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?

The swim lessons the 4-5 year olds do here are a mix of being in a pool that they can just about touch the bottom of and some of the lesson in the big pool that is 1.8 metres deep with just a small kick board float - it seems to work

They probably have a pool at home

Most schools do swimming classes. The school I'm at shocked the swim teachers and me as 80% of our class couldn't swim. It was the biggest group they had ever had for non swimmers. Age 8/9.

All my friends/family children have made swimming a priority.

I had my children abroad in a hot country, the oldest could swim by 4 the youngest couldn’t due to covid and the community pools were shut. I would often put arm bands on my older child who could swim if I was in the pool on my own with two kids as it was easier for me to manage. Kids can drown in a split second, so own my own I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Our kids could all swim like fish by age four, thanks to the late great George Absolom, who ran and taught a parent and toddler (age 2+) swimming class at the local pool. The smaller the child the faster they learnt to swim. A few years later when they were in primary school, he taught them lifesaving .

I live overseas and 4 year olds are in the sea bodyboarding and surfing with their parents. It was a real shock to us too - especially due to no swimming in covid - but my DCs now getting there with their swimming. If you live by the sea it will become a priority - but v different to U.K.!

I live by the sea in Cornwall and could swim by the age of 3. My Mum, who was a very strong swimmer, would put me over her shoulders, swim out a hundred yards or so (which tells you how old I am), tip me off and guide me back. Give them a noodle, get in there with them and they'll soon get the hang of it.

Noooo we didn't use armbands and took the kids regularly (no lessons) there was a point where they just 'got it' despite lots of teaching and that wasn't until about 6 years of age. Both kids were way beyond their peers when they did school lessons in y5/6 too with no official lessons

Don't worry about it, DD is 4 now and can start lessons. You're never too old. My mum started lessons at 73!

My DCs are teenagers now but we didn't start swimming lessons until they were 4 or 5. They then joined the local pool lesson programmes and moved up gradually over time, but both were swimming like fishes by about age 8.

I suppose the earlier the better - but I wouldn't worry about not having started it until now.

How shallow was it?

I never used armbands on my daughter and she was an excellent swimmer for her age by the time she was four (she still is). When she was a baby her Dad and I used to literalIy throw her about and to each other in the pool, she loved it. Book your daughter some swimming lessons. I think it should be compulsory for schools to provide swimming lessons, it is an essential lifeskill

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

Same. I was taught to swim in the mid 1960s. We used floats.

Youngest dd was born and brought up til age 4 in Europe, she has swam since age 2 albeit underwater for first year or so. Very common to let go but be very near them from what I saw at the pools.

We are in Australia and I think even here a four year old with a floatie vest thing wouldn’t be completely unusual. My kids were swimming unassisted by three but my nephew is over four and still has a floatie despite having a pool in his backyard! His older sister was swimming by three but he’s a very cautious type of kid.

Oh no- it’s funny how these things just creep up on us. I prioritised swimming with mine and took my 6yr old last night, haven’t seen him for a few weeks and wow! He is better than me (not hard) , the just turned 4 ur old is just about doing a few strokes unsupported but mostly uses the woggle or fin in his class.
BUT can either of them use a pedal bike…. No! They just run around on balance bikes screaming at us if we try.I’ve given up again.
it can be so easy to compare but I’m sure you are doing a great job but that parent guilt is a right killer.

By ‘swim properly’ do you just mean not wearing armbands? My kids have both had swimming lessons since they were a few weeks old and my 3 year old can swim about a breadth unaided but I wouldn’t call it ‘swimming properly’ to the point I would move away from her even for a second and I can’t imagine I would when she’s 4 either. So I don’t think there’s loads of difference between a 4 year old next to their mum who’s wearing armbands and one who isn’t. Absolutely nothing to feel bad about. You’d need to hold her (or have her hold the side) to some extent in a deep pool and in a shallow pool you can’t even take your eyes off them for a second because if they fall over a small child can’t right themselves.

We live abroad and have a swimming pool so our eldest daughter could swim at 3 with no jacket or arm bands. Both my girls have had swimming lessons from 6 weeks (with a gap because of Covid). If we were in England maybe she would g need to be swimming by now, but I think the sooner the better.

Book swimming lessons now. X

My DC has never worn armbands, they’re definitely less popular now I think. When they couldn’t swim at all we’d use a pool noodle or support them in the water.

DS (now 9) has never used arm bands. He's had lessons since 6 weeks (mainly for water safety and confidence). It really worries me seeing young children in the pool with arm bands/inflatables on as if they fall in a pond/river etc they won't have a clue how to survive. At least in a pool with parents and lifeguards they are supervised and can be taught to swim properly and learn to star-float if they get into trouble.

My two started swimming lessons together at 4 and 6, only half hour a week. Covid delayed. It's been 4 months and the 6 year old is doing great, can swim 5 metres, is fine under water and has already moved up a level. The 4 year old is coming along more slowly, still using a noodle. Neither have ever used arm bands.
They start swimming lessons at school in year 4 so I'd like them to both be confident swimmers by then as most of their friends do lessons. I never had lessons, am awful at swimming and always had a deep dread of swimming at school.

I think it’s a bit of a cultural thing. I grew up abroad, somewhere with a lot of water and most kids learn to swim at 3/4 there. I was late at the age of 6 however in the U.K. and other places I’ve lived 4 would be young to be swimming independently.

Neither of my DCs used armbands when learning to swim. DH is Australian and a big swimmer, he doesn’t believe armbands are helpful or necessary. In swimming class they use noodles or back floats.

Try and take her to the pool yourself once a week and if you can get a woggle use that instead of bands. Let her build up her confidence of being able to swim about / float and she will just naturally get the hang of it and learn to move, jump in, get a wet face etc, then you can invest in swimming lessons to teach her the correct strokes.