When did your kids learn to swim?

[Ohdobequiet]

I was planning for almost 5 yo dd to start swimming lessons as soon as pools open up again- but have been met with a fair few comments about her being too young.

When did yours learn to swim?
Aibu getting an (almost) 5yo to learn?

I don't think 5 is too young at all.

DS just turned 3, we've never paid for lessons but go swimming regularly as a family and he is confident to jump in and swim wearing a vest (Covid halted his progress). We've already booked DD's first swimming session for May and she's currently 7wks.

I started mine at 3.5. They have been having lessons for 2 years bar lock downs and they're still rubbish! Neither are particularly sporty and it's defiantly a struggle.

It's so expensive and frustrating cos I don't want to stop as I think it's so important.

@GiveMeAllTheGin8

Definitely not too young ! Who was saying that ?! Dd started lessons when she turned 3 and was was swimming unaided by 3 and a half. She attended weekly lessons up until she turned 7 when lockdown hit. Toddler dd is booked in for next month but it’s doubtful pools will be open

Pools open on the 12th April. All indicators suggest this will definitely happen.

Both my boys could swim 25m unaided at 3. By 6 has both done their mile. They did the baby lessons where I got in with them, then moved through the stages. All at our local council pool.

I was aiming for DD to be comfortable in the water before Year 3 when they start school swimming lessons but it all went a bit tits up.

6 month waiting list for lessons, then she started Jan 2020, several lessons cancelled through Feb/Mar due to staff illness then all cancelled with lockdown. Pools re-opened here in October and then closed again Dec. So now shes 6, approaching the end of Y2, pools are still closed and while she likes being in the water she can't swim unaided.

Will get her back into lessons as soon as physically possible.

DS1 was about 6 months but "lessons" at that point are really just acclimation. He really started proper lessons at age 4 with the rest of his nursery class.

Mine both started at 3 years old in duckling class and went on from there. 5 is definitely not too young.

The younger the better! I’ve had my child enrolled in swim lessons since he was a few months old, sadly due to covid he’s only attended around six or seven sessions and we haven’t even been able to just casually go swimming for fun either. When we returned for a couple of sessions before this lockdown he had lost all of his progress bless him and was quite trepidatious while little babies of four months were happily being dunked and swum along underwater (held obviously). When we go back next month I think he’ll be back to square one at sixteen months which makes me sad but nothing we can do about that other than keep going consistently.

Five definitely isn’t early! It’s quite late amongst the parents I know (by no means late overall though), when I was a kid it wasn’t really a thing to take lessons other than briefly at school, I can barely swim and neither can DH.

Took them all as babies to baby swim classes but solo/class lessons started from their 3rd birthday. They were all decent swimmers within 6 months to a year. All lessons done and dusted by age 8. Our local pool allows children to go to the pool by themselves at age 8 as long as they can swim and it's a small town with one pool so the odds are, they've taught every child at some point whether via school lessons, private or just coming with their parents.

Older ones not till 10, they started at school. I couldn’t afford it before then and couldn’t take them myself due to ratios - when I could, they had a couple of weeks lessons and then Covid closed everything down

Youngest is 9 and can’t swim. He hated the lessons he did have but I will be making him go once lessons start up again.

Older ones their school has a pool so I’m hoping they’ll have lessons start up there too.

Both my dc started swimming parent and child lessons weekly from 6 months old, and without a parent from 2.5yrs old.

My dc1 was swimming confidently unassisted by the time he was 6yrs old and he had completed the Scottish swimming programme. My dc2 is 6.5 and not quite as confident in the water yet due the year off lessons due to covid, he was nearly there before lockdown 1 so I reckon within a year of lessons starting back he'll be swimming confidently.

Swimming is an essential skill and you should get the swimming as soon as possible.

Ah I probably should have been clearer in my op. She’s been going to a pool since she was a baby and is fine with water confidence, jumping in, swimming with a vest etc. It’s the ‘formal’ lessons I was meaning.
It’s going off the reactions of her reception class. It sounds like more along the ratio a pp mentioned - only a quarter her age could be expected to swim unaided by the time school lessons start.

In the pool with me from about 6 months and then proper lessons from 3.

For me, being able to swim is a life skill and a safety issue though.

Independently at 3, both children. Both could swim a width unaided at 4.5ish. I took them both for splashing about from being a few months old.

Water Babies from three-and-a-half months. Then 'real' swimming lessons from age 4.

5 is in no way too young. Enjoy it: it's a lovely activity to do with your kids.

Took all of ours as soon as we could and they all were proficient swimmers by the time they started school.

My 5 year old started when he was 3, as they have to be able to go into pool alone for the place we use. I haven’t started my 3 year old yet because of covid but will probably hold off as he’s not as independent/had as much exposure to clubs and teachers as my elder one had, thanks to covid.

To add - obviously they’ve both been swimming with us, we’re at the fun pool most weekends other than covid, so little one can do bit and bobs and has the confidence. Just not the listening/comprehension skills 😄

I started mine younger than that and now the youngest is 8 and is at the end of her class swimming waves - Stage 7. We’ve had a mix of 1-2-1, class and group swimming.

We live near the sea and enjoy going to holiday resorts with swimming pools so my only objective was for them to be safe in the water. Now they will do junior lifesaving. IMO swimming is an essential life skill so the earlier the better!

Lessons at the pool start age 6 in France which seemed late to me but the children learn incredibly quickly at that age.

I have 2 DC.

DC1 was terrified of water for years and started learning age 6. 2 terms of lessons then we stopped and he just goes with us. He can swim confidently in a pool and the sea.

DC2 refused armbands from before he was 3 and practically taught himself to swim. We used to go weekly as a family but with covid that has stopped. We'll start again as soon as possible

We started around 5 too. Worked really well for one kid, the other okay but would have probably thrived better if we’d waited. If I had another kid I would wait longer if they weren’t very coordinated, but go ahead at 5 if they were.

Learnt to swim from before their first birthday but technique and swimming correctly to the end of the swim levels came around 5/6 years old and when asked to join the local swim team.

I’m not in the UK and we, along with many of our friends have swimming pools in our gardens (with a safety fence) so maybe we’re a bit early.

Ds could swim across a pool and get out at 3 years.
Dd1 - as above but at 20 months.
Dd2 - as above but at 3.5 years.
Dd3 - currently 3.5 years and having lessons but can’t yet swim unaided.

About 4-5. They started swimming lessons at 4 and a half, which is the earliest the local swimming school would take them, and before that we went to the pool now and again but nothing much, and it didn't seem to hold them back. 5 sounds like a great age to start.