Fed up with the huge bills and swimming lesson hell, what swimming stage can children not drown if thrown into a swimming pool?

[MilaMae]

Have 3 dc.

When is enough enough?Not interested in olympic divers or swimmers just not drowning(live near lots of water).

TIA

I stopped dd 6 earlier this year , she can swim a width unaided so happy enough she could get out of danger if needed.

dd stopped at level 5, the point at which they have to do technically correct strokes.

This is a very good thread! We've been at it 7 yrs now

If your children are competent swimmers without bouyancy aids - then you might want to investigate this sort of course to address the survival and lifesaving issues.

IMO ordinary swimming classes don't really prepare a child for coping with survival in 'outside' water.

TBH I don't think swimming a width of a pool would be much help if a child fell into a river or off a dock into the sea.

Not sure swimming technically perfect strokes is either necessary nor sufficient either.

The way not to drown is to ensure they are sensible around water in the first place.

DDs school swimming lessons incorporated the safety stuff - how to get help for people in trouble without endangering yourself etc - this was in about yr4, probably that's about as soon as you could expect kids to properly understand the whys and wherefores

My 3 have had lesson since 3,they're now 7,7 and 6.

1 twin(7) is 4/5 nearly 5(can swim a length).

2nd twin(7) is in between 3/4(can do 10 metres).

dd(6) to our horror is stuck on 2,even though we've paid for 3 feckin years of swimming and she swims 3x a week in the summer.

We don't go swimming much as a family as have 3 under 8 so lessons are pretty much it.

Thinking of putting all the money into dd(1 to 1 expensive lessons) and maybe stop the twins cheaper lessons asap.

We live near rivers,the sea and the school has a pool.They go to the beach a lot and will be canoeing etc on rivers etc eventually. I just don't know how competent they need to be and will they miss the technique if they stop at level 5?

The swimming pool aren't exactly helpful with any info on this,but I guess they wouldn't be..

DS is only 4 and been having lessons for 9 months, still can't swim when he's in the class, even with a woggle.

However we were on holiday last week in a deep pool that meant he couldn't touch the bottom. He had a woggle on, I let go of him, he hollered, started to kick and swam to the side. I was only inches away so he was fine but it was very noisy.

Maybe some private lessons would push your DD a bit and get her swimming.

If they're doing any sort of watersport, they have to wear a lifejacket or BA. In which technically perfect strokes are impossible!

I grew up by the sea and you don't use technically perfect strokes in the sea either, IMO. What you need is rules and sense and a correct level of confidence versus your abilities.

Rules include never swimming alone; never ignoring the red flag; never going out of your depth; knowing about rip tides; never usiing inflatables if wind blowing out to sea...any more?

need a bit of stamina too, have learnt to keep it up for a bit of time at a stretch. Perfect strokes not really relevant IMO

Yes, def need stamina!

dumb question, my kids are 3 and under, but don't they learn to swim at school? that's where I learnt and I see lots of school groups at the pool when I get a chance to go swimming these days. will I really need to pay for lessons for them all? :faints at thought of the cost:

I think if your DCs just aren't progressing and you've been at it years and years and years then you need to try a new teacher. If your 6 yr old is stuck on Level 2 after that much swimming then whatever approach the teacher is using clearly doesn't suit him/her.

A friend paid an arm and a leg for 3 private 1-1 swimming lessons for her DS - she said he learnt more in that time than he had in years of group lessons. This was at local big public pool - worth investigating?

ds year 4 has had 2 6 week blocks of swimming in the last year so not enough so get to competent swimming level.

I stopped at level 8 with DD1 (old style, current level 5) and new style level 5 with DD2 - she didn't pass because she could not do butterfly and feet first sculling, but she was only 6, could do 300metres non stop front crawl, breast stroke and backstroke and had learned a range of survival techniques (i.e. curling into a ball to bob to the surface when falling unexpectedly into water). We still swim every week and practise a bit of stroke and they can both swim long distances confidently.

Open water swimming is a whole different ballgame though, I'd definitely be interested in having them trained in that.

mama, they should get some swimming lessons in yr3/4 but its really a bare minimum.

cat, yes you're right about > 50m. But in 'real' water - sea, lakes, reservoirs - I've never seen anyone voluntarily putting their face in, esp without goggles. So between that and the BA - its a whole different style (or lack thereof!). 'side stroke' is quite useful in practice but never taught.

Feet first sculling is actually quite good if you're wearing a buoyancy aid, but then it comes quite naturally. Butterfly is IMO a complete waste of time unless you want to be a competitive butterfly racer and I don't know why the heck they waste kids time with it.

Grimma, I do feet first scullling to boost muscle strength in my arms, it's really good for archery!

I'm not sure I could survive in open water if I'm honest.
I've taught mine to make a fist and hold it in the air if they are in trouble, waving whilst drowning apparently is likely to get you an cheerful wave back not help.

Skelley I wasn't confident in open water until I did my scuba training .

I've just remember I snorkled on the barrier reef, was all going so well until I looked down and shat myself (not literally) it's a long way down

My older ones did it till they were about 10 and could do lengths easily and were confident to go wih their friends on a weekend free swim. So I paid hundreds each, about 3 years each. I see it as essential. My twins go now and it is 160 pounds a term.

a good time to see this again, which i originally saw on mn:

mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

Depends what you want them to learn for I guess? DS is 6yo and was at local leisure centre lessons and got to stage 5. He wanted to join the club at same centre which is 2 lessons a week. He started last Decemebr. They concentrate on stoke technique.

My main reason for lessons is the same as your mila we live near the sea BUT DS loves swimming and wants to do it for a hobby. He does all 4 strokes but can do 200meters f/c and backstroke if needed but not using the technique taught.