Are swimming lessons pointless for under 3's?

[littleoranges]

I have just come back from a holiday with my 13 month old, who last year, was absolutely fine in the water, didn't even flinch in an unheated pool. However, this year he was totally different and did NOT like the water. Heated too. I have taken him a few times to the local pool and he has been fine, arguably, not for a little while now. Just wanted to know if swimming lessons for under 3/4 year olds are pointless/ waste of money? Should I just make the effort and take him myself in the hope he builds up his confidence with the water again, and then start lesson when he is a little older?

I have two DC and I took my eldest to swimming lessons from 3 months - my second one is almost two and hasn't had weekly swimming lessons but still enjoys the water currently..... I think a good advantage of swimming lessons under 3 is that you're more likely to take them weekly if they have lessons, and they get used to putting their face in, jumping in, etc. I keep meaning to arrange swimming lessons for my second......... I don't think they'll be particularly behind or disadvantaged though if you don't do them!

DD is now 7 but did swimming lessons from 4 months to 4 years (when they started swimming lessons at school). My take is that, for her, the lessons didn't really help her learn to swim -but they did introduce her to the water and helped her become water confident.

I agree with others. My daughter has been to swimming lessons from 3months and is nearly 2 now. She isn’t really learning to swim but she loves the water and it makes holidays so much more enjoyable for her. There’s every chance she would still love the water as much if we didn’t do the lessons but I dont think I’d take her anywhere near as often without the commitment of paying a monthly fee. They do teach dunking and holding onto the side too. The idea is although they can’t swim the ability not to panic if they fall In or be able hold on may buy you a little more time. In a nutshell not essential but we’ve seen the benefits.

For fun and water pleasure, yes. Swimming, no.

Like others I took my first from 3 months. It helped her enjoy water but she didn't actually learn to swim properly until she was 4. I'm convinced I could have taken her swimming weekly as a baby/toddler then started her in swimming lessons when she started school and had exactly the same outcome. My second is nearly 4 and started stage 1 lessons last month, he's been swimming regularly since he was a baby but never had lessons and there's no real difference in ability between him now and his big sister at this age.

My daughter started at 3 months.

In March she won 3 gold medals at county level.

Start young!

I didn't start as early as PP, but do agree that it's really worthwhile if accessible to you.

Yes. The child isn't developmentally able to follow remote instructions that young, so from their pov, they are pretty pointless.

If you have plenty of money though, I can see that signing up to a course of lessons "makes" you go each week, whereas if you are just taking them on your own, it feels easier to miss a week or two, which then becomes 3, and so forth.

I do think little ones benefit from going regularly with their adults.

We did the lessons from 8 months and we had fun but I don’t think they have helped with learning to swim. DD is almost 4 and has actually regressed recently. When we went on holiday at 2 years she also refused to get in the pool and the sea despite enjoying the lessons at the time.

Yes pointless and a waste of money. Just take them yourself, on holidays and occasionally to the pool. Make fun memories. Start swimming lessons properly later on

They certainly are not pointless.

They will help your child be confident in water and see being in the water as something that can be fun.

Plus it is a life skill and it is good their safety to learn how to swim.

I am a bit biased because I was born in a seaside town and learn how to swim in the sea really early. Made me very confident in the water.

But @Greenwitchart - you can take your baby swimming regularly, have fun, get used to being splashed, jumping in etc., without paying out for baby swimming lessons.

I don't think anyone is saying "no point in taking your baby swimming" , people are saying "no point in paying for baby swimming lessons" other than it might mean you are more likely to go each week if you've paid in advance for some expensive sessions.

DD is a competitive swimmer. In her team, there is a 4 years old. She just wins every race at every swim meet because she doesn’t compete against anybody. She is the only one in the pool during her race. It is insane.
This said, 13 months is very young and it is about familiarity with water, face in water and toys.

I gave up on baby swimming because it was so very expensive and we missed sessions if DD was poorly. Both of my DD started lessons when they were four. They are both really excellent swimmers now but what made the difference was continuing with lessons after the age of ten. Most of their school friends stopped at the age of eight or nine or ten but both DD continued despite being very average at that point. They moved up the groups and ended up doing life-saving etc. I've spent hours at the side of the pool and it was worth it. They're young adults now and swim well and with enjoyment. The lessons were at our local sports foundation non-profit, the cheapest I could find, but the teachers were good even if the pool wasn't fancy 😀

At that age I don’t think it matters whether it is a lesson or whether you just go regularly yourself. The important bit is not being scared of water or putting your face under.

