To hate baby swimming classes

[cherrytree975]

I took my baby to a few swim classes last year and hated the whole experience. I felt my DC (who was only five months old at the time) was way too young to get anything out it, and the lessons felt rushed and stressful - mainly due to Covid to be fair. I also hated the idea of dunking such a small child underwater.

I do want to try swimming again at some point as it’s an important skill to learn, but probably when he’s a bit older and I won’t be wasting my money. Do kids get more out of it when they’re say two or three years old?

Both mine started when they were 3 with actual lessons - not just with me playing in the pool. They could go in with instructors without me and actually learn to swim! Sadly covid meant instructors not allowed in pool at the moment meaning I had to go in with my youngest (under 5) but at least that means she actually gets more out of the lesson as can do more lengths with floats etc. I have no regrets and both of mine enjoy swimming!

I took my baby to some swimming lessons last year. Started when she was about 6 months old. I agree it can be very overwhelming for them at that age but she started to really enjoy it! But then it all stopped due to lockdown
Not sure about having the dunk the babies? In our lessons we didn’t put the their heads/faces underwater, the teacher said that comes much later in the lesson course.

I hated taking babies swimming unless you enjoy it’s a pointless exercise anyway. Start proper lessons for them when you don’t have to get in is my tip and think no more of it. Anyone wibbling on about the benefits of tiny babies swimming has swallowed the swim school marketing. Mine teens now and enjoy swimming without all that malarkey.

Mine both started around 6 months. DC1 could swim from being 3 and really misses swimming. DC2 was just starting to really enjoy lessons. We were so sad when they had to stop.

I didn’t do them with my DS - they felt very expensive for what they were to me. Instead DH and I took DS swimming regularly ourselves from when he was 3 months old. By 2.5 he was swimming a basic doggy paddle with arm bands on holiday. Then he started proper lessons at 4 and was making good progress until Covid ... lessons are due to start up again after Easter 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

I used to love them!! I took DS to PAYG baby swim classes from 6 weeks old. He clearly loved it, had a splash and a giggle, then had a good old sleep! He could swim a width of the teaching pool without floats when he was 3. He’s 12 now, and preCovid was swimming 3 times a week in a club. DD on the other hand, hated baby swim classes. She is 9, and does it have the natural aptitude and affinity with swimming that her brother does.

I am a string and confident swimmer, I could have just taken the dc swimming myself - in fact I did anyway - but the classes gave me some structure and some company.

We never got round to taking DD swimming and she started lessons at 4.5 after going to a swimming pool and hating it. It was really hard and had to get 1 to 1 lessons for a few months. She is really enjoying it now.

With DC2 we started lessons at 1 so we didn't have the same issue.

Absolutely. If they are of any benefit to the mum definitely go (my sister made most of her mum friends at one class). If the mum hates it don’t it won’t affect the baby in the slightest and don’t feel guilty or like you “should”.

My eldest screamed through them. I just thought it was normal. My mum came to watch us one lesson and afterwards told me to stop.

Baby swimming classes will not impact on whether your child learns to swim or not. Find a good swimming lesson when they are around 4-5.

Don’t put yourself through the stress!

We were told to dunk our baby but it made her cry..We also had to give them toys, then take them off them which made dd cry. (She wasn't a big crier) The leader of the class said "Oh we get babies who cry the whole of the first term and are then fine"
I never went back and the dc learned fine around 5 years old at lessons.

I'm swimming teacher I teach preschool (ducklings)3-5 and stage 1s (5/6) in the water without parents in the pool. Personally best age is when they have an clear understanding and can follow instructions so about 4 years I would say some 3 years can but sometimes if they struggle we say bring them back when they are bit older. They get arms bands if they are abit small and can't touch the floor.

@OhDear2200 I’m glad it wasn’t just me, both me and DH took my DD when she was 6 months old. She used to cry throughout the lessons, all the other babies were fine and I felt like such a failure. We had to block book 10 lessons and buy equipment like the woggle and floats so I think we stuck it out for 3 lessons. I feel guilty that we didn’t stick it out but it was making her upset.

