Teaching toddler to swim - use aids?

[Lenl]

DS1 is 2 years old. We started taking him to Water Babies classes when he was 18 months old. Prior to this I took him swimming myself but not as regularly as I should have.

Every other child in the lesson had been attending from 6 weeks old so they were obviously much more confident. After a few lessons where he really clung to me though he seemed to start enjoying it and was progressing in terms of confidence.
However for the last several weeks he has just been hating it most of the time. I think as the chapters have moved on they are being asked to do more that he doesn't want to/can't do and it stresses him. I stay relaxed and don't push him to do something if it upsets him but it's starting to irritate me paying £15 or so for 30 minutes of swimming where he mostly gets upset and holds onto me. The lessons can be fairly big (I think 9 or 10 children sometimes) and are quite fast paced, So have cancelled the next term.

I'm thinking for now to take him once a week myself and make it a fun environment for him and just try to build his confidence and enjoyment in the water. My question is if it's worth using armbands or swim discs (which I've heard are better) or stick with no aids. My thinking is that using something like that might help him feel more confident? He can move away from me etc. But I'm sure I've read that using buoyancy aids are unhelpful for learning so I'm not sure. Hoping there is some MN wisdom out there!

I think the most important thing at this age is confidence in the water so if armbands helps then that's great . My 2 year old clung to me until we went on holiday and went swimming every day . Now she jumps in and floats round in her armbands . I used armbands for now 6 year old and she started lessons at 3 1/2 where they used a noodle etc .

Just play with them and stop the lessons.

Save the money for say 8-10 1-1 lessons at 4 or 5 when their body is able to swim without aids, and then pop then into a class once they can swim .

Really I did all the classes with child 1 and child 2s swimming is so much better comparatively rather than years of lessons which could easily just be replaced by water confidence/playing when you go swimming!

At our lessons (similar to water babies) we also don't use armbands but use pool noodles (not hollow) to hold child away from us to get them used to not being in arms. So first we would have the noodle around little ones chest with arms over and you directly behind then extend gap between you and child while still holding noodle.

I don't do lessons to teach her to swim (she's only 1.5) but to help water confidence and give me ideas on fun/educational activities to do in the pool

Yes playing in the water is best. Jumping off side and you are there to make sure they surface, water slides etc. Swimming between two adults is good but mainly just splashing around. Children can swim it's the adult anxiety around them that makes them think they can't.

I'm also having the same dilemma op with my 15 month old. Have been taking him to classes for three months now as we really want him to learn to swim and be confident in the water, but he spends most of the time clinging onto me like you said yours does.
The only time he shows much interest is when she brings the toys out at the end!

Sorry don't have anything helpful to add but I think you have the right idea in just taking himself yourself and having fun together in the pool. Maybe bring some bath toys!

How about using a noodle tube, you could wrap around you so he learns to hold onto that rather than you?

Alfred if he only likes the toys just take him yourself, with toys /noodle. Swim disks when they're bigger. Just play and have fun getting him uses to enjoying the

I think we can be so target driven with the kids whe theyre still only little. My second learnt to swim 5m in about 8 1-1 sessions at 4.5 , we'd just played before with noodle/swim disks so she could have independence/toys etc

It is so worth it. Not doing lessons as a baby is not going to stop them learning at a normal age!

Thanks everyone. I'll get a noodle, we did use them in the class, and see how he goes. I think I signed up for lessons mostly to ensure he did get in the water every week but that's ridiculous I'm an adult and can stick to something without a schedule

As a child I swam 30 minutes a week with my grandparents, with armbands, they took them off when I asked, and I'm a really confident swimmer.

www.splashabout.com/swimming/kids-swimming-aids/

The float jackets and flings are great and I myself had a version of the float suit nearly 30 years ago. As a consequence I was much more confident better position and easier to progress away from than armbands. There are 16 floats around and you can remove them slowly as they're not required, whereas armbands are more all of nothing.

What's a swim disc?

These are the type of discs I mean. I have to say I think they look really ungainly and difficult to swim with?
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0083GTQCQ/ref=pd_aw_lpo_200_tr_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CMFV1BYGEX3Q4PGKR1DP&tag=mumsnetforum-21

Do the float vests work well Eeeeek2, I feel like DS would tip forwards face first?

I did this with DD in may (she was 2.5 then). DH took her to her toddler swimming lessons usually and every week just came back saying they'd had a terrible time, she'd cling to him and not do anything she was asked. Sometimes there'd be a good week but they were such expensive lessons and DH wasn't seeing it as good 1-1 time with her which was part of the point of him going.
After a Bluestone holiday where she was in the pool and loving it for hours every day with a little inflatable ring we bought her, we cancelled the lessons and just take her to our local pool- it's a lagoon pool which means she can stay in her depth if she wants too, and has a lazy river which she loves.

She can now paddle on her front and back when in the ring (I guess it has the same effect as the noodle) and can also spin herself around - hard to explain but shows she's starting to understand how to make herself move in the water.

My plan is to pay for very small or one to one group lessons when she's about 4 or 5 to really start her learning properly.

I think swim aid aren't necessarily great for teaching swimming, with the exception of floats and noodles, but they can be useful for gaining confidence in the water before actually teaching them swimming.

Yep they work well

you can't just chuck them in and let them get on with it, but in your situation it'll allow confidence and ability to do stuff without the fear of sinking.

Thanks I think I'll definitely get one

I love the swimfin I have for my kids and they love the water and even 2 year old swims (with aid) all self taught to move around in the water. Now starting lessons after the summer as he's ready for proper ones