18mo swimming for first time - good idea or not?

[abidabidoo]

I've just booked a few lessons with some friends, but the babies I know have been swimming before at least a few times. I haven't taken dd yet - is it a bad idea to take her for the first time at 18mo. Should I wait until 3 or something now?

Oh god no, take her! She'll probably love it.

I think the sooner the better.

no she'll love it but i would get her used to the water before doing proper lessons.

witchandchips - love the name!

Thanks for reassurance. Don't feel so nervous now. I just find the whole 'going swimming' palaver (spelling?) such hard work just for me! So I've procrastinated hugely. Must check if cozzie fits (prob not, still bf, oh well!).

It is a palava but you find a routine. I took mine from 4 months and then took a 2 year old and a baby which could be stressful but one 18 month old should be pretty simple once you get it sussed and she'll love it!

abidaboo definately don't wait. The sooner the better. I cm 3 toddlers and take them all swimming once per week. Some children naturally love water, others hate it. The one of mine that hated it has taken since may until now to be able to be thrown back into water and just wear arm bands. The other two are able to swim with arm bands and jump/ step! into the pool.
Top tip is DO NOT REMOVE from the water whilst screaming/crying. This gives them 2 messages

1. There is something to fear.
2. If I don't want to do it and scream I get taken out. Believe me it will pass and gradually gets better. The LO who hated water screamed on and off for 45 mins the first time, but once she realised she didn't get removed she stopped doing it. Don't forget that learning to swim can be a matter of life or death and it is very necessary to learn ASAP. On the routine front, many pools have play pens, some allow the buggy into changing area. Its best to get either a toweling dressing gown or a towel poncho, put lo in that to dry while you get yourself sorted. A snack help to keep them focused and distracted and drink. By the time you are dried and dressed lo is nearly dry, so you just need to dress her.

I started mine recently at 20 months - he only manages 15 mins before he gets a bit scared but is getting better all teh time. No reason I can think of to wait.

I am taking him for a few weeks in advance of swimming lessons starting. Yes it is a bit of a pallaver but worth it.

yes towelling dressing gown is great and a good idea for the first couple of times is to sit on the sides and watch the other children having fun after your session.
other suggestion is not to carry child into the water but let them walk in and splash around in the very shallows.
then get them to be a crocodile (lying down in the shallows and putting yourself along)

I would give her a few goes before expecting her to just get in for lessons.
I took my ds's from 6 weeks each, then they closed our leisure centre. It was 6 months before I got off my backside and went to another pool, to a mum and toddler session. In that 6 months they had forgotten all about swimming, neither of my previously very water confident children (at the time 14m and 2.5yo) would let go of me. Spent the whole time sitting on the steps with both of them screaming! It took about 3 goes before they were ok and now are fine splashing about without holding on to me.
At our municipal, and the local private lessons place, they dont' take kiddies for lessons till 3 anyway but advise you to take them for informal play sessions to get them used to the water.

Yes I second not carrying them in. Walking in is much better as they realise they can stand up fine. I always use armbands and ring for the first few times and then just armbands once they are confident. Ialso practice ducking them gently once they are confident, using 1,2,3 duck so they know when to expect to go under and hold their breath.

Lots of useful advice - thanks! Hmmmm - it's a school pool, so I don't think they will have a toddler style shallow end to walk into. Maybe just watch the first session! Trouble is our local swimming pool which has a toddler pool etc has it's warmed up sessions on an afternoon, perfectly timed to hit dd's nap.

I will try and take advice about not removing if crying, trouble is if she plays up around my friends I just feel so mortified and want to stop her crying. Normally she's a lovely thing so I kind of panic if she plays up.

the best thing you can do for a child with regards to swimming is when you bath them pour water over their heads as a matter of course ... you can start with a few drops if they're nervous .. you can pop them in the shower .. in the main it is the feeling of water on the face that is important

also .. when you take her let her just have fun .. its not about teaching them .. if you want you could get one of those life-vest style flotation jackets that you can take floats out as they start to do more to keep themselves afloat

enjoy it

i took my ds swimming every week from 4mths and he loved it, then i had my dd when he was 15mths and thats when i didn't go for a very long time as i was so worried about struggelling with two on my own....but we go twice a month now, sometimes daddy comes if he's off or an aunty or maybe granny will come along, and even if i'm on my own i cope well enough with them!!!

kids love swimming when taken with the right approach!! just take her and let her join in, the baby swimming lessons are lots of fun and they normally just do singing and things with them!!

I find it doesn't really matter when you start ... DS went in the pool for the very first time ever at about 3.5 ... he's 6.8 and has done an intensive swimming course (30 min lesson every day for 5 days) every half-term, he swam 8 lengths yesterday (2 front crawl and 6 backstroke) and today was learning butterfly ... butterfly fgs .. I can't even do butterfly