Taking 2 under 5s swimming

[vannah]

How do you do this alone? Up until now my husband has always accompanied me when taking our 2 DCs swimming, they are 5 and 3 and neither swim or are especially confident in the water as they rarely go.

How can I ensure their safety if Im alone? ie what in addition to armbands can i buy to ensure they stay well above the water? They both panic when their chins dip into the water and they swallow some.

Do costumes with built in floats work well or just a combination of armbands + rubber ring?

Also panicking about gettting them both dressed afterwards -its a nightmare with just one? Any tips?
thankyou!

Totally possible, not at all sure why some people are worried about this. In our local pools, you can have 1 adult with 2 under 8’s.

We don't bother with flotation aids, but my two (2 and 4) have had lessns since a few weeks old so are very water confident and the eldest can swim completely independently. The younger one I just keep close by me. If I them both on my own, we stay in the learner pool where at least my 4 year old can stand up. Also they tend to be warmer, which is nicer!

Definitely take a snack for after, I give them a snack whist I get dressed them sort them out. Presumably your 5 year at least can more or less dress themself, so dressing shouldn't be a big problem?

It is lots of fun, so I say go for it!

Sorry, I realised my mistake after I posted and then got distracted

Still, I stand by most of what I said: mobile, walking, talking children - it'll be fine.

I used to be so frustrated that I could not go swimming with my lot because I had too many/too close together to be allowed to the local council pool. The toddler + baby in nappies combo is harder to manage in the pool than once they can all stand by themselves. And possibly are more continent

Oh also, like others said , when they were younger and less confident, swim noodles or a swim fin were brilliant. Much better than armbands which restrict their movement and give buoyancy in the wrong place.

And we also have poncho towels which are great!

Delphin arm floats (like armbands but stay on better and never deflate) are really helpful. That way, you can be confident the older one is ok for a few seconds if you need to.
Plus towel dresses and snacks, as everyone else has said. I get dry first, as by that time they've dried off enough in their towels to make it easy to get dressed. I also make sure we wear easy clothes - track suit bottoms, loose t-shirt, fleece jumper.

I have done this. Actually used to find it an "easier" thing to do. Did it with both from Dd being 4 months so ds nearly 3. Put arm bands +/- woggle on toddler and let them go. I had a yellow flotation seat for Dd which I put her in when I needed my arms. I do remember the happy day when I got my arms back in the pool. When Dd was 4is. Look at it this way if your 5 year old was in lessons the ratio would be 8 to 1 or something. Yy to poncho towel and snacks.

This is worth persevering with. I did it religiously every week with mine, who were 2 years apart.

We used to play 'mermaids'. This was were my oldest used to cling to my back while I held the little one in front. I would then 'swim' round the baby pool like this for ages, though Sometimes we spent longer in the showers than the pool. The highlight was sausage butties in the cafe afterwards.

Try to find a pool with a very shallow pool where they can stand up and take little watering cans etc. Don't be trying to teach them to swim, just have fun.

Ah, missing those times now.

My 2 are 15mo apart & all the local pools were v strict about having 1 adult for each non swimmer, even in the baby pool area. I ended up enrolling both of them age 2 & 3 in swimming lessons. They loved it, still do, they are now 7 & 8 :) once my small local pool saw how they were getting on in lessons they relaxed the rule about adult ratios in the baby pool during quiet times for me.

Maybe a few lessons to build up their water confidence might help?

Check before you go- none of the pools in our Borough allow ratio of less than 1:1 with under 4s.

In a small/learner pool where the eldest can touch the bottom, and with the use of a noodle and/or armbands for the youngest it will be fine.

Like Felix I would usually have one on my back whilst "swimming" the other one around.sometime still do even though now enormous Its very good exercise.

But older dc is 5 and presumably at school. My dcs have swimming lessons at school ratio 2 adults to 30 dcs.

Qualified swimming teacher is different, presumably, for insurance purposes. Same pools require a ratio of 2:1 with 4s - 8s.

Over 8s can go unaccompanied! (find this the most surprising/terrifying, mine won't be till they are 10+ and very competent)

First pick your pool - you might have to try a few to see which has the best combination of facilities.

I found a swim noodle invaluable, however I would also book swimming lessons if you don't feel confident.

The point of going swimming is to learn that it is fine to go under water and that you don't need aids to float. If you are anxious it will be very hard not to make them feel anxious too.

After swimming I would bring very big towels or changing robes that you can wrap them up in while they wait for you to change. Assuming that they are able to be fairly independent, bring clothes that are easy for them to change into by themselves . Also, bring an extra towel for the changing room floor.

So in summary, lessons and loads of towels.

