How long does it take to learn to swim?!

[PassTheTwiglets]

DD has just turned 8 ad I want her to learn to swim. I've tried teaching her but can't. She had a couple of months of 1-on-1 lessons last year but she didn't progress at all. There is an apparently very good swimming school near us where they go in classes and I was wondering how long it could take her to learn? She is quite nervous of the water and she has no swimming ability at all atm. Obviously they're all going to learn at different rates but how long did it take your children to learn to swim?

It is 'how long is a piece of string'

I would take her to the swimming pool at least once a week and just relax and have fun so that she gets used to the water.
Classes are a good idea and much better at that age than a 1to1, I would have thought, which is a bit pressurised. Just have fun with a group and get taught by someone trained. Take the pressure off-it doesn't matter how long -as long as she swims in the end.

It really a case of how long is a piece of string as Exotic says.

DD1 & DD2 took about 6 weeks of going twice weekly at about 4 yrs, DS took slightly longer at 7, as he, like your DD was quite nervous. DD3 literally learnt one day last summer when she was 18 months, but we live in the sun, have a pool and she was extremely used to the water and totally fearless as well.

I agree that group lessons seem to be more fun for them as well, and certainly where I was in London, the children were grouped by ability and there were 6 - 8 max in the class.

As above, take her yourself for a bit first, splashing with her so she can get used to water on her face etc, maybe some goggles/snorkel as lots of children I know seem to swim under water first !

Good luck.

It was a confidence thing for my SS9. He was 8 when he learned to swim.
It wasn't so much about how long it took him to swim, but how long it took him to feel happy putting his face under water and also just trusting that he would float if he took his feet off the bottom. Once he was happy doing those things, propelling himself along at the same time followed almost immediately.
A mask & snorkel helped massively on holiday and then we gave him goggles back home in the pool - one of the things he hated was splashing in his face and these cut down this problem instantly.
Just build up your DD's confidence in the water and get her happy being there first :)

I think it is all confidence. Take her swimming at least once a week and play-splash water-get used to getting it on the face etc. Start lessons when happy.Don't even attempt swimming when you take her-just have fun.

I think she'd benefit most from lessons, preferably group, actually, because the group-learning experience will encourage her, as long as she isn't obviously the eldest by a big margin. But equally important is you taking her for weekly fun sessions. You can't rely on lessons alone. And only time and time again in the pool will make her more confident.

I never learnt to swim as a kid because we didn't have goggles in those days; I hate chlorine in my eyes. I did learn as an adult, when I could do it at my own pace, without pressure (and with goggles!)

Thanks everyone. We do have fun sessions but she doesn't seem to get any more confident and definitely needs lessons as she won't even try to swim with me. Yes, I did realise it was a bit 'piece of string' but I suppose what I'm wondering is what the longest it's likely to take her is. We're having a holiday with a pool in a year's time and I wondered if learning in a year is feasible. Interesting that a lot of you think groups are better than 1 to 1 - I'm pleased to hear that, as it's so much cheaper :)

DD was the most scaredycat swimmer you could imagine, honestly, it was very very embarassing. Not as old as your DD, but at nearly 6yo she was a nightmare in the pool. Loads of lessons when she was in hysterics about taking her feet off the bottom or putting her face in the water (etc.)

Still we persevered with as much as she felt up to, and at 9yo she is now a Champ swimmer, truly, gets glowing comments from her instructors. So don't lose heart! You'll find a way. One thing that helped was taking her for fun swims with close friends who were similar age and better swimmers, but not competitive about it. DD sort of though, "well if they can, maybe I can"...

DD1 is going to a brilliant swimming school - they have three teachers in the pool with about 10 kids. I watch from the side and am amazed at just how much is involved in learning to swim - completely understand why I never learned in school.

She did two intensive weeks in the summer (half hour per day), then since September has been doing weekly classes (also half an hour). She is still in armbands but takes them off for stroke practice (going across pool with float in one arm and doing proper stroke with the other). That is ages longer than I imagined it would take but this school is wonderful. She jumps in the pool, puts face right in etc etc. Beautiful to watch, especially for a hopeless swimmer like me.

That is weekly classes in term time, btw, so about 10 classes per term.

ragged that sounds very encouraging!

