None of them had arm bands on

[Pooskidsonthefrock]

We live abroad (originally from U.K.) went to a local swimming pool at a country club today, took Dd, 4 into the shallow pool with arm bands on.
A few British families there, all the children without arm bands, floats etc, some younger than Dd, most around age 4 too.
It made me feel a bit crappy that she can’t swim properly yet, I never realised so many kids her age can.
She had lessons when a baby, but then covid hit, my friends kids (her friends) can’t swim yet, am I missing something?

I live in a hot country and we have a backyard pool. My kids started swimming lessons at age 2 and could float and dog paddle but 4 is when they started to pick up proper strokes.

Avoid arm bands and anything so inflatable that they can just float around with no effort. We used swim vests in our home pool that still require effort to stay afloat, they just give you a bit of help. Pool noodles are also good. Swim schools here use no floatation devices at all even with toddlers.

@illiterato No, we’re abroad now (Dd born here) hot 6 months of the year, but Dd mainly in the sea and large paddling pool in the garden. Sometimes she goes in outdoor pools but generally the beach more. I was more surprised the children from the U.K. weren’t wearing bands and seemed more confident, that’s my worry

Don’t worry, it’s only really coming to light now. Make sure she wears goggles every time, and gets used to having her face in water. It will make the learning to swim process a lot easier if she is used to this young. I recommend a cap too (a requirement where I live regardless of hair length).

@Pooskidsonthefrock oh I see. Sorry- totally didn’t read it properly. I think uk is v split. I wouldn’t assume those 4 year olds are typical.

At 4 my daughter could swim independently like a fish (still can at 5) and I often get comments about how talented she is. She absolutely cannot ride a bike, she can’t even confidently walk a balance bike. I do have a twinge when I see my friend’s 3 year old pedalling along, however I’m not really bothered about it. I expect she’ll learn to ride one eventually and your daughter will being doing laps of the pool. They’ll get there when it’s right for them.

They all learn at different times. I live in Australia and have a pool. Oldest ds was in swimming from 6 months. Didn’t actually get it til 4. Youngest ds went to 2 lots of swimming intensive at 3.5 and then jumped in and swam. Dd went to swimming from 3 did intensives 4 times a year, and then weekly lessons for 2 years and swam at 5.

most swim teachers now discourage floaties as they give a false sense of security and the kids can forget they don’t have them on. My swim teacher especially hated the vest type ones. She said when they can swim a parent should be with them and they can hold a noodle or something. So in the shallow pool that makes sense that not many had floaties on

I used to swim competitively at County level between the ages of 10 and 18.
Couldn't even do a width before I was 7

I took my nearly 9 yr old swimming every week from 6 months - 6 years and she still can’t swim! Covid got in the way just as she was making progress and didn’t get back to it for a variety of reasons. She’s just started lessons at school so fingers crossed. Her older bro and sister didn’t go to baby lessons but prob learned around age 7ish. Plenty of time.

Really depends where you live - I moved to Arizona for a few years and the vast majority of homes had pools and water safety is paramount. It was rare to meet a 3 or 4 year old who couldn't swim (admittedly better than me) so if OP if abroad in a hot climate it could be possible.

Arm bands or not to arm bands is pretty meh imo. MN is rampantly into trends. Both of mine played around in arm bands when they were little and are now county level swimmers. It never ceases to amaze me how people on here get wound up about details early on then stop swimming lessons when they can still barely swim in stage 5 or so.

Your child is 4 as long as they are enjoying the water great. It’s a good age to start lessons and they will refuse the arm bands within months. What matters in terms of swimming is what you do later on.

My next door neighbour gave me one of these www.amazon.co.uk/Speedo-Kids-Squad-Float-Suit/dp/B00LOL034W

Took my daughter in in for the first two sessions on holiday and by the third she was swimming. Won't win prizes for technique but she's reasonable (and I never managed to get her any lessons and she's just five).

I thought it was much better than armbands as in swimming position. We live by the sea so will still put her in it at beach as I worry even when paddling

I very much doubt the majority of children are swimming age 4.

Dd2 could swim at 4 (although she looked younger). When we went on holiday to Austria people were literally like this 😮

Get her a swim fin ( Google it ) it will help her learn and she will be the coolest kid with a shark fin lol

We never used arm bands because they get in the way of learning to swim properly. My five year old still can't swim because we've not been able to get him into lessons and he's not had enough pool time due to covid and our other commitments. I'd never put arm bands on him though. When we go to the pool he uses a pool noodle, a shark fin float and I just keep close to him to support him in the water.

We never used arm bands because they get in the way of learning to swim properly.

Your child can’t actually swim though 🤦🏻‍♀️. Why are you such an expert?

When my sons yr 5 class had lessons a third of the children could barely swim and that was at 9 years old.

I think its a very skewed middle class view to think 4year olds can all swim

Leave your daughters armbands on, or provide her with another buoyancy aid until she can swim, is my advice. What other people do with regard to their children is for them to decide, however, your DD's safety should be your main concern, imo. Meanwhile, take her to your local pool and either pay for lessons, or teach her yourself but her age isn't an issue.

Are you going to book any swimming lessons? I am a fan of swimming lessons.

My DS is 5 soon and can't swim by himself. They don't tend to use armbands in lessons anymore. Have you tried a pool noodle Thing? They were a game changer for us and my DS will happily paddle around without support with one on (supervised obviously)

Neither of mine could swim unaided before the age of 6, and not for lack of trying. I wouldn't worry about it. I didn't worry as I couldn't swim unaided until I was nearly 9 so 6 was pretty good going as far as I was concerned.

Kids should be using arm bands to learn or as safety thing

For a bit of fun sure but they are not safe and not relevant as such I would not use a swim school that uses them

It depends where you live. In hot countries, where backyard pools and are common and there are many public pools loads of 4 year olds can swim, irrespective of class.

By swimming I don’t mean doing perfect butterfly, but jumping in deep water, being able to move underwater, make their way to the side easily.

My 4yo does swim lessons and they don't use armbands. It's a shallow pool and they use noodles or just stand up

Take the arm bands off, get a noodle and goggles and she will be splashing and jumping in in no time. We used armbands briefly when they were 18 months /
2 years ish but we had two small ones to watch at same time, ours definitely flourished in the water by not having armbands on and going in deeper water too as more freedom to actually move around and grasp what swimming is

As many have said., armbands are not commonly used in the UK any more - I think it’s been found that they make it harder to learn over all. A bit like stabilisers aren’t recommended for bikes any more. (Although my two did use stabilisers for a bit as they never got on with the balance bikes they were each given!)

However they seem to be more of a thing abroad. You see French children just popped in armbands and left to do their own thing, watched by parents from the side, whereas I think British parents will be in the water with their young children (and I’m the last person usually to say the British way is better for anything!)