Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

What age can a child realistically learn to swim without arm bands?

58 replies

FrannyandZooey · 17/07/2006 11:56

Ds loves the water and is very confident with his arm bands on. However it costs a fortune to go swimming here (over £8 on a weekend when his dad can take him - I hate swimming pools and am crap so it needs to be then).

I think if it was the right moment for him to learn to swim by himself, we would feel the expense of taking him once a week or so over the summer would be justified. He's 3.3. Is there any point trying to teach him now or is it too soon?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

charliecat · 17/07/2006 11:58

He could go to lessons although not sure how much cheaper that would be. Theres 3 year olds swimming in dd2s class, shes 5 and sinks like a brick though
If you have generous grandparents you might want to suggest them paying instead of pocket money/treats!

Xena · 17/07/2006 12:01

If they were learning at 2 they might be able to swim by 3.5 DD1 could swim at that age and so could over half of her swimming class. lessons will cost over £4 ago.

Original poster

FrannyandZooey · 17/07/2006 12:02

I think all the lessons are in the week so dp could not take him. I absolutely refuse to take him any more, I loathed it. Also think dp has done a sterling job of helping him really enjoy himself in the water and be very confident and happy there. Whereas I saw children crying and being told off for being scared to jump in at lessons when I used to take ds.

We would happily fork out for him to go once a week if we thought at the end of the summer he would be able to swim. He is doing fab at potty training so we thought we could use the nappy money for swimming instead

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 17/07/2006 12:02

Both DSs swam 5m at 3 so it's entirely possible.

Original poster

FrannyandZooey · 17/07/2006 12:03

Were they very sporty generally Soup, or just average?

OP posts:

lima · 17/07/2006 12:06

IMHO it depends on the child

ds1 had the armbands off by his 3rd lesson - he was 4.5.

ds2 is almost 5 and is still wearing armbands after a term of lessons

both have been to the pool regularly since they were small babies (dh is a keen swimmer)

tortoiseshell · 17/07/2006 12:14

Definitely depends on child. Ds1 (age 5) is having lessons, but can't swim at all without some sort of flotation thing. Dd (age nearly 3) is fairly close to swimming without anything, without lessons. Just the way they are really!

CattyB · 17/07/2006 12:14

Isn't the cost of swimming mad. Here they charge extra in the summer although under16's get in free from 11am - however as you can only take 2 under 8's in per adult I have to book creche (which runs 10-11:30) for my little one and pay for us all so a trip costs more than £10. Good to see our councils encouraging healthy active lifestyles
On when the best time is its hard to say. Depends how confident he is with his arm bands off. Every one of them is different. I have 3 DS the eldest was always super confident - took him to swimming lessons but he still didn't like getting out of his depth until just before he was 4. DS 2 wasn't nearly as confident but was swimming without his armbands at 4.3. Just had the older two (now 6 and 4.6) in a fast track swimming lessons course where they swam with an instructor every morning for a week - it really brought them on although they are already great swimmers. My youngest is just 1 haven't used armbands for him at all yet and might try to get away without them and just teach him to swim straight off. Maybe lessons would be cheaper than you taking him esp if you don't enjoy it?

QueenEagle · 17/07/2006 12:19

As I work in our local leisure centre, my whole family get in free, so lucklily for us cost is not an issue!

I remember ds1 was almost able to swim by the time we went on holiday one year. As we spent so much time in the hotel pool, by the end of the week he was able to take his armbands off and swim a width by himslef - I thiunk he was just over 3 and a half.

I think these intensive courses during the holidays are well worth it and more likely to produce the result uyou want.

stoppinattwo · 17/07/2006 12:40

DS swum a length yesterday for the first time without armbands and above water for the whole way

Am so proud, he is 7 and has been shit scared of water since forever

Clary · 17/07/2006 12:44

DD was 4 and a little bit (it was last summer).
DS1 was older I am sure.
Ds2 is very confident but even he needs armbands (he's the same age as yr ds franny).
I still think it's well worth taking him. Why is it so expensive anyway? For 1 3yo and me I would be payign about £2.50.