A paid-for lesson usually makes you less likely to skip, but if you think you will definitely go every weekend, it will be just as effective.

Swimming is a progressive skill so regular exposure is really important.

im a swimming teacher who teaches both parent and baby and older children. So many children starting lessons at age 3 or 4 won’t put there face in, won’t go on their back, are terrified. A swimming teacher can only do so much in terms of teaching if the child doesn’t like water on the face or won’t put their face in. Taking your child swimming regularly from babyhood makes a BIG difference. Children can consolidate there skills between the ages of 2 and 3 and swim by around 3 (maybe younger).

What is taught or learned in the swimming baby swimming classes is variable depending on the teacher. A good teacher can help you get your child swimming in toddlerhood if you start early. Classes can be really beneficial but I always tell parents who quit lessons to please continue to take there baby or toddler to the pool as regularly as possible because the consistent exposure makes a huge difference.

there’s some really good resources online (and also some terrible ones). There’s a lady in Australia with a business called Water Gems who posted on Facebook literally this week about what’s “normal” and what’s possible at different ages.

We’ve never done swimming lessons but DH takes just 2 year old DS weekly and he loves it. Very comfortable in the water, confident now floating with his arm bands on (DH is always within arms length) and jumping off the side. Our neighbour is a swimming teacher and she doesn’t advise swimming lessons until they’re old enough to understand and follow instruction properly, but getting them comfortable in water first is great.

I think it’s very dependent on the child to be honest. My DC hated the pool as a baby - screamed the place down. I tried occasionally but they were not a fan at all. But they are the type to wait until they are really sure of something to try it. So started swim lessons when they were almost 7 years old. They absolutely zoomed though the stages and overtook lots of those that had been going since toddlers.

So I definitely wouldn’t panic and would try to do lots of other ways to have fun in water for confidence - paddling pools, take swimming for family fun sessions with the water toys. But I’m not convinced on swim lessons that young if the child not keen.

My 4 year old has been to lessons every week since 8 weeks. It’s some of the best money I’ve spent as a parent. His confidence in the water is fantastic - we regularly overhear other parents encouraging their less confident children to observe what he’s doing - and he is actually able to swim small distances, although I will say it’s definitely not the case for the other children in his class so it’s not a given. However one of the most important factors for me is the safety aspect. When he lands in water he knows how to get on his back and can float comfortably for a long time. If he’s close to the edge of the pool he can turn and get himself onto the wall. That might just be enough to get him out of a tricky spot one day, as much as I like to think I’d never take my eyes off him. Also, he does just love it. The lessons for us are about enjoying the water. Any skills have been a bonus.

As PP said, a lot of it you could do yourself if you’re committed to taking him weekly but having paid lessons booked means you stick to the commitment to go.

Took my son swimming at age 4, he came out screaming.....LOL

At 5, he took to it like a duck to water.

Went scuba diving in Mexico when on holiday at age 15. Him, not me....

Teaching your kids to swim is so important. It's life saving!

I live in a place with lots of water around. Lot of men fished out of the canal due to a few too many drinks, pissing and falling in.

So sad.

I’m a swimming teacher, with 2 little children.
I would say at this age it’s either lessons or you take them.
not taking them for months and expecting them to just be fine is unreasonable at their age.
if you can’t commit to regularly taking them, then yes, book in for lessons so you actually go x

My daughter had lessons and earned her first badge before she was three so I’d definitely go with lessons

Absolutely not a waste of time or money! I took our daughter from 6m and she was swimming short distances independently before she was 3 and went on to swim her 5 metre badge at 3.5. It’s so worth getting them learning young, plus there’s the confidence built by regular swimming

I did a few months of baby swim classes when my first was little but they felt a bit pointless so I stopped. He’s now age 4 and started 1:1 private swimming lessons and the difference in just 6 weeks is incredible! He’s really learnt swimming techniques and can already swim and float on his back whereas before he hated having his ears in the water. I’d say save the money you’d spend on group lessons and put on 1:1 lessons in a few years instead!

DS2 has done swimming lessons every week since 2 or 3 months, he is 3 and swims by himself, can get in and out of th e pool unaided and swim out and back to the edge. I think it’s made a real difference and he’s definitely more confident that his brother was who didn’t have lessons.