to teach my child to swim?

[thebecster]

I'm certain that I'm not BU but....

DS has just turned 2, has been going to swimming lessons - the songs and splash around kind - since he was 6 months, and we take him swimming at least 3 times a week. He loves the water. I was at the pool with him & he was swimming lengths using a noodle, practising jumping in and pushing off from the side with my help. A few nice people came up & said how good DS is in the water. I noticed one old lady kept looking at us and assumed she was thinking the same thing. Until she got out of the pool, and on the steps she turned around and said 'He is far too young to be in the swimming pool. Some mothers are so irresponsible." and then stalked off to the changing room, while I was standing there with my mouth hanging open.

Then I was watching BBC Breakfast news earlier this week and they had a report on the national news about a 2.5 yo that can swim (doggy paddle). Bill & Sian introduced it as 'a look at a future champion'. Now I'm sorry Bill & Sian, but all four of my Aussie nieces & nephews could swim (proper freestyle) by 2.5, and they're not remotely sporty (although they do have a backyard pool, which always helps!). If it makes the national news when a British kid manages to achieve the average performance of an Australian kid, then no wonder they trounce us at every Olympics! Baaaah!

So c'mon then - AIBU to be irritated at this landlubber attitude? Especially when being able to swim is a potentially lifesaving skill?

Lol KC! I was told off for swimming breastroke too much under water (i.e. I wasn't coming up for breath every other stroke). I had lung capacity then.

Thanks Becster and Krang for your tips, I'm glad my instincts re the armbands were right. It's just that when seeing everyone else use them I began to wonder if I was in the wrong. I will try that ring-a-roses trick, she makes me do it endlessly on dry land so I shall get my own back in the water.

At babyswimming we put them up on the side of the pool (holding on of course) and then do Humpty Dumpty with them, bringing them into the water on "had a great fall" and either ducking them under or moving them forward on their tummies - maybe you could try that one as well?

silly old witch
shoulda dunked her and got her crow's nest of hair wet
just ignorant and outdated, so ignore her

Oh KC, that's hilarious! I really hope that by the time DS gets put in one of those swimming classes the standard of teaching is improved from our day...

It is definitely harder in this country - I know my Aussie nieces & nephews were swimming much better than my DS by his age and he's more naturally sporty than them, so I do make allowances for the fact that they were, like you, swimming every single day for hours on end. It's a long walk to our local swimming pool, and in the winter the wind really whistles down this long straight road we walk down to get there. But once we're there it's the perfect indoors rainy-day activity. Also it's quite cheap compared to indoor play centres.

Despite our crap climate though there's no excuse for the prevalence of armbands (like Brangelina says, the majority of kids in the pool have them), the low expectation level for achievement in swimming, and the general thought that swimming is an 'extra' rather than a lifesaver. Kids can drown in this country just as fast as an Australian kid can. Also we don't get a head start at the Olympics because it's a bit chilly in our country (I'm not expecting DS to compete at Olympics btw, I'm not that pushy!) But I get annoyed by British celebration of sporting mediocrity in general - commentator on TV has just said that if Andy Murray manages to equal Tim Henman's record he'll become even more popular. Tim Henman's achievements? You mean, if he doesn't actually win anything big, but earns millions in sponsorship??? I spose that is an achievement in itself. But it annoys me more about swimming because it's so important.

And it doesn't help that so many inexpensive council-run pools are being closed down and sold off to developers, or being deliberately run down so councils can demolish them, or turned into expensive gyms. Or replaced with fancy modern pools that close after the first three weeks because they are already falling apart, even though they cost £35million going into some corrupt bastard's pocket...

Token rant ends here.

That's funny, KC, I remember talking to one mum who took her kids to the swimming pool but was absolutely horrified at the thought of them putting their faces in the water. Decided to tell her that we put babies under the water from day one in our class. Cue horrified exclamations. Well, what the bloody hell is the point of teaching a child to swim if he/she has a panic attack the moment his/her head goes under the water? Sheesh.

And to confuse matters DS at 2.5 is a nervous swimmer (long story but in my defence the issue predates me) but is still very happy to have his head in the water/get splashed...

Do agree about celebrating mediocracy though.

I think any government who truly wants to encourage healthy lifestyle will mae all simming pools free to children or at least a token amount.

Totally agree! We are very lucky that our local pool is 'Kids for a Quid', and that it is good quality. It's a 45 minute walk away, but that's good exercise in itself . Can't believe that so many pools even here in London are being closed though, it's a national disgrace. Making sport more available & attractive to kids, especially something like swimming which can be non-competitive & social, could save the NHS millions in the long term.

Kew, the govt are going to make swimming free for everyone - I believe by 2012.

That's if the tories don't get in before that, of course

YANBU, if i could have taken dd swimming from babyhood i would have done. The earlier the better.
She has a genetic skin condition and couldn't go swimming regularly until beginning of this yr, she finds it really frustrating that littlies in her class are all further ahead than she is.
Sod the old woman, do as you please...

I heard about that free swimming plan...great in principle but no idea where they're going to swim as all the pools are closing down! If people have to travel miles to their nearest pools, they're simply not going to bother. It makes me so angry. Like being constantly told how obese our kids are and then they sell off the playing fields. Total and utter lack of joined-up thinking, or, as it used to be known, common sense.

We had a nice open air pool attached to a local (state) school; the pool and school gym used to be open to use by the public for a small and reasonable fee (£12pa plus £1.50 per session) until the council got ahold of the idea and updated the gym facilities and then decided to introduce a much higher annual membership fee (which was about £300 but I can't find it on their website ) - and they got rid of the bloody pool! .

We go babyswimming in a nice private estate hydrotherapy pool - no chlorine, lovely and warm, steps into it - fab! I want one...