Taking toddler twins swimming?

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Has anyone successfully done this? When our babies were tiny I remember friends taking their babies to swimming things but our local centre needed an adult per baby at that age.

We're in a different area now and a friend asked me last week if I fancied coming with her and her DD's to the local pool. She has a 2 year old and 3.5 year old, the 3.5 year old is pretty confident in the baby pool, the two year old she said she holds onto.

The thought of it terrifies me as neither of them have been in a pool before - is there any way of doing it without biting all my nails off or is it easier to wait with twins until they are a bit older?

Any advice gratefully recieved. I'm a fairly confident swimmer but I'm worried about both girls trying to stick their heads under/drowning horribly! My girls are 2.8.

I took mine on my own when they were jsut turned 3 - but they had been before with PILs a few times and also with us on holiday - I don't think I would have been brave enough to take them on my own first time out!

Is there anyone you could get come along & help you? tbh I wouldn't take my dc (5 & 3) without dh to help, sounds way too stressful!

I wouldn't take them on my own for their first swimming trip. My two were very enthusiastic about going, but when they actually saw the pool, they both got quite hysterical and clung onto either me or DH for a long time. Can your OH help you the first few times at the w/e maybe and you could see how they get on?

Mothercare have swimming costumes with buoyancy floats sewn into them, so once you did take them on your own, they would float without your help!

it depends on your dts really. Both mine love the water, so we've been going since they could walk. (carrying two was pushing it a bit). If they wear armbands, they aren't going to sink or drown. Mine are just turned 3 now, and they know that if they take their armbands off they don't float, so they runb straight to put them on first.

In the water they float right around the pool. dt1 is the most confident, he jumps straight in the deep end and is starting to do strokes. Both can manage to maneuvere around in the pool. I find it is great way of wearing them out. I often swim with dt2 piggyback style and dt1 paddles alongside.

Just let them take it at their own pace and if they want to sit on the side to start with, then let them.

watching this thread for ideas as i would like to take my 2dcs (not twins but 2.1 and 1.2 years old) swimming but as it would mean taking them on my own i havent quite worked out how to do it yet

Thanks so much all! I think they are probably more at the cling to me end of the spectrum than the fearless end - but the armbands and inflatable suits do sound useful.

The pool is horribly packed at the weekend so getting my husband to come with me during the week may be possible, depending on work patterns..

But it's nice to know I'm not being totally pathetic! I do try and do as much stuff as possible with my twins but some things are harder than others!

Swimming is the one thing I feel like I really miss out on as a twin mum. Mine are 2 and I couldn't manage them on my own. Not just in the water but it's the logistics of getting 2 wet muppets from the pool into the changing room and then changed! We go at weekends when DH can take one of them.

I think it would be more managable from around 3? When you can rely on them to follow you and take instructions rather than running off in the other direction or hurling themselves into the water!

It's a shame isn't it - I think the girls would love it if I had another adult with me so they both felt firmly held! You're right though, when I was on the phone to my friend I was thinking with horror how chaotic getting them changed and dressed and safely along the side of the pool would be!!

Maybe 3 years on will be easier, they are that little bit more co-ordinated!

if they have armbands on doesn't matter if they jump in though.

one of mine did once wander off and decide to do a wee in the drain in the middle of the showers once. And the other sat in the jacuzi and pulled his pants down and started playing with his penis.

Agree with glamourbadger - swimming is probably the only activity I have felt left out of having twins and up until now, have also waited until weekend to take them with Dad. I am now contemplating taking them on my own (they are nearly 3) - it's not the pool bit that worries me so much, its negotiating the changing rooms with two slippery nutters to manage on my own!!!

I agree, this is one area that twins and their mums miss out. I did take mine (my gym had a pool and didnt seem to care if 1 adult to two babies) but wasnt really that workable. Need to get them lessons now as they are 4 and cant swim yet!

I don't have twins but my best tip about getting two changed afterwards is those hooded towel things and food. Put towels on as soon as you get out of the pool, sit them on the bench with packet of crisps/pot of Cheerios/raisins/something small that will take ages to eat! Get yourself dressed, then one child, then the other - no need for drying them as the robes more-or-less do that. If they have a tendency to drop pots of food just put a few in their lap at a time though be prepared for any DS's to wee on them occasionally

HTH

I think it's a two-person job... Phone a friend!