I really shouldn't say this as a swimming teacher but baby lessons are a massive waste of money, often of not many baby don't particularly like getting dunked and they don't become swimmers. This is why kids learn to swim when they get older.

Yeah. Wait til they are 3 then do proper 2-3 on 1 lessons with Goggles and teacher in the pool with them. Until then go for the odd swim as a family.

My DCs started lessons at 3mo and 6mo. They loved it, and I enjoyed taking them. Like a PP, they were swimming independently at a very young age and they are really missing it at the moment. Their ability may well even out with other children as they get older, but they are currently doing very well compared to their peers. DD1 was accepted into a swimming club (she had to do a trial and be invited) a year ago at 5.5yo. Poor thing was so excited. She got 4 or 5 lessons with them before lockdown happened ☹ She could swim 200m at that point. DD2 was swimming a 25m length of the main pool shortly after her 4th birthday last summer. I doubt they would be doing so well if they started at 3yo.
They were in the kind of classes that fully submerges them from the off, and it was fine. The most important thing seemed to be parent confidence. In DD1's first class they were all PFBs and us mums had 'this is wonderful, I'm not panicking about doing this at all...' artificial smiles stapled to our faces 😂 The babies could definitely sense the parents' uncertainty though, so you had to fake it. By DD2 I had no such worries and she was confident in and under the water very quickly.

Interesting to hear all the different viewpoints! I’m under no illusion that baby swimming lessons will teach my baby how to swim... I mostly did it as a nice thing to do with her and so she could actually experience being in the water. We haven’t been able to do the normal family swimming at a leisure centre due to COVID. If that was possible, I may have chosen not to do the lessons

I felt it was overpriced for what happened. The only positive was because I'd paid for the course I went every week and I had 2 friends who went every week as well so it was a social thing.

It would have been just as good to simply take DC swimming weekly and splash about in the water, getting them acquainted/used to it.

Also at ours a photographer came along and promised these wonderful underwater photos. So I had a go even though DC hated being dunked and then ended up with this awful combination of being absolutely gutted that I didn't get a nice photo, and simultaneously feeling horrifically guilty for putting DC through the traumatic dunking for no reason!

And then I got hassled by the photographer months later with a shitty email basically saying that they'd come all that way and didn't I want to buy a photo? I guess their business was suffering due to COVID but it was a generic email sent out to everyone, he even said at the time "No, your photos are no good".

They are not necessary so no need to do them if not enjoyable for you both.

Kids need to learn to swim of course - but lessons from about four worked perfectly well for ours. All can swim - some loved it and are really good, some just got to the 'competent at not drowning' level.

Ah, here all swimming has stopped including classes, so it makes no difference, I would love for pools to open again :(

Baby swimming was the best thing i did with dc from 6 mos and 12mos. The had lessons until teens and got their life guarding qualifications. They missed lessons when they stopped

Save your money and splurge on private lessons when they are about five to get them off to a good start. Then maybe slot into the council ones once they are well established. Wish we had done private lessons earlier as they were fantastic.

I hated baby swim lessons! So stressful getting there, hurrying in and out of the pool. We stopped after the first term. Started again ina 3:1 lesson in a lovely warm pool at 2.5 and we both loved it! I think it’s good for babies to experience being in a pool but just bobbing around in the local pool occasionally would be fine. We went to Butlin’s when she was 2.5 and the pool was her favourite thing so we started lessons after that. She’s really looking forward to swimming again next month! X

@horseymum

Save your money and splurge on private lessons when they are about five to get them off to a good start. Then maybe slot into the council ones once they are well established. Wish we had done private lessons earlier as they were fantastic.

My baby lessons were council, i dont regret a penny on them. They do teach babies skills ie to automatically head for the side if they fall in, hold their breath when the dip under water I dont regret a penny i spent on lessons even the baby ones

I used to take mine to a baby/toddler session. not lessons as such though there was a lady in the pool on hand for advice or help. It was a very relaxed session. If we couldn't go one week that was fine.,We went up until she started school full time. she's a great swimmer and very confident in the water and never had a lesson.

They are the biggest waste of time, it’s more just an activity for mum to do.