Swimming lessons - does every child do it?

[middleagedandinarage]

How important does everyone think child swimming lessons are? Does everyone put their children? DD's 6 and 4, both currently go to council run lessons, half an hour once a week. They both hate it, have done since day one, don't hold a carry on when actually in the pool and do as they're asked but it's a fight getting them to go every week and the fight is draining! I've always said it's none negotiable, swimming lessons are a must but are they? Is it worth the fight?

I enrolled my DC in swimming lessons as soon as I could. They're in their 20s now but I think it was after the last lot of jabs, so when they were a few months old.

It was important to me because I can't swim. I had lessons at school but I was just terrified. I thought if I could get my babies used to the water and confident before they were aware, then they'd not have the fear I have. Worked out great! Both are excellent swimmers.

Our little boy is hearing impaired and waiting for surgery , nearly 4 years old and can’t go swimming due to his ears , I think if they’re water confident then you’ve done good take that load of stress off and give it a break it’s not the end of the world , you’ve given them a good head start by getting them to lessons already and sounds like they’ve done the job ! take a break and revisit it when you’re ready just have a breather for now xx

Another vote for private lessons. My two did three half term crash courses and the Saturdays in between. I stopped once they could swim fifty metres and had done some lifesaving practice. I also waited a bit and did it when they were 7, although we did go swimming as a family before then.

@lauram31 try not to worry too much. My eldest was the same and was a late starter in the pool. He had to have the ear putty and the little headband afterwards and so was a nightmare because he still couldn't hear anything in the pool!

I taught him myself. Mostly on caravan holidays where he could go a few days running or multiple times in a day. Pools with shallow steps down are easiest because they can push off into a swimming position. Those suits with the flat floats inside also helped my other kids as they could get into swimming position and practice arms and legs.

He had four council lessons which were a disaster because they gave the instructions looking away at the furthest point from him despite me asking every week that he be closest to the instructor or he can't hear. He could swim by then but wanted stroke improvement but it failed to help. If you get proper lessons, make sure they understand how hard that environment is to pick out the right sounds.

However age 11 he is not perfect in technique but fairly competent in all but back stroke (he never liked putting his ears in the water this way round although being underwater fully is fine!)
He can happily swim 30 lengths if we go for an hour with some playing in between.

As others have said, many that start late progress much quicker. Hope his op goes well.

Learning to swim is non negotiable but we just did the summer crash courses and all 4 of my dc can swim. Dd2 really did not enjoy swimming but she can swim - she's in her 30s now and rarely enters a body of water unless it's a bath!

Hey . Oh I’m not worried whatsoever , which is the point I’m making that some kids can’t go swimming anyway so the fact her children are water confident is great and a head start for them to be water confident and safe ☺️

thanks , it’s very frustrating isn’t it , our boys in his own little world half the time bless him , and swimming is definitely not high on our priority list at the moment lol

thankyou me to 🙊 not very nice but hoping he will struggle less etc when he’s more hearing ☺️

@Funnyduck60 Dd 3 did swimming with the school in years 3 and 4 and she didn't learn a thing! I don't think anyone in her class actually learned to swim with the school lessons as the whole class was taken over each time dealing with disruptive pupils including the son of the headmistress who refused to get in the water or had a tantrum. Dd3 was already confident in water and can now swim but certainly in our case school swimming lessons was basically a tick box exercise.

It is pretty easy to teach your kids yourself, especially if you wait till they are juniors age. We have mostly done it whilst on holiday in the pool or sea and all of my kids are able to swim. One of very confident and the other two can easily swim a length or width of a pool.

I’m a swimming teacher and a parent and I agree about the Swim England curriculum (STA is similar).

I actually think taking your kids swimming younger than suggested here is a good idea as some children are really afraid of the water, putting there head in etc. You need to get them used to the water young. I currently take my baby and also make sure at bath time I pour water over his head frequently!

1-2-1 intensive lessons once they hit 5-7 is a good idea but small groups are ok too. If you pay for 1-2-1 your more likely to be able to not follow whatever curriculum the school uses and just get them to teach what you want them to be able to do.

Just ask adults who never learned to swim as children, all those I know regret it. Despite learning as an adult my Dh is still terrified of being out of his depth and panics.

It’s important but those council run ones are crap, at least they are where I am. I took my daughter out because she just wasn’t making progress- feels like it’s a different instructor every week and no systematic approach taken. I also think it’s better if the instructor is in with them. I was looking into this and read that children learn swimming better with a short period of frequent high intensity lessons than weeks and weeks of half an hour a week. Like, if they could go every day or every other day for half hour a session.
Im thinking of just teaching my daughter myself.

Wow I never realised swimming was considered an important skill but it makes sense. Swimming isn't something we've ever done apart from the school lessons and none of us can swim.

Learning to swim is an absolute must but how you do that can vary.

Do you ever take them to the pool and have fun? We did the swimming lessons but also went to the pool regularly and they learnt a lot faster than just doing the 30 minute lesson, progressed quicker so it did not seem endless and same all of the time.

My husband is very confident in water and he never let the children use flotation devices when young and they learnt their natural buoyancy quick.

As an adult who was never taught to swim by my parents I am rubbish near water, miss out on lots of holiday fun and even though I’ve learnt as an adult would probably die if I fell into water.

It’s important but maybe say to yourself they need to get up to x level then they can stop. National curriculum has swimming on it so they will do lessons again at primary school when they’re older.

DC1 absolutely loved swimming lessons and attended them from baby to 18 years old.

DC2 didn’t enjoy them and insisted on stopping while they were in stage 2 and when they could only swim about 5m. I did continue to take DC2 to the pool regularly for fun. DC2 is obviously now a lifeguard 🤣🤣🤣 and can swim 100m very fast and with a reasonably good stroke and also has decent endurance. Still not interested in swimming though but loves sport in general.

I think every family who has the money and time, does do it.
They're not cheap and often need a car or a part time working parent or supportive grandparents to slot them in though.

And a long waiting list in some cases.