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

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

Behaviour/development

Whats the youngest realistic age for a child to learn to swim?

55 replies

juicychops · 17/02/2007 10:24

my ds is 2.1 and he loves swimming. Once it gets a bit warmer im goint to start taking him regularly. I want him to learn to swim early but whats a realistic expectation?

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eidsvold · 19/02/2007 07:08

as soon as possible. Our dd1 started at 2 1/2 one on one swimming lessons and the focus has been safety and water confidence.

Dd2 was about 2 when we started mother and toddler classes again - water confidence.

Dd1 has always been a water baby and loved swimming, being in the bath, playing with water etc. No2 was quite hesitant.

As sue said - the norm for aussie kids is as soon as possible. No3 will probably start earlier than the other two - simply as I will not have other ones to worry about sitting on the sidelines.

I see the kids over the back who are younger than mine doing really well - but they have a pool and so are swimming more than my two are.

Bozza · 18/02/2007 21:03

snorkle I started a new thread because I felt I was hijacking this one too much. I originally just intended to give the pesemistic view. I would be very grateful if you would look at it.

frances5 · 18/02/2007 16:40

The float tube from the early learning centre is good. You can gradually reduce the amount of air in it and it gives a better arm position than armbands.

elc2.weboffer.com/

Our local swimming pool occassionally runs courses to train swimming teachers. The trainee swimming teacher have to give swimming lessons to proper children to prove that they can teach. The advantage for the children is that the swimming lessons are £1 for half an hour! There are also super swimming teachers to teach the trainee teachers and keep the children safe!

My son had an excellent experience on the first course he went on. He learnt to swim with armbands. The second time he went on the course it was a bit of a mixed experience as one of the the trainee teachers (who got told off for it) was sarastic to him.

The ASA have a list of swimming courses. If you want cheap swimming lessons it might be worth seeing if your kids can be taught by the trainee teachers on a course.

www.britishswimming.org/vsite/vcontent/page/custom/0,8510,5026-147898-165114-27773-104850-custom-item,00.html

shosha · 17/02/2007 22:49

Message withdrawn

shosha · 17/02/2007 22:48

Message withdrawn

Surfermum · 17/02/2007 22:34

I taught dd myself juicychops and she first swam without aids just after her 3rd birthday. I just concentrated on letting her have fun - lots of singing pop goes the weasle, ring-a-roses, and stuff like that and throwing/dunking her. Re-enacting scenes from Finding Nemo was a favourite and she learnt to dive by pretending to be Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

snorkle · 17/02/2007 22:20

Message withdrawn

Bozza · 17/02/2007 21:57

Hmm I think you might have given me some advice in the past. I looked into the intensive courses last summer but DS was too young. And I have a feeling I have booked our summer holiday for the week when they run. I really think this will be the way to go with DS.

snorkle · 17/02/2007 21:45

Message withdrawn

Bozza · 17/02/2007 21:36

snorkle are you a swimming teacher?

suedonim · 17/02/2007 15:52

I was amazed at Australian children who are like little fish, from about 18mths! I guess when you have the weather and lifestyle....

Wheelybug · 17/02/2007 15:44

A boy in my dd's swimming class can swim and has been able to since about 2 (he is now about 2.4). He goes underwater and can swim about 5 metres. Its quite incredible to see !

ManchesterMum · 17/02/2007 15:19

I could swim widths unaided at three and am a bit ashamed to only just be seeking out lessons for dd who's 4&1/2.

LucyJu · 17/02/2007 15:15

Dd1 could do a 5m doggy paddle shortly after her third birthday, and could swim further than that underwater. We used to attract a bit of an audience in the pool on holiday .

Having said that, she started swimming lessons at 10 weeks with a baby swimming class. Others following the same program could swim even earlier than her. But looking back...we were paying around £10 per half hour swimming lesson - for a 10 week old baby! Is there a prize for the most foolish way to waste money with reference to a newborn?

CAMy · 17/02/2007 14:21

Having a swimming pool helps

However, having said that dd takes after me in that she is in the school swim squad which does lots of proper training and I was a competition swimmer (living in Singapore helped a lot with that!)

Being tall also gives you a natural advantage.

FluffyMummy123 · 17/02/2007 13:33

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jhyesmum · 17/02/2007 13:32

My DS started with doggy paddle. But we soon progressed to front crawl and back stroke. Breast Stroke has been more of a challenge for him. He looks like a yo-yo! It's quite amusing! Might try butterfly soon! (joking!)

Blandmum · 17/02/2007 13:30

I think the 25 M thing having to be a recognised stroke is standard. ds (6) has just got his 200M.

I love the fact that they are both so confident in the water. Took them to the pool this morning. They both swam while dh and I had 5 minutes in the Jaccusi, before joining them in the pool. I don't think that I learned to swim until I was about 10

fennel · 17/02/2007 13:30

Bozza, my dds are like your ds.

dd1 spent several years in the same swimming class, she was perfectly happy, loved her teacher. But all the other children progressed up through 2 or 3 classes while she stayed there. dd2 is similar. They've since had classes in different pools, and with different teachers. They enjoy it, but still overall I think we've wasted our time and effort on the swimming front. dd1, nearly 7, can now swim and dd2, 5.5, sort of almost can when she puts her mind to it. Not much payback for all the shivering in cold changing rooms and sitting in toddler pools I've put up with over the years.

snorkle · 17/02/2007 13:20

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hunkermunker · 17/02/2007 13:20

LOL GDG! I actually don't mind getting my face wet, and if I wear noseclips (oh, the shame!) I can swim underwater, but if I don't, I will drown.

roisin · 17/02/2007 13:16

DS2 could float and doggy paddle 10 m before he was 4. But ds1 didn't take his feet off the bottom until he was 6.5! They both went regularly swimming and lessons from tiny.

But ds2 is now nearly 8, and at that age ds1 had better stroke technique, and had swum greater distances! Despite his late 'start'.

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snorkle · 17/02/2007 13:04

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pointydog · 17/02/2007 13:03

mine learned proper strokes at the same time - crawl first.

Gobbledigook · 17/02/2007 13:01

Mine did doggy paddle - ds1 did his 50m doggy paddle. Since January he's had 1:1 lessons and his breastroke adn crawl are coming on now - he's 5.11. Ds2 also has 1:1 and despite not having the distance ability he is learning teh strokes at the same time.

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