use it as a recreational activity.

I don't agree that swimming is a life skill and never will. But I do agree with various PPs who've said it is a very useful thing.

My parents sent me for a number of reasons: they wanted me to learn to swim so I wouldn't drown (I think that's wrong. I think people who can swim are the most likely people to drown because they have a false sense of security. That's just my belief. I can't back it up with data so don't bother asking); they wanted me to make friends - I did; they wanted me to get a sense of achievement from a physical activity - they'd tried gymnastics and ballet but I was rubbish. I was very good at swimming.

For fitness, it's not as cheap as running but it's close if you go to municipal pools. If you are shy about your body you only have to brave the walk from changing room to pool. No one can see you in the water.

Because I was taught technique I can easily put on the cheapest black school-style Speedo and do fast lengths for 45 minutes and then get out and get on with my life. Perfect

x-post treaclesoda I'm a good swimmer too but I couldn't teach.

I believe it's incredibly important for DC to know how to swim. It could save their lives.
DC both had lessons, but not many as we didn't live anywhere near a pool when they were small. Neither of them loves swimming, so they never joined a club. But then DS2 was diagnosed with some spinal problems (which explained why he;d found it so hard to swim in the first place) and was told swimming was the only sport he's allowed to do until he's fully grown. So we swim once a week.
he's made massive progress. I think swimming regularly with them gives them more strength and stamina than lessons.

Coming on the thread to do a not-so-stealthy stealth boast because DS (aged nearly 5) just did a length of the swimming pool with the help of a noodle

This is in the swimming pool at a holiday park with help from grandad so not something we've specially paid for.

He did do toddler swimming when he was younger at great expense and got absolutely nowhere. We stopped taking him after a bit because it seemed pointless and started a 9 on a Sunday

Fwiw I think kids do things when they're ready. You can sink months into teaching a child a skill that they might master in a matter of days a few years later.

I wouldn't leave myself short for any kids activity tbh.

There is a middle ground to being a breathless doggy paddler

Thats me and I simply avoid risks.

I think people who can swim are the most likely people to drown because they have a false sense of security

i agree my dsis who is a good swimmer can swim miles out from the beach and put herself into danger, I am safe in the shallow and perfectly happy there.

I see people in our lessons for dc training for rowing, you have to swim for ages in clothing...and in a certain way which is good for rowers!

falling into ponds etc you need to teach them how to turn and keep head up out of water which is specific skill.

Video was going round ages ago about this, a lady taught her baby how to do it.

Dd started swimming lessons at 3 as we lived by an open pool in a hot country.
She is 4.5 now and brilliant at swimming- she just did a 50m badge, I will let her stop lessons if she wants when she is able to swim 200m confidently. (Although I think she will continue as she loves it!)
I will start ds lessons at the same age. It will be my only non-negotiable extra curricular activity for my dc.

IamSlave I'm a good swimmer but I'm not a teacher. My husband wanted me to teach him but I can't and he wouldn't be a good pupil - he'd say that he trusts me implicitly and I think he does, but if out of his depth and panicking that he was going to drown he wouldn't trust me to save him - as I could. He'd take us both down.

That's why I don't approve of people saying that they taught their children to swim. No. In most cases you've taught them to be over confident because you're over confident too and that's the way people drown.

Teaching people how to swim is a skill and not everyone who can swim, or thinks they can, has it.

"I genuinely don't understand why children are having swimming lessons for years and years. I'd be questioning the quality of teaching"

It's also about maturity. We had ideal conditions for learning to swim: every summer holiday 200 metres from a safe sandy beach with hardly any waves, excellent swimming lessons and a strong incentive (boating family). Even so, my experience with extended family was that some children learnt very quickly, others took longer. They all got very confident in the end.

Yes my son can swim. He has been able to swim unaided since he was 4.

It's important to me for general safety so if he gets into trouble in the water, then he won't panic and will float to the surface although now, he would just swim to the side.