Surfermum · 17/07/2006 13:17

I asked my Dad, who is a swimming teacher, the same question the other week. According him it's as soon as they learn that if they relax they will float. I've managed to get dd (3.2) to float without armbands, but as soon as she tries to move she sinks like a brick!

I've never bothered with swimming lessons as they weren't doing anything I couldn't do with her myself. In fact, dd gets to do more with me as we can stay in as long as we like and she has 1:1 attention. Would your dh go in the water with him instead of putting him in for lessons?

snorkle · 17/07/2006 20:44

Message withdrawn

mousiemousie · 17/07/2006 20:48

I have seen 3 year olds swim front crawl woth proper breathing so it is certainly possible!

SoupDragon · 17/07/2006 20:51

Just average I would say F&Z. but we'd gone through the whole baby swimming thing.

Apparently until they are about 2, they lack the strength and coordination to kick, paddle, lift their head above water and breathe. From around that age though, it's entirely possible for them to learn to swim. IMO it's more important for them to be happy in the water and have fun in it and that's why I took DSs (and now DD) to the baby lessons. Learning to swim was, IMO, a bonus.

Original poster

FrannyandZooey · 17/07/2006 20:52

Ok, will leave the attempt to teach intensively for now, and just take him once every month or so. He does love it, but it is so pricey.

I don't know how it is so unbelievably expensive. I think it's because dp takes him in the sprauncey fun sort of pool with the flumes and toys and all that, and it is more expensive at weekends. I think there's a toddler session in the week for about a fiver, but I would rather slit my wrists, frankly. Plus there is a plain old teaching pool which is quite cheap (well, about £5 for them both), but I think ds would be fed up if we tried to fob him off with that after the excitement of the rapids and the jacuzzis and all that.

Thanks all for your advice and experiece.

OP posts:

poisson · 17/07/2006 20:52

get privte lessons franny
i am not botherign with group ones now
bloody waste of money

Original poster

FrannyandZooey · 17/07/2006 20:55

We were not really that fussed about him having lessons, we felt ds could more or less teach himself with dp's help. I don't see why not.

It's not urgent that he learns to swim IMO, just thought it would be a nice project for the two of them this summer, if the time was right. From these posts it sounds like he would be better off waiting until a bit older to be surer of success.

OP posts:

Gobbledigook · 17/07/2006 20:56

Mine started lessons at just turned 3. I can't remember when ds1 came out of armbands but he'd done his 25m by the time he was 4.

Ds2 has been swimming since he was 3.2. He is 3.8 now and he swims a few metres at the end of every lesson without armbands.

kid · 17/07/2006 21:19

Neither of mine can swim, DD is 7.5 and DS is 4.3
DD can swim with arm bands on so thought she could take the arm bands off and she would still be able to swim. Unfortunately, she sank like a brick!

I am intending on sending them both for swimming lessons once we come back from holiday in a few weeks time. Hopefully they will build up some confidence while away as I am sure we will be in the water most days, fingers crossed they will anyway!

fistfullofnappies · 17/07/2006 21:45

I couldnt swim til I was 9. dd is 9 and cant really swim.

jenkel · 17/07/2006 21:55

Can recommend private lessons, actually my dd goes with a friend, so one instructor and 2 kids and they are both doing really well and as there is 2 of them they have a ball at the same time, £7.00 each for the lesson, also as we have both have younger children it works really well as we get to have the younger children in the pool too.

SoupDragon · 17/07/2006 21:59

Switch him from arm bands to one of those jackets. It'll allow him to get the proper arm movements.

Surfermum · 17/07/2006 22:16

Yes, I'd second that. DD has a belt with floats on it and it's fab. It holds her in a much better position than armbands.

moondog · 17/07/2006 22:20

Yes SD.
Dd was swimming confidently at the age of 3 with one of those jackets (minus floats which I removed gradually)
They can move better than they can with Floaties too.

I never bothered with lessons.How tedious to stare at them through glass surrounded by snaggle of mums??
By the time you've gone to all the effort to get them there,why not just get in with 'em??

I have been frolicking in the surf with my brood today.It was brilliant.

Flip

1 2 3