To think I've failed my 7 year old **Thread title edited by MNHQ**

[Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers]

I've enrolled dc into an intensive swimming course this half term. DC has been swimming with their Dad a couple of times a month for years and barely made any swimming progress despite him trying to teach skills.

Now age 7, I feel like dc is the only child (catastrophising obviously!) to be a non swimmer and that I ought to have paid for swimming lessons years before now.

Please tell me it is all fine!

This post was edited by MNHQ

I only learned to swim as an adult and don't feel confident in deep water or swimming under water. All 3 of mine swam like fishes by the time they were 6. So no panic nut the earlier they learn the more confident they become.

My 6 year old DS can swim a length (and more) both front and back (proper back stroke and just about there side breathing with front crawl) which I think is ok at his age. But apparently this is still lagging behind - mind you the parents who say this have (apparently) 6 year olds fluent in 18 different languages, reading war and peace for a bit of holiday fun, think the equation in that scene in good will hunting is apiece of piss, auditioning for the royal ballet and hoping to compete at Wimbledon next year. So quite frankly my 6 year old having a pj day with his playmobil watching Star Wars has no fucking hope at life anyway.

Op you are doing fine with your 6 year old esp if you’re allowing him to have a childhood.😁

Oh and I taught myself to swim at 20. Now comfortably swim a mile, love scuba diving v confident in water. It will be fine

My DD is 7 and has had lessons continuously since 4 months, in her class there are kids of the same age and ability who only started at 6 - I think so much of it is just development, and your DS will soon catch up and you will have saved so much money!

There are loads of kids who can't swim when the school lessons start at 8 - you are not mixing with an average group. Also, take it with a pinch of salt "brilliant swimmer," is very subjective - one person's butterfly looks like another person's panicky drowning!

Both of my kids can swim adequately but neither can ride a bike aged 8 and 5.

My DS's school did a swimming course in Y4, so he'd have been 8/9. Well over half the class were in the 'Can't swim at all' group.

And...relax :-)
My twins did group lessons, never really worked that well. We moved them to twice weekly one to one swim lessons (paid for by DGP) and within a couple of months they were like fish. They were six 🙂 so you are right on track!
Don't beat yourself up or criticise yourself, there will be people lining up to do that over the course of your life Just put one foot in front of the other and do your best. A happy parent is the best present a child can get, swimmer or non swimmer

You've done the best thing, though; you've been working on his/her water confidence. I think 5/6 is about the optimum age for swimming lessons, as by this age they tend to have a good idea what they're trying to achieve, have more confidence in the water and are far better at following instructions than when they are younger.

And like OhLookHeKickedTheBall said, an awful of children aged seven have never even been to a public swimming pool, so you're more engaged with swimming as a positive thing than a lot of parents.

We've done intensive swimming courses during school breaks and frankly this is the best way of doing it, rather than a lesson once a week for example. This is the way his coach taught my dc, and she told me she didn't learn to swim until she was 12...

@yabbers

‘Drownings are a leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 14, and three children die every day as a result of drowning. In fact, drowning kills more children 1-4 than anything else except birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’

Well I didn’t say 6 was too late or criticise in any way I just said I wouldn’t be super casual about it. It’s an important skill.

Totally fine .
Dd was in the same boat and is now a really good swimmer and has moved up from stages 1-3 in about 6 months.
Sometimes I think it helps that she started at 6 as she could listen better and have more stamina than some of the younger ones so she progresses quicker

I think the earlier you start the better. Although we are surrounded by water so it’s essential. My girl who is six in a few months can swim a length of the pool so lessons definitely pay off. Just get started as soon as you can.