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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I can teach DCs to swim?

52 replies

ePurSiMuove · 30/08/2018 10:57

Has anyone taught their child to swim without professional lessons? I really want to get the DCs swimming quickly to be safe around Water.

I can swim myself, relatively strong and did a few galas when younger. DCs 8 and 4 can’t swim yet, this has been mainly due to not being able to access a pool. We now have access to an indoor pool but there are no lessons available which fit with our work times etc. I can probably take them a couple of times a week.

It can’t be that difficult? Anyone done it and if so,

Is there a teaching programme available that I could follow? Is there a definite “right way” to learn?

If I teach them will I be teaching them bad habits which they won’t break?

How long is reasonable to expect a child to learn to swim ?

OP posts:

FASH84 · 30/08/2018 11:14

I think it depends on why you want them to swim, basic self preservation you can probably teach them, if they want to take up swimming longer term or competitively proper lessons will give them better technique

The8thMonth · 30/08/2018 11:23

Hi - I've taught my two boys, 6 years and 4 years old to "swim". Like PP said, this is more about self preservation than competitive swimming. It probably took about a year to do. . . The 6 year old is good and can swim a lap or two. The 4 year old only about half a lap but as he gets older, he should get stronger. We went often and only for about an hour, including time in the changing room. So swimming was probably only 35 or 40 minutes at a time. I would do a bit of teaching them and practicing with them and then let them play in the pool.

memememe · 30/08/2018 11:23

of course you can, i taught all 3 of my children to swim. then they had lessons later if they wanted to improve their stroke.

start by taking them swimming and making it fun. all about being confident in the water, get them splashing and jumping in (you catch them but move back a bit at times so they go under) then in time get them to "swim" back to the edge of the pool after theyve jumped in, stand a body length away and give them a little shove towards the edge and in time move back. once they can do that and have mastered doggy paddle you can work on distance and strokes.

one of the first things i would teach them though is how to float on their back in a star. and how to turn and float if they fall/jump in.

oh and have fun!!

Original poster

ePurSiMuove · 30/08/2018 11:24

Thanks Fash. I suppose I would like them to get good at swimming and maybe compete if they want to. I don’t want to teach them badly but equally I can’t get them to lessons just now. I’m wondering is there a proper recognised technique to learn to swim.

OP posts:

Original poster

ePurSiMuove · 30/08/2018 11:28

Thank you the8th and meme.
Yes, I think you are right that sounds like a good plan to get them used to the water and having fun. Good point about floating on back as first point. Just the sort of advice I need!

OP posts:

Bluelady · 30/08/2018 11:30

One of my parents' friends taught me. I don't think professional lessons existed when I was a kid.

Booboostwo · 30/08/2018 11:32

Mastering the starfish (floating on their backs) seems very central to my DCs swimming lessons. It is supposed to be what you do when you get too tired, you float and relax, rather than panic and try to keep going. Might be worth teaching them that to start with.

GinIsIn · 30/08/2018 11:32

It depends if you want them to be able to swim or want them to be good at swimming.

It’s a lot harder to unteach bad technique and habits than to teach good ones.

Also, 8 is quite late to learn so if you can afford professional lessons, I would get them.

crosstalk · 30/08/2018 11:36

Course you can OP especially since you are confident swimmer yourself. My only reservations would be the business of the pool and whether you can keep together as a small unit given the difference heights/sizes of your DC. If you think that through and lay down the rules just do it.

Rebecca36 · 30/08/2018 11:38

Most children are taught to swim by parents so not unreasonable.
They will receive swimming lessons at school too which will improve technique, etc.

upsideup · 30/08/2018 11:44

Most kids are taught to swim by their parents I think, I taught all 4 of mine to swim but started when they were babies/todlers.
8 is quite late to learn and might be harder for them so may find they need professional lessons

OnlyYou09 · 30/08/2018 11:49

My husband is a swim instructor and he won't even teach ours - it's easy for the child not to listen as well as they would by someone independant.
Obviously it's possible , but why not pay for lessons and get some chill time yourself ;)

twiglet · 30/08/2018 11:51

Yes it's possible I taught my friends daughter to swim aged 10 and I'm not a professional.
I would recommend taking them individually however until they are more confident in the water. Also you only have one set of hands so not sure how you would hold both afloat.