Good to read this thread. My son, just 5, has just finished 2 week intensive course at school and not made an awful lot of progress, also has once a week lessons at my gym where thay push a bit harder.He gets quite upset at times which I think is wrong, how will he learn if frightened, but having said that will not even try unless pushed?

It took each of mine (who started going roughly weekly from a few months, and had lots of lessons from the age of 4) about 3 years of lessons each. Other children started later and learned much more quickly, some started at 6 and could swim almost straight away.

I don't think we're natural fish in our family. the dds are all expert cyclists and good on skates and skateboards, but noone is going to be headhunted for a swimming team.

tilly, that doesn't sound good. I have seen two children get upset at DD's swimming class. One was fine within seconds - and even jumped into the pool, which her dad couldn't believe. The other was very clearly trying to get her dad's attention and was fine really. If he is getting upset, I would leave it and try somewhere else at a later date.

my 5 year old has been attending group sessions (up to 8 kids) for 18 months and still can't swim! Lots of other people her age have attended similar durations. I'm more negative about group sessions - in 1/2 an hour they only get to do 4 laps of the pool (widths of small pool) which is nowhere near enough. Plus if they don't complete the technique right in that lap, its a waste of time. I have always encouraged her to go for social reasons but going to try 1-1 after this 10wk block as it must end up cheaper in the long run. In our classes they have never been allowed armbands, even when only 2!

i have taken my dd to the pool from 6 weeks old- twice a week ish for first 9 months weekly upto about age 4 and then for the last year maybe monthly as she has been having weekly swimming lessons. she is very confident and happy to jump into the deep end but she still cant swim!!! well, she can swim to the edge after shes jumped in the deep end but thats about it

My nephew and DD started lessons earlier this year, weekly lssons, 1 tutor to 2 of them. Neither of them could swim, and in the last 10 weeks they have both achieved their 10m front paddle awards. Can't believe how fast they have learnt! My DD is being a bit of a drama queen about it all, doesn't want to put face in, etc, but has the stronger stroke, and the instructor is convinced that in 2-3 weeks she will just get over it all, and we won't be able to get her out of the water!

Our lessons cost £197 altogether for an 11 week term, so around £100 each, whereas a group was £50-£60 each. There are 8-10 children in the group, and there are variations within the groups too so have to contend with that. This was by far the better option for us.

Forgot, DD is 7, nephew is 6.5. The beginners group here seems to be 4-5, poss pushing 6 year olds. Their age group are in the groups where they are learning to dive/ swim underwater, etc.

DD took about 2 weeks.

DS took about a year.

I took 19 years!

my dd2 went for lessons at the local pool for one whole year and at the end of the year she couldn't swim.

I took her out and put her into private lessons and the first week she she swam a width of the pool - probably 10 ft she went on from there and as dd2 had been frightened of the water after 2 years of lessons she went into the local teaching section of the swimming club and 5 years on from actually swimming is a good swimmer

My DH taught DD. Started with fun sessions, took a ball and used it to get her to move around in the water. Got her jumping in off the side, practicing putting her face under the water, then when he thought she was ready took her armbands off.

Short bursts at first, making sure he was always there to catch her, and it took about six weeks from no armbands for her to get her 25m badge.

She goes at least twice a week though. Fridays with the ILs and Saturday with DH.

But she has always been really confident in the water, so it was pretty easy. Her best friend is the exact opposite, and has no confidence, so his parents are waiting for an opening at the local pool's lessons because they think he will be better with a group and when he is unable to grab a parent and refuse to swim.

It all depends on the child. I hope you'll find something that suits your DD. Maybe look at different lesson options in your area.

Dd had 10 joint private lessons with a friend who is the same age (5). This halved the cost and made them almost the same as a terms group lessons would have been.

Both girls were completely non-swimmers -dd had had no lessons before, just the odd social swim. Dd would not even put her face in the water. They both had to use goggles.

By the third lesson they were both swimming! By the 4th and 5th, they were learning front crawl and backstroke. It was amazing!

I would definitely take this route again, if I had any more younger dcs (ds went down the termly lessons route and took ages to learn, waiting his turn for some attention).

So dd started the summer hols a non-swimmer and then went into her school swimming lessons in September and into the top group!

So, I would say one/two to one lessons work out cheaper in the long run.