Swimming - what progress can I expect in 3-4 months?

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I have a wealthy relative who lives in a beautiful home in holiday location. They have invited us for Christmas and we will spend two weeks at their home. We have paid for long haul flights and are so excited. Only issue is that relative and partner don’t have children and have a big pool in the garden. The garden is accessible from most rooms including bedrooms.

I feel really paranoid about this now as my youngest can’t swim. Older child is a confident swimmer (passed level 4 and in a class for level 5), and is sensible. But my youngest will be 3 by Christmas and so worried about him. He has never done much swimming (a few classes when he was 1), and I was wondering what the best approach is now? Shall I try and pay for lots of classes until Christmas? Pay for 1:1? What can I realistically achieve in a few months? Thanks

and please no criticism, we haven’t had much time to take him to classes yet plus I was very sick this spring with a long recovery period.

Genuine question. Could you pay for them to install a cover as your Christmas present to them (and you) send the money over for them to install it before you get there? I understand they don't have children but they want to spend 2 weeks with your 2 children and therefore must love your children and you so I would be happy to install either a beeper on the back door / bed room doors when opened or a pool cover even if it's for 2 weeks.

Make sure any swimming costume are brightly coloured and not shades of blue as they can act as camouflage in water

Swim vests with floats in when playing near the pool.
In the pool a noodle keeps my daughter in a good swimming position and with arms bands as well she is very buoyant and can swim now independently. They are better if in a loop in front of them rather than tucked under their arms.
My daughter started swimming lessons in January at 3y5m and couldn't swim at all didn't want to be separated from me. 6 months on she swam fairly independent (with supervision and arm bands and noodle) every day of our recent holiday. Around Easter we have a real improvement so I think there is a chance in 4 months to get them more comfortable in the water and to be able to do a little swimming semi independently.

We have been in holiday twice recently with pools. The first had a thin cover on but was behind a picket fence up a set of steps and the second had a lockable hard cover.

Be keen on keeping doors locked if there isn't an adult outside with them. Would a stair gate on the external door be an option if it is likely to be open through out the day?

Personally I would steer clear of flotation devices and teach them how to float without.

one of the biggest dangers with pools is children who are used to armbands/swim vests etc, and don’t realise they don’t float without them.

twice I’ve had to rescue children from a pool on holiday, once because a child went down a slide with armbands on and was in deep water and couldn’t manoeuvre himself out. The other, which was very scary, was a toddler who’s parents had got him out the pool, taken his armbands off, turned to get a towel, and he jumped straight back in and sank like a stone next to me.

mine have never had armbands etc. water confidence and safety first, learning to float, roll onto backs, and kick to the side.

if anything ever does happen around water, the reality is they won’t have their armbands on and they won’t know how to save themselves.

one of the biggest dangers with pools is children who are used to armbands/swim vests etc, and don’t realise they don’t float without them.

this. A good swim school will do one lesson a term without goggles and with clothes so the kids will learn to swim with water in their eyes and wearing street clothes.

I would be making sure your 3 year old has 1 on 1 lessons or 1:2 lessons from now until Christmas that include water rescue and teaching them how to float on their backs and get to the side of the pool if they fall in. They won't be ablento swim confidently by Christmas but should be able to back float.

Agree with all the other tips on no floats and bright colour swim wear. Your going to have to keep your eyes on them the whole time, but I'm sure it'll still be fun for the kids.