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Original poster

Do/did you child have swimming lessons?

40 replies

Irishflower · 13/11/2022 21:47

DS 5 can swim with a woggle and is happy going swimming with mummy and daddy but I wonder if he should be having proper swimming lessons?! A few of his friends have them.
Do you take your little ones to swimming lessons?
Or do you just take them swimming and have they learnt ok from you?

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mnahmnah · 13/11/2022 21:49

I found with both of my DC that when we took them swimming ourselves, they were more keen on the fun of jumping in, messing around with us and didn’t listen to us very well about actual swimming. Lessons have been great for getting the actual technique going and then when we go swimming with them they get more practice. Going on holiday for two weeks and in the pool all day really cracked it!

Ringbling85 · 13/11/2022 21:49

Mine both do a weekly swim lesson, they are 9 and 7 but we live by the sea so for me it’s a must imo.

NatalieH2220 · 13/11/2022 21:51

5yo does weekly swimming lessons.
1yo not yet but I will sign him up soon.
I'm not a great/confident swimmer so wouldn't want to teach them myself.

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Strokethefurrywall · 13/11/2022 21:53

Live on an island in the Caribbean so both kids could swim from 18 months and it was non-negotiable.

I grew up in London and swam/had lessons from a young age, and swam competitively until secondary school

CaronPoivre · 13/11/2022 22:04

Mine had formal lessons to Bronze medallion level. We swim a lot to but as my husband worked away a lot, taking them all on my own was generally too much hassle. Swimming lessons gave regularity

They weren't allowed to the beach with friends or to the local watersports centre to volunteer/work until they had reached the Bronze level.

They are all very good pool and sea swimmers as adults and concur that despite the odd moan, it was a good thing to have done.

dizzydizzydizzy · 13/11/2022 22:05

I would highly recommend taking your 5yo to lessons because it's fun, good for their fitness and an essential life skill in case they ever fall in water.

sanityisamyth · 13/11/2022 22:06

DS(8) had lessons with Water Babies from 6 weeks old and has always loved swimming and being in the water. He now swims competitively.

Icecreamandapplepie · 13/11/2022 22:06

Swimming lessons here.

Ours close together so we started them at the same time, 7, 6 and 5 years

They love it and swim weekly with the instructor just the three of them so worked out well

2020firsttimemum · 13/11/2022 22:06

Our 2 year 4 month old has been having swimming lessons since he was 14m old

He is an absolute water baby so he loves it anyway but also I think it's such a good skill for them to have. I love water but I HATE my face being covered so wanted to make sure that didn't happen with him too

AriettyHomily · 13/11/2022 22:07

Totally lessons, it's a life skill and all that. Dts did all the ASA stages, I'm confident they won't drown when they go swimming.

RewildingAmbridge · 13/11/2022 22:08

DS has been going from twelve weeks, he's almost 4 and can swim a width with a float. He's very confident in the water and living by the coast that was important.
I only did lessons at school, I can swim but I'm not a strong swimmer and have no notable technique. DH had lessons as a child and is a very strong swimmer especially in the sea

Greytea · 13/11/2022 22:09

My DC had weekly lessons until they reached the very end of the (I assume) national swimming programme. No way would I teach them myself. Both are very competent swimmers.

TheOtherBoleynGirls · 13/11/2022 22:09

Lessons. They need to learn a decent stroke and water safety too. DD gave up after the fourth stage, when they move on to real distance swimming, but by then i was confident she could actually swim 50m, which was my bare minimum.

AdriannaP · 13/11/2022 22:11

Definitely lessons unless you are a qualified swim instructor.
mine had lessons from age 4 and it makes sunny holidays so much better as they Are confident swimmers now.

CaveMum · 13/11/2022 22:13

We consider swimming an essential life skill so both DC started weekly lessons at 6 months old. Both (now 8 and 5) are confident in the water and strong, capable swimmers.

It’s not just about the swimming itself, being able to swim means they can confidently do other water related activities on holiday, or in future on school trips.

It costs us £29 per child per month for weekly lessons at the local leisure centre. They have an app so you can monitor your child’s progress through each stage, change classes, etc.

AdriannaP · 13/11/2022 22:13

Also can swim with a woggle basically means he can’t swim.

PenguinLove1 · 13/11/2022 22:15

I think swimming lessons are one of life's essentials for children and they will thank you for it in the future. If they need a float, they arent swimming and need proper lessons. Far too easy to drown on holiday/days out etc without them

OrionsAccessory · 13/11/2022 22:17

My eldest did for a while but the lessons were really crap tbh so we stopped. My younger two have never had swimming lessons, I just took them once a week and they pretty much taught themselves to swim. All three are confident in the water and can swim well.

Closedlips · 13/11/2022 22:20

Ours are 4 and 5 and did have lessons but didn't enjoy them, plus the times available were massively inconvenient. We occasionally swim at the leisure centre but my husbands a shift worker so it's not worth the hassle of trying to sort them alone to be honest.

We don't live near water and can't afford holidays right now so I'm just leaving it til the Year 5 school lessons. I've never really been keen on swimming.

AliceMcK · 13/11/2022 22:25

They did pre covid but it’s a nightmare getting lessons around here now as the main swimming pool never reopened. There is a 3 year waiting list at the next closest but its at a holiday park so only do term time and limited spaces.

If you can get a place somewhere definitely take it, it’s an important life skill.

Thesearmsofmine · 13/11/2022 22:25

Lessons here. I could never teach the technique as well as the swimming instructors as I’m not a great swimmer myself.

Bananarama21 · 13/11/2022 22:28

I'm a swimming teacher my first dc learnt abit from public sessions, he then had lessons for stroke technique, dd had lessons and is a club swimmer and ds struggles with asd so I take him when I can and has had a go at front crawl.

I would say if you can afford it definitely get lessons. Swimming with a woggle isn't the same as being able to swim without aids.

AlwaysLatte · 13/11/2022 22:31

Yes we had swimming lessons for ours from 3 months to about aged 10 (with the odd term off here and there). I think proper swimming lessons are essential.

JaninaDuszejko · 13/11/2022 22:32

All 3 of mine have had lessons from aged 3 and then joined the swimming club once they'd achieved level 10 in the Swim England Learn to Swim scheme. My DDs are now teenagers and have stopped swimming club (it's a big commitment and neither were elite) but still train at school a couple of times a week.

Swimming is a really important life skill and for me it's really important my children gain sufficient skill in swimming to be able to enjoy it throughout their adult lives. It is also excellent for fitness, when DD1 stopped swimming club she noticed a drop in fitness within a month despite still doing football competitively (she was so shocked she started doing another sport to try and compensate!).

SingingWaffleDoggy · 13/11/2022 22:32

DD has been going to formal lessons for about a year now. Before that she would splash around happily with a backpack float on.
it’s a non negotiable life skill for us. We live near the coast and want her to grow up confident but respectful of the water.