Tips I would give are first get them happy to be in water and laying back with their heads in whilst in your arms it can be scary.

Once you have progressed to comfort then you can introduce kicking followed by arm strokes. Make sure you have floatation aids, floats to hold onto etc. I also bought some games and rings as they will do things far more naturally if it's fun.

Somewhereovertherainbow13 · 30/08/2018 12:30

My dad taught me but when I tried teaching ds1 it didn’t work. I found a teaching scheme online which I was trying to follow but he wouldn’t focus and wouldn’t trust me to keep him safe. After 10 lessons with a professional swimming teacher he can practically swim 10 metres by himself, yet I was nowhere near getting him to that level

crosstalk · 31/08/2018 12:11

rebecca36 what world are you living in? "They will receive swimming lessons at school ..."

No they won't. They'll be lucky to get much sport at primary school level even here in the country. Swimming means a local pool, or it means a coach ride there, changing the kids, making sure you have H&S forms and permissions, changing the kids back again. It's at least 90 minutes for a 30 minute swim.

Maybe I'm wrong, but outside of a city where a school is virtually sitting on top of a municipal swimming pool - it's just not done. I'd love to think I was wrong so Mumsnet please tell me.

AllAtHome · 31/08/2018 12:15

Swimming lessons at school.

My children were strong swimmers way before school lessons. I was shocked to see how many still needed arm bands or were still scared of the water.

Maybe you can, maybe not, but I’d be prioritising getting them in the water ASAP.

teenagetantrums · 31/08/2018 12:17

Mine are now in thier 20's l taught them both to swim. They probably wouldn't win any swimming competition but both competent swimmers in a pool and the sea. No need for professional lessons if your only aim is for them to be able to swim /tread water and not drown in water

whereisthepostman · 31/08/2018 12:18

@crosstalk all the local schools in my area take the kids swimming? A small-medium sized town.

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 31/08/2018 12:20

All children on the county I live in (in north wales) get swimming lessons in yrs 3,4,5,6. It's a few weeks each yr.

Sorry OP doesn't really answer your question.

Sunshine365 · 31/08/2018 12:23

@crosstalk it depends where the OP lives, in England swimming is a required part of the national curriculum so schools have to ensure children get swimming lessons (whether at school or by taking them to a local swimming pool)

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 31/08/2018 12:24

You can certainly teach them to swim yourself but I would suggest taking them separately especially given their ages.

As for schools not teaching swimming that's nonsense a quick check of the Nation Curriculum on the Gov website states:

All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.

In particular, pupils should be taught to:
swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

wafflyversatile · 31/08/2018 12:27

Being able to swim is not the same as being able to teach someone else to swim.

My mum's efforts made me more nervous than I already was!

By all means give it a go though.

lpchill · 31/08/2018 12:30

I'm teaching my 2 and half old to swim. I've taught her basic life saving stuff (watching tons of YouTube stuff on teaching to swim) now onto swimming. She will get lessons once she can swim with confidence and it's to make sure her technique is fine and if she was interested in joining a swim school. It's loads of fun and stress free with me doing the teaching she won't be perfect but I can pay for lessons later. I see it like driving lessons. I learn clutch control and the theory before I paid for lessons, it made me more confident and I passed quicker.

cookiesandchocolate · 31/08/2018 12:35

My almost 5 year old has been having lessons for 2 months.

Firstly - water confidence. That's half the battle. I did this by getting use of a private pool and using lots of floats. She loved it.

When lessons started the class all hold onto the side and have a go at bobbing up and down in the water.
Head under seems to be important from what I've seen.

Then lots of kicking and using of floats and woggles.
Then they all jump in at the end.

That's all I've seen so far :)

Santaclarita · 31/08/2018 12:35

Can't see why you can't teach them. Saves money too.

We did swimming lessons through primary and secondary school. But our secondary school did have a pool in it and the primary was a short walk away so easier for us. Secondary lessons felt pointless to me as I was part of a swimming team doing competitions. Even the pe instructors knew they couldn't teach me or others on the team much by that point, they were more just helping those that hadn't had lessons when younger. I was useless in the other sports we did though.

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