A 4 year old who's never been to a swimming pool - reason to judge?

[emkana]

discuss

Ofcourse, we don't usually go to an indoor pool, we go to a lovely open air pool...

well seen as my five year old and three year old have never been I'd be the last person to judge.

DD is 3.5 and has only been once in her life. She often has chest infections so everytime I think about taking her I chicken out. She DID love it the one time she went, so I really must do it more...

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they can do

Not all.. Can't believe anyone would judge on this basis! What about issues around proximity, cost, parental ability and the whole 1:1 parent/child ratio (which is why I don't take mine swimming).. Def a nice to do but not tantamount to anything iffy if you dont!

Oh of course it's a reason to judge, you can always find a reason if you're that way inclined.

Very sad that fun but not particularly necessary activy has become one of the things parents judge each other on. Just because a 4 year old hasn't been, doesn't mean he can't learn later, of course he can, I'm pretty sure I didn't go until I was about 6 and I do 30 lengths easily now!

I had never been in one at this age- I learnt to swim in the sea. Very cold and often choppy, but I've always hated chlorine and the whole hemmed-in artificial swimming pool experience.

I've still taken my children, but would never judge anyone on this. Hey, there must be other families where it would be considered neglectful if a child had never ridden a horse, or sailed a boat (that would be my family), or stood on a pair of skis or learnt map-reading or whatever. My dd at 11 can't ride a bike (motor skills problems).

The important thing is that the child gets to do something- but I don't think it's tremendously important what you do.

And especially, I don't think it's important at what age you start. I spent all my summers on an island, 5 minutes from the beach, and I still didn't learn to swim until I was about 6 or 7. I am a very strong confident swimmer. I know several people who have learnt as adults.

Anyway, at my dc's school, children are offered swimming lessons if they can't swim by Yr 4, so maybe the same will happen to the child in the OP.

No, I wouldn't judge. I might about people who take their children for lessons at a ridiculously young age and get all upset when they fail to learn to swim before they're 6 - oh, hang on, I can't - that was me with DS1.