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 would start by playing in the water, sinking to bottom of pool, splashing etc. If your child loves the water they’ll learn very quickly.

I took them swimming from 6 months and they were in formal lessons from 3yrs.

I'm a terrible swimmer and I was determined they would be better. They're both like little fish now. Makes holidays by the pool a lot more relaxing.

DS1 about 2.5 months! We did aquatots and I bloody loved it. Sadly DS2 is 4 months but born during these ridiculous times so no swimming yet. He will start when they are allowed again. Never too early!

My ds was in the summer term of reception when he started learning.so he was 5.5. I got the impression that was at the later end of the scale to start learning. I don't think it matters that much, although you want them to be in an age-appropriate group - it's not much fun to be 8 when all the other kids in your group are 5.

I never had private swimming lessons when I was a child, my parents took me to the swimming pool sometimes but I only had formal lessons at primary school. I have a 2 year old and I don't think she'll be getting swimming lessons any time soon because of Covid, plus I'm poor.

DS started formal lessons at 3 and a half. DD and I are booked in for water babies from April where she’ll be 19 weeks and will start formal unaided lessons at 3.

Took them swimming from around 3 months.

Forget what anyone else says and book the lessons.

Ds started when he was around a year old at baby/ toddler lessons but Dd started lessons at 7 as they were so hard to get into around here and I found it hard because of my work hours . Most in her class to start were around 5 but she moved up quickly and was then in with her age group

7, wasn't practical before that because we lived in the middle of nowhere

5 is absolutely not too young. Just keep it fun.
DD 'swam' by burrowing out from the stepped edge at the shallow end at 18 months. She's wriggle out underwater about 6 meters. Take a breath then burrow back. Most peculiar. She was keen to follow big brother who at 4 could swim 'properly' ish. We lived overseas in a hot country tho and had constant access to a pool.

Our club swim school used to start children at 4 years old, most children were able to concentrate and learn by that age.

Eldest started at 3 and could swim by aged 4. Youngest started lessons just before 6th birthday and about 5 weeks before lockdown. One year later, pool didn’t reopen, has never had another lesson and just

Formal lessons at 3. Instructor was in water with them until 5.

@starrynight21

Six months, both of them. By the time they were 5 they were like water babies, very safe and it was great exercise.

I so wish I’d done this. My dd is nearly 5, she has had some lessons and as soon as able will start again. She absolutely loved splashing around in the pool on holiday last year, I say get them swimming as soon as possible.

I’d say it was quite old.
Mine had swimming from birth - we were lucky to have access to pools throughout their childhoods. They could all swim in a splashy, doggy paddle way at about two but obviously not sufficient to leave them without an adult in the pool too.
They had lessons from three, but could do about 25 metres by then. The lessons were to develop their stroke and to give me time off and time to chat to other parents.

I do think some kids that age do struggle with the formal, group lessons. My reception age daughter has been disrupted by kids who can’t listen/concentrate and she has her moments when she’s away with the fairies.

She’d been doing waterbabies since tiny and started independent pre-school classes in the teaching pool from 3. I’d say we struggled more with behaviour of other kids in the stage 1 school age classes than we ever did with pre-school. I suspect because it was just too much for some to do a day at school and then swimming. Some teachers are much better at crowd control. There was a massive difference when we switched teacher to one of the more experienced ones.

It's never too early - DS started at 6 months.

I’d also say it is swimming that I’m most gutted about my daughter missing. Last March she was pushing to get her 10m in the pre-school class, lost a bit of confidence during lockdown and was just getting into the flow when lessons were suspended again. She is desperate to get back into a pool but I hope we don’t have to go back to the beginning again.

I was taking DS for baby swimming classes at 4 months! Not uncommon round here.

We’d have carried on if not for Covid, and will restart when we’re allowed. Never too early.

I took both my DC swimming regularly from 4 months old
Both were confident swimmers by the time they started school
DS only swims if on holiday in a hot country
DD and I swim twice a week when allowed to

Dd went in the pool at 6 weeks old, was swimming unaided at 23 months, however! Hasn’t been in a pool for so long think we’ll be starting again!!

5 isn’t early to start, it’s late in these parts! Don’t listen to nay sayers!

DS1 was swimming widths at 3 and is now an average swimmer, DS2 used to hyperventilate if he had to let go of the side right up until he was 6 by 8 he was swimming competitively.

Pretty much from birth

My 5 year old has been "learning" since his first vaccinations. I'm frustrated that lockdowns have interrupted his progress. But at 2 years he fell into the wrong end of a pool without his float on. He calmly did as trained, turned and swam to the side (albeit under water with no technique to speak of) climbed out before he became distressed. He would obviously have not drowned because there were so many of us there, but he reacted instantly to get out as he was taught at baby swimming lessons. So vital for anyone to just KNOW what to do if they find themselves suddenly in water.

(Literally his second birthday)