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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Baby swimming

43 replies

willow3006 · 20/05/2012 19:48

Just wanted advice. I'd like to get my 6 month old twins used to the water and get them swimming eventually. I looked at baby swimming lessons but they are so expensive and for 2 we couldn't really afford it.

Do you think babies need swimming lessons or do you think it is ok for me to just take them swimming myself to get them used to the water?

I see that the pools for the baby swimming lessons are about 33 degrees - I presume my local swimming pool won't be heated to this level - are there pools that we could just go to without having lessons that are this heated?

Opinions please!

Willow x

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Sirzy · 20/05/2012 19:49

At this age its about getting them confident in the water rather than anything else so I would just take them yourself.

queenofthepirates · 20/05/2012 19:53

Ooh yes, the sooner the better! I took my DD aged 4 weeks swimming (splashing) and gradually she learned to love it. It took a while but now she's a natural. We didn't do classes, friends who did said it was nice but not worth the money in their opinions. Good for meeting other mums though.

PandaNot · 20/05/2012 19:54

I would just take them myself which is what I did with my two. You'll only be able to take one at a time though.

Health clubs and hotel pools tend to be heated more than council pools I've found. Could you get a day pass for one, every now and then?

queenofthepirates · 20/05/2012 19:55

Oh and don't worry too much about the water temperature, all that splashing gets them warm. After about 15 minutes they want out anyway!

nextphase · 20/05/2012 20:02

You'll need 2 adults to take both babies into the water safely, I personally don't think you'll be able to do it on your own. I still won't do our just turned 3 and 1 year olds on my own.

If your local pool has 2 pools, often the toddler pool is slightly warmer. Just keep it short to start with - 15-20 mins is fine.

Morph2 · 20/05/2012 20:08

i took my DS from 8 weeks, just on my own not to lessons. he's two now and is very confident, the lessons at the pool we go to start age 3 so i'm going to take him then, as at that age i think he will be old enough to follow instrucitons and learn how to properly swim. Before 3 i thinks its just water confidence that matters.

When he was very small he had a suit of wet suit (body suit) that you could open out flat and that wrap round him and do up with velcro, i got it from mothercare. Some of the other babies in the pool that just had on a swimming costume or trunks used to cry as i think it was too cold for them

Molehillmountain · 20/05/2012 21:32

The things baby swimming classes did for me were to teach me to do lots of little songs like grand old duke of York, to pjay a game called bananas where you sit them on the side of the pool, say fruit names and when you say bananas, put them in the water. Oh and to move them through the water in the direction they'd go on their back or front respectively. Does that make sense? My first dd stopped liking swimming lessons and so we stopped and just did fun sessions. If you like structure and the push to get there at the same time each week then great. When dd was little I found that halfway through the block of lessons her pattern of sleeping or eating would change and shed be either tired or hungry at lesson time, or when changing. Dh takes my older two now, and he's taught dd (6) to swim and ds (3) is very confident with arm bands. Swimming teachers are great, but you don't need one to get your children water confident and starting to swim.

Original poster

willow3006 · 21/05/2012 07:46

Thanks for the advice guys. My husband and I are just going to take them on our own at weekends and see how we go!

Willow x

OP posts:

Octaviapink · 21/05/2012 07:57

There's no evidence that swimming lessons early on/ getting them used to the water have any effect on their water safety sense later on - in fact the reverse. Babies and toddlers who are confident around water are more likely to get themselves into difficulties because they think water is an easy, fun thing to be around that they can handle rather than a potential hazard. They don't learn to swim properly until they're much older anyway, so by all means take them for a splash around but view it purely as fun rather than something they'll benefit from in terms of their swimming ability.

cory · 21/05/2012 08:26

otoh Octavia, it can be very difficult to teach swimming to an older child who is frightened of water, so the confidence that enables them to be taught can actually make them safer in the long run

as for babies and toddlers getting themselves into difficulties- surely you don't leave anything to the judgment of the baby or toddler to the extent of taking your eyes off them anywhere near water?

your argument seems to be a bit like 'don't take toddlers in a car because they will only be safe around roads if they are frightened of them'

no, they won't, they will be safe around roads because they are supervised at all times

whitelillies · 21/05/2012 09:00

I take my ds 5 and dd 3 swimming regularly - have done so since they were about 1, but on and off and really only more regularly since they were 2 and 4. I dont think you need to be going to a pool with under 1 s - it s nice if you re looking for something to do (an outing) yes but you could just fill the bath quite deep and get in with one of them and have a lovely relaxed play session with them in the comfort and heat) of your own home! practice splashing, supported standing, walking and cruising, sit to stand etc - just egt some nice bath toys, bubbles and a non slip mat.
Water is fabulous for them for balance and gross motor skills though so if you re up for the hassle and the shivering babies then by all means head to the pool,. I dont think I d stress myself too much about it though.
One of the pools near us has a large baby pool with the 'mushrooms' waterfalls etc - just deep enough for toddlers to waddle in - they love it !
since dd is 2 though I ve been working at stuff that gets her water confident - and breathing under water diving to touch the bottom of the pool etc (this is under the advice of a pal of mine who is a swim coach and works at the pool - ds does lessons while dd and i do out swim time - it s worked really well she s now kicking across the pool (about 15 meters) I m pretty amazed! keep meaning to see if i can get one of those teach your child to swim books! .

not sure any of that is helpful really!

