Haven’t took my 18 month old swimming yet

[BQ91]

Hi, I was just looking for some reassurance as I feel so bad that I haven’t taken my toddler swimming yet. due to circumstances it just hasn’t happened yet. I panicked as my friend said that she will end up being one of those children that never goes out of the shallow end and will never really be able to swim properly. I just feel so awful, I’ve just enquired about swimming lessons now.

Bollocks. My nearly 4 year old didn’t go swimming until after she was 2 due to the pandemic. If anything she is over confident in water. She doesn’t need swimmers lessons yet, she just need to play in the pool.

Don't worry! Baby swimming lessons are just carrying them around in the water 😂

We did a few but working FT makes it hard and so waiting til DS is old enough to have lessons where he goes in on his own.

Just take them along to an open swim at your local pool every now and again

I took my son swimming three times as a baby but stopped because he screamed through it. I put him in to a swimming crash course during the holidays at age 5 once covid allowed and then did weekly lessons since then. He's now 6 and loves swimming and is doing really well in it. I would say regularly swimming from young is good but if circumstances or the child don't allow it then don't feel any pressure!

My son is 21 months and he's never been in a pool. I f^cking hate swimming.

I mean, so long as you've prioritised other activities, it's probably OK. I presume she's had a week's skiing over the winter? Or are you taking her to the southern hemisphere this summer to get some snow? And has she been doing baby yoga for at least a year? And baby sensory? Have you got her signed up for conversational Mandarin yet? If she's not already practicing forming tonal sounds by now she'll never be truly bilingual either. I'd say that's a higher priority than swimming - it's easy for adults to learn to swim, but learning Mandarin later on in life is fiendishly difficult.

Only joking. All the pressure that seems to come from other parents about rates of child development, is all bollocks. Take her swimming when you get a chance. Really doesn't matter if that's now, next month, next year or whenever. What matters most is that you both have fun.

Top tips for when you are ready - water temperature really matters. Like, it really matters. A lot of leisure centres are skimping on pool heating due to high energy costs, so check it out first. If your pool is even slightly chilly, get her a wetsuit - and not one with 'room to grow' either - it needs to be snug to work. Lidl and Aldi do toddler wetsuits sometimes for a tenner or so. Even with a wetsuit, they get cold really fast so don't expect to swim for an hour. 20 mins in the water is plenty. Decent changing rooms matter too. Wrangling a wriggly wet toddler out of a swim nappy and wetsuit and into dry clothes when you yourself are dripping wet and shivering and the floor is slippery is a particular skill that takes a couple of sessions to master - and by the sounds of it, some PPs never made it that far. We did a Waterbabies class held at a local hospital school that had heated changing rooms with multiple handles and grips and space for an additional (dry) adult to cooperate on this task ... and a very, very warm pool. It was bliss - and well worth the money.

Taking a baby swimming is completely pointless and only for the benefit of the parents so they can tick it off.
Children rarely learn to swim much before 4/5 even with lots of lessons.
Don't worry about it. Take them when they are older but make sure they do learn to swim, don't assume school will do it.

Don't worry about it. This obsession with spending £15 plus a class to just dunk them in water from age 6 weeks is beyond me. She'll be fine, just do it when you're ready and have the time. We have taken our daughter to the local pool but only once a month or so. Even at 18 months I still wouldn't bother with lessons, just go to your local leisure centre and let her explore being in the water. Ditto above post they often aren't as warm so a wetsuit style thing is a good idea. Much cheaper than lessons and you can go when you want to!

I'm sorry but it's not pointless. I live next to a river and my youngest could swim before he could walk and is a strong swimmer now.

On the other hand I didn't take DC2 for lessons until he was 3.5 and he learnt pretty quickly.

DC1 taught himself on holiday when he was 7. I never really took him when he was younger. DSC can't swim and is 16, she has never really been swimming.

OP it will be fine whenever you take them. Unless you live next to open water it's not urgent but I do think it is a life skill that is worth having.

It’s not mandatory.

My children started around age 6.

Honestly dont worry. My DS didn't learn to swim until he was 7, last year he competed at Open Water Nationals aged 12.

Don't worry, I never swam or went in a body of water bigger than a bath until I was 8 and in year 4. I didn't live near any beaches or lakes and my parents never took us swimming.
I was and am totally fine, I was not scared of the water and it didn't take long to learn to swim. As an adult I like to swim but still only took my children when they were over 2
Your child is tiny they have plenty of time

My brothers and I were never taken swimming till after we were potty trained. I couldn't actually swim till I was 9, and I'm a keen (though slow!) swimmer now. So I wouldn't worry about it. I take my young children, but that's because I want to (and they sleep well after), not because I think it's vital at their age.

'taken'

I think baby swimming is just another tool to make parents(mothers) feel guilty if they don't do it.

My kids didn't start swimming until they were 5 and 8 (covid interfered) but 18 months on they're great swimmers. Unless you need to I wouldn't bother.

Don't worry and at that age they don't need formal lessons. Dc 1 went from being 6 months and is the least confident swimmer. Dt didn't go till they were 2.5years because I was a single parent and couldn't manage till then they are both excellent swimmers who are very confident.
None of mine had formal swimming lessons till they were 4.5 years old.

We took ours to little dippers. They loved or hated it. They all learned to swim with lessons about 5 or 6. I taught myself to swim properly in lunch hours from my first job in my early 20s and would do about a mile once I got good. Baby swimming is modern toss frankly. Doesn't teach them how to swim or any useful skill - just shows off a reflex.

Ah thank you all so much for replying. I really appreciate it. I got into such a panic about it so I’m pleased to hear some of your stories/take on it!

You don't need lessons at this age but just go and enjoy being in the water with them. I have an 18 month old and when we are at the pool she has a huge grin on her face the whole time, just splashing around and feeling the water on her. Just go to your local leisure centre for a 30 minute splash about. It will help your DC feel confident and happy in the water when they are a bit bigger and learning to swim properly.

I spend ££££ on baby swimming lessons for my older two, now with my 3rd we're just enjoying the water until she's preschool age and has a better understanding of what is happening.

Your friend is an idiot.

Your child will be fine x