There's no pools near me that let you take two under 8, even swimming lessons for under 5's require an adult be in the pool with the child.
It's crap as swimming is one of the only things all my four enjoy doing (ages range from 2-14)

Put swimming trunks/costumes on under clothes before you leave home. Much quick changing at pool. Mum and children. Don't forget underwear! Tankinis are great for this, because then you can go to the loo easily. DD insisted on one once she was potty trained.

I find poncho style towels best for getting on quickly over armbands.

Check if your pool allows you to take 2 dc, many require 1:1 adult:child under 8. We joined a private gym especially to get round this. The dc and I are water babies, dH can't swim.

If you are not confident, don't go at half term. Pools are hell on earth in school holidays.

Get a "Dive Squad" swimming vest (with sewn in floats which you can take out, one at a time as they get more confident) from John Lewis. All 3 of mine learnt to swim in them, and now at 5, 4 and 2.6, all 3 of them can go in the water without me (the older two swimming unaided, and the 2.6 year old in the swimming vest). It takes a little while for them to work out how to keep upright in it, but once they get the hang of it, they are away!

Check the pool's policy first as many will not allow one adult with two little ones.

Ours liked the noodle/woggle things too once they got past the baby stage.

This is an easy one! Enrol the eldest in a swim class, go swimming with just DD2 to focus on. Ten minutes before the class ends, get out and get yourself and DD2 changed. Come back for DD1 and get her ready.

If that is not an option, the earlier posters had some good advice.

I must also caution that half-terms and shorts holidays are not the easiest times to try! However, I would encourage swimming more and getting your daughters water confident.

dont panic.if they see they arent safe or feel it then it will too make them question it.or question your control.they want to feel safe too.im sure if youve done it with ur husband you were great at it with him so its just using that to cope again if you can.
have you a friend you cohuld invite.or even a mum or family to keep an eye.
those foam floats are good for them to hold onto.
if you usually go im sure they also have a routine for what they like to do so stick with it.
afterwards if they do start to play up getting dressed.might be frowne upon but what bout promising a treat if they are good.talk to them as they are getting dressed to distract too.like commenting on how nice these,those,hers his cool or pretty clothes are.thinking about what to do for the rest of the day etc just keep their one track minds from being able to think about playing up.

MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN.STRESSING LIKE THIS WILL MAKE IT A HORRID EXPERIENCE IF YOU LET IT.

I have many DC & at one time had five under 6. The local pool was one of our havens, esp as DH was often away. Pool staff were brilliant & helpful and gave us leeway they did not give to others because:

1. We started early, DC 1 & 2 and built up slowly: they always knew I or he or both could look after DC we had with us.

1. We make sure our DC got onto the pool's own swimming lessons as early as possible: give the staff a stake in making sure they can swim & are safe!

1. No child has ever drowned in arm-bands properly inflated and pushed right up to the arm-pits: you should constantly check their fitting, and only let them out of the armbands when the pool staff say so.

1. You're never going to let them drown, so be joyfully rough with them to build their water confidence! However high or far you throw them with properly fitted armbands (see 3. above!), they will have surfaced long before they think about inhaling water!

1. Once your older DC are confident in the water, they can look after you're middle DC in arm bands whilst you concentrate on the youngest ones.

All of my DC are now thoroughly competent & confident swimmers, and the older ones, all in high-pressure employment, use their local pools as their primary resource for exercise and relaxation, so I must have done something right...

I was very happy that my local pool had no restrictions other than under 8's must be accompanied, because I took mine swimming every week from very young, so at one point had a 6, 4, 2 year olds and a baby. I liked rings, they hold the kids in a better swimming position than armbands (but put armbands on as well if you think they might slip through). Also had a swimsuit with inflatable floats in that got passed down all of them and worked well.

Afterwards - wrap them up, sit them down and give them food. Then get yourself dressed quickly, so if one runs off while you're dressing another one, then you're dressed when chasing after them! Nothing worse than having a dry, dressed child trying to escape whilst you're only wearing your bra

Good luck - it's worse thinking about it than doing it, and if you can go semi-regularly then they will get used to the routines and be much more cooperative.

Most LA Insurance Policies, which dictate carer/child ratios, are defined in terms of "reasonable behaviour" rather than "absolute numbers". So, if you can demonstrate that you are able to adequately care for a larger number of DC, and are willing to take responsibility for such, they should let you do so. As I said in my previous post, my local council pool regularly let me swim with five under 6's.

I'm surprised by the comments to be honest. I took 2 children swimming, certainly at 1 & 3, probably younger. Put them in arm bands, use a baby pool and the older one will be able to stand up. Just stay close enough to grab if they fall! All my local pools allow 1 adult to 2 children. However, I've just read your op again and seen that they are not confident and may panic - in this instance I'd take another adult with me. Changing is easy - just have snacks ASAP!