How do toddlers learn to swim?

[cangaroo]

My LO is 22 months. Have been taking him swimming regularly, although not to lessons. He enjoys the water and will paddle and kick if his weight is supported. I was wondering how you get to the next stage of him being able to swim independently? What age can they do this? Should I get him armbands or is it better to for him to learn without? And is it worth booking in swimming lessons for him, or is it possible to teach him myself? Sorry for the all the questions, but am a bit puzzled by it all!

Just my tuppence:
Mine couldn't swim independently until about age 5 yo.
I don't see harm in armbands, but I think float suits are better (suits that keep them afloat & still let their arms move naturally).
I think with most toddlers the most you can hope for is good water confidence, some can tread water well briefly for up to 30 seconds by 2-2.5yo. The more you take them the sooner they'll swim well as a rule.
I found swim lessons for under about 5yo a waste of money, but I never tried one of these specialist programmes that claim they can teach babies to swim.

we used arm bands and then one of the foam noodles. Both dd and ds started proper lessons around the age of 4. DD is in the advanced swimming group at age 8 and ds can do about 7/8 metres unaided at age 5.

22 months is a bit young for swimming independently. There is a book you could get, called something like 'teach your child to swim', if you want an idea of the stages you could go through (usborne I think, but pm me if you can't see it on amazon and I'll dig it out). Lots of practice, eg blowing bubbles, can actually be done in the bath.

Armbands (or alternative floatation) is a personal choice, depends on what you and your dc prefer in the water. I think it makes it more fun for them, and easier for me, but that's just me. Dd2s swimming has got markedly better since I got her armbands that actually support her weight, rather than are too small for her.

Dd1 is doing quite well now at 4, but still with armbands. Dd2 at 2.5 is just getting the hang of kicking (when she fancies it, rather than being cruised along by me!) and a couple of feet on her own, no more.

Swimming lessons are great though, so long as you just treat them as a way to have fun and don't expect any miracle results!

Forgot to say, dd1 only started her lessons at age 4, and, after a term of going, there isn't really much difference between her and other kids who have been doing lessons longer. So they definitely aren't necessary early on, just fun.

My eldest started at 3 months and my youngest will have his first class this Sunday at 5 months. My eldest is now 2 and a half and can back float unaided. We have never used armbands. To be honest the classes aren't really for the children but really for the parents to make them confident about pushing children under water and holding them while they kick.

In my experience a pool based holiday where DCs spend hours in the water is where the first few metres of unaided swimming happen. I have seen this happen with several children who had had swimming lessons but were not yet swimming unaided.

I realise that this is not a serious option for many, but I honestly have seen Children come on leaps and bounds in terms of confidence and unaided swimming on holiday.

DD1 started lessons at aged 3 while we lived in Cyprus. We swam almost every day during the summer and she is now at 8 a very strong swimmer.

DS despite living his toddler years in Cyprus around the pool and on the beach hated water until he was about 4. He now has lessons and can swim unaided (he is 6) but is not a particularly strong swimmer yet, he is quite slight for his age so he doesn't really have the strength yet I suppose.

DD2 on the other hand is very different. She is 2 and decided she could swim on our holiday to Australia this Christmas. We think we left her armbands in a hotel in Sydney, but the time we had travelled to Melbourne she could swim unaided. She jumps in the deep end and can swim over to the steps to climb out and do it again and again and again.

When we got back we spoke to DS's swim teacher for advice on what to do with her now and he decided to let her join his youngest class so on a Saturday morning she goes along to her swimming lessons with a group of 4 year olds! She loves it!

So I guess what I'm saying is that they are all different.

shortcutplease - that's exactly what a colleague said to me last week (after returning from a 3 week hol in south Africa where they were in the water 3-4 times a day ). On a less exotic note, our pool runs intensive school holiday sessions, where they go every day, which would be at least a cheaper alternative!

My dc are 4 and 7 and started learning at the same time last term. They go to lessons with the local swimming club so the ratio is 1 teacher to 2 or 3 children. Within one term they have gone from not being able to swim at all to swimming lengths with floats, swimming about 4 metres unaided and most importantly my dd who was terrified of the water will now jump in and go under water. Definitely worth paying that little bit more than the council lessons. Doubt they physically could have swum at 22 months but one of the most important things is getting them used to the water and going under. Once they are confident and about 4 years old they should be able to swim :)

I'm wondering about this at the moment. My daughter is just turning 3 and I'm thinking about lessons at the local pool. She is outgoing and they look fun but I don't want to waste money. However we will probably only go at most once a month otherwise as I also have a new baby so need my husband around to go as a family!

Both DD's have swimming lessons. The don't use armbands at all as they are thought to restrict natural movements.
DD1 is 3 and can swim 5metres unaided. DD2 is 19 mths. She paddles and kicks her way along supported and has amazing water confidence, happily jumping in and doing small underwater swims. She's very good at turning and holding onto the side for safety etc and and can monkey along the side to the steps.
Both girls have had swimming lessons since babies and both adore the water.
Lessons have cost us a small fortune but the water confidence is worth every penny.

We are off on holiday in June where we will be spending alot of time in the pool, so it will be interesting to see if any extra progress is made in that time.

There's a very good Australian website with short videos & lesson plans about teaching your child to swim. Cant remember the name but im sure a google will set you on the right path. But really, before 3yrs all you can do is teach water confidence

Well my kids are both very cautious in water, DS more so than DD, although DS has improved a bit recently (they are 5 and 3) so we haven't done swimming lessons yet. I did read however that the average age that children learn to swim is 5 and a half, and that didn't alter whether they started lessons at 3 or 5. Clearly like all things some learn quicker than others but it was interesting that 5 and a half (which is quite late compared with a lot starting swimming lessons) was the average, made me feel not so bad that mine haven't done any yet!!!

Both mine had lessons from tiny and were swimming independently at 3yrs. Before that they swam aided, then unaided under water, and then with a noodle. Lots of jumping in helped with confidence and then gradually they just started to swim. Both learnt to swim in deep water so it was a case of sink or swim! As soon as they could crawl they were both able to launch themselves off the side at the right moment of humpty dumpty, go right under water and then come up giggling.