Good luck and enjoy!

trixymalixy · 21/05/2012 09:03

Your council will probably run really cheap baby swimming classes, but tbh all they really do is splash around and sing some songs which you could easily do yourselves.

Babies can get really cold in the water so it might be an idea to buy baby wetsuits, you can get them quite cheaply off eBay.

heliumballoon · 21/05/2012 09:15

This Usborne book is quite good on teaching babies and children to swim. Personally I never bothered with lessons for tinies. Who needs to pay £8 (£16 in your case!) to be shown how to swoosh a baby in the water or jump them off the side? Just go along and enjoy yourselves.
The water temp thing can be a bit of a hang-up. I find the temp of my local pool varies widely probably should be consistent but there you go. It matters more to keep sessions short if you feel they are getting shivery or tired, in the early days sometimes we only managed 10 mins or so actually in the pool.

WhippingGirl · 21/05/2012 09:20

I took Dd from 14 months to water babies. She was swimming independently from about 2. It was money well spent but the thing that made the most difference was taking her in between the lessons as often as possible.
You news a baby wetsuit for a normal pool or they will be blue after 10 minutes. I buy mine from a surf shop who do a but back scheme when they outgrow them but I would think there are hundreds on eBay. We use one that is elbow and knee length and dd will stay in for 2 hours! That's your best bet if you can't afford lessons (v dear I know)

gamerwidow · 21/05/2012 09:37

I did one term of baby swimming lessons when DD was 6 mo but to be honest it was a waste of money and I didn't go back when the term had finished.
Like others have said at that age it is just about water confidence and they won't learn to swim until they can follow understand and follow instructions when they are older.

We just go by ourselves to the local swimming pool on their toddler drop-in sessions. The pool isn't warm but if you only stay in for 30mins or so it doesn't matter. When DD first started it was a struggle to keep her in the water for 30 mins now at 2 she never wants to get out even after an hour plus :)

LuvileeJubilee · 21/05/2012 09:44

Our local pool has a teaching pool which I take 5mo DS to, I've been taking him since 8 weeks and he loves it. There is very little actual swimming involved - think of it as a cuddle in the water, and allow them to explore and experiment. No rush or pressure.

The teaching pool is heated to 31, the main pool is 29. DS still goes a bit blue after about 15 mins though so I wish they'd make it warmer.

Octavia you are talking rubbish - do you have any links to back up your nonsensical claim that it is more dangerous for babies to be water confident?!

BikeRunSki · 21/05/2012 09:47

My local pool does "drop in" baby swim classes. You don't have to pay in advance and they are £5 a class. As far as I can see, we do the same kind of stuff as friends who pay £100+ a term in private pools. DS started going at 7 weeks and now has proper lessons now he is three. I have always taken him fun swimming too. I take DD (7 months) occasionally too, and fun swimming too when I can. A lotbmore logistically different because of needingvan adult per child, and fitting in around DS's busy diary!

WhippingGirl · 21/05/2012 10:01

Octavia. Dd can swim, independently at 2.5 (now) are you saying I'm lying. Her little friend and most of the kids in our last water babies classes can also. The eldest are 3.

Wrt to water safety. I wouldn't leave a kid unsupervised in the water maybe for another 10 years so what are you suggesting re water safety?

Octaviapink · 21/05/2012 10:19

I'm certainly not saying anyone's lying! I don't quite know what you extracted that from, Whip. I'm passing on what I've been told by swimming coaches and what I was told by a paramedic on my paediatric first aid course. There is no such thing as 100% supervision and the paramedic's advice was that babies and toddlers that think they can handle the water are more of a danger to themselves than if they couldn't swim at all. Which seems like common sense, to be honest. It's not a case of whether they are left unsupervised in a pool - it's situations where you might not know there's even a risk. You go to someone's house and you don't realise your toddler can open the gate to their pool. You're in the garden and your 3yo is inside the house and you don't know that she's climbed in the bath and run some water and is practising holding her breath with her face in the water. Accidents happen :shrug: and on the advice of someone who's had to pull drowned toddlers out of puddles I won't be sending my DCs to swimming lessons until they're six or so and have some stamina.

WhippingGirl · 21/05/2012 17:05

The lady who runs our water babies franchise is an A&E doc. I've been on her 1st aid courses. This water confidence business is news to me.

LuvileeJubilee · 21/05/2012 20:28

Octavia I really think you've been badly advised.

All the situations you mention are down to one thing: inadequate supervision. If a parent thinks it is appropriate to leave a very young child unsupervised, that is the problem. I can't believe the paramedic said that.

Original poster

willow3006 · 22/05/2012 07:50

I have a new question! We bought them wetsuits but I'm confused about what to wear underneath. I know they need to wear a disposable swim nappy but someone told me they should wear a happy nappy too? So they'd have those two layers and then the wetsuit? Is that right?

OP posts:

BikeRunSki · 22/05/2012 07:52

I have only ever used a disposable swim nappy or a reusable swim nappy under a wetsuit, but your pool may have it's own rules.

trixymalixy · 22/05/2012 07:54

Waterbabies insist on a double layer of a disposable under a happy nappy, but done pools are happy with just a disposable.

Octaviapink · 22/05/2012 07:55

Luvilee I think if you think you can supervise a 3-4 year old all the time then you've been badly advised. Apart from anything else it's bad for them.

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