I know I am odd; I haven't ever taken DD swimming but I wondered if anyone else felt the same way as I do...

[CrushWithEyeliner]

She is 2 and has been into the sea on holidays I have no problem with this. However, swimming pools just scare the hell out of me. The potential accidents, the germs, the noise . I just can't face it. Is it such a big deal?
I would like her to learn to swim - I am open to be convinced if anyone feels it is wrong to leave it till later....

Oh thank goodness, there was SO much pressure to take ds swimming when he was a baby, can't even remember who from - probably mymother - but I hated it, and I avoid it completely now.

I'd be happier in an outdoor pool actually.

Swimming pools are just horrid.

Surely swimming in the sea is much more dangerous than in a pool what with the currents, lack of lifeguards, sharks etc?

Although as an adult the plasters are a bit gross, as a kid I never noticed. Swimming was the best part of the week and we never got ill/verrucas/adult asthma because of it.

Your dd is quite young but I'd do it for her. She will probably love it.

I took DS1 from 4 months to council run swimming lessons. At about 12 months, he suddenly became terrified. He was so scared that he couldn't walk past the swimming pool entrance, look at a picture of water or get in a bath without me (for a little while). If someone had a paddling pool out he would hide inside. We persisted for a couple of weeks with trying to get him to overcome his fear, but it was just cruel so we gave up.

Then, we went to center parcs when he was 3.6 and he asked to go in the pool. We went, he got on the biggest slide and had a wonderful time splashing about, putting his head under water, going down the biggest slides I would let him. Totally unafraid. I asked him about it and he said he wasn't scared anymore because he had new trunks

Sorry that was long. My point is that taking a child very early won't ensure they aren't scared and if they are scared, they may get over it in their own time if you take the pressure off. I haven't bothered taking DS2 (12mo) yet.

I was informed by the local lesiure centre (where i was going to send DS (now 2) for swimming classes) that there was no point in sending him until he was 3.
Lots of people I know send them to these tenner-a-time Water Babies and such like classes but I think they're overhyped and a waste of money. One such example was my friend's little boy who has been going to these classes from a young age. Last year he was scared of the paddling pool, whereas my little boy, who has never been to a class, was straight in there!

Mine were scared till three. I didn't take them swimming (except holiday situations) until the youngest dcs were four. Then I just let them mess around quite a lot for a few sessions, then enrolled them on swimming lessons after about 5 months. The 6 year old learnt to swim by himself before he even had a lesson.
They are all complete waterbabies now. We go at least once a week, some terms lessons, some terms not. I've always stayed on the side (it is a shallow child's pool) and never really gone in with them, hating cold water (post dcs - some sort of mental block) despite being a good swimmer. But have just ventured into big adult's pool with them and really enjoying swimming myself suddenly. And it feels wonderful when you've had a good swim yourself - very energising not exhausting at all. (This is 8 years on!)

So the message is, you can leave it a bit later rather than feel you HAVE to do it, and hate it. Find a completely child friendly pool first though - I paid to be a member of a cheapish health centre. But there were loads of more child friendly public pools a car drive away from us - they just didn't let you supervise three dcs under 7 at once. Leave plenty of time, don't have any reason to rush. Possibly stay in a very short time to start with even if it seems a waste of money.

Gateau, we found those classes to be great. DD really was Kicking up to the surface, getting herself to either the side of the pool, or something floating and holding on. And floating on her back. As a baby......a lifesaving skill.
She was swimming 10m at 2 1/2.

Like I said earlier - we live on a riverbank, by the sea. water safety is an issue for us. I agree that if children start learning at 3 yrs old they will perhaps take less time to learn to swim.
But I can't see a baby having those skills is a bad thing.

I was 9 before I was made to learn to swim after i got a nasty fright on holiday.

My grandad taught me to swim after that and i wanted to take ds 3 when he was a tot but the only thing that got in my way was the fact that i''m too fat for a cossy (5ft 7" and 14.5st) but i got over that 3 wks ago and at first he hated it but now he absolutely loves and when he reaches 4 i will be booking him in for swimming lessons.

I'd hate him to be 14, 15 (whatever age) kicking about with his mates and falling into a canal or river and not being able to take care of himself and have the police knocking on our door with the horrible news stamped all over their faces-the guilt for me would be too much to bear as i would feel i've failed as a mother!

I too wasn't sure about the place, germs, cold etc. but it makes a difference when you have fun and I have warm memories of a lovely hot chocolate with my grandad after the baths, and hope i can pass these lovely memories onto my son.

hope this helps

DS1 has been swimming with us once a week since he was 3 months old (two now). He loves it - it's social, fun and he loves it. What germs do parents think children pick up in a pool? My child doesn't get ill as a result of swimmimg - this is just misplaced parental angst.

I hate being cold afterwards and don't like washing all the towels - but both a small price to pay.

I love swimming, in nice, private pools. But hate municipal swimming pools which is the only kind I have access to these days. So I have put off swimming with DS until last week ;) Now he is signed up for lessons as we live near a canal and I really think he needs to learn.

Oh for the days when I had rich friends with their own pools, LOL!

Waterbabies and classes of that ilk may be good, paisley, but they're vastly overpriced.
Children can learn the same thing in council-run classes at a fraction of the price.

I have tried both. The council won't sway from ASA at our pool.

I think each to their own - I've taken both my 2 swimming since they were 3 mths old. They are complete waterbabies. DD1 is a good swimmer at 3 and dd2 is very water confident at 1. However if you don't feel confident then don't - like others have said at that age just build confidence in baths and paddling pools. I would say though to reconsider when they reach school age - they can go to lessons on their own so you don't have to deal with it.
If its the logistics of it - well think it through beforehand - I shove mine in easy to put on clothes, put dd2 in the playpen while I get changed and i have a huge bag that i put everything in and then cram into locker. I also bring biscuits and things for afterwards - dd1 sits and eats with hoody towel while I dress dd2 and myself.

On a side note - one of the managers at my local pool was telling me that EU regs say that for every person that gets in the pool they have to replace 30 litres and there are v. strict rules on monitoring the cleaniness of pools and the chemicals in them. So all the swimming in urine stuff is really in your head. And the sea, rivers and lakes have animal urine and other unknown pollutants. I do agree that changing rooms can be disgusting though.
Sorry for long post

I always wish I'd been taken swimming more when I was younger as I loathe it now. Of course, that means I am reluctant to take dd! I always felt behind at school when we did swimming, and I couldn't actually swim until I was 8.
DH loves it, but won't take dd on his own because of the changing so we have to go together, and it rarely happens!

DH and I first took DD when she was 5 months old. It was a complete nightmare, the pool was cold, it was hard to get into the pool holding a baby, DD screamed, we were shivering and dripping wet trying to dry her off as quickly as possible afterwards, and then we had nowhere safe/dry/clean to put her while we got dressed ourselves.

I tried again when she was about 13 months, going with a friend and her son. DD screamed her head off. I persevered and we went regularly every week for a while. DD finally got used to it and started to seem like she was enjoying it. Then we missed a week, and the next week it was back to screaming again.

I have just started taking her again now the weather is warmer, to an under 5's session at a different pool.
It's a completely different experience. This pool is really clean and bright and airy and warm, the cubicles are spacious, and the floors are nearly always dry, and always very clean. DD loves it now.

I think she was too young before, and it is something that is nicer in the summer anyway. And finding an attractive pool has made a massive difference too

My ds goes swimming with me weekly at a local pool, which has a great pool for him, but takes a lot for me to go into (not exactly luxurious [grimace!]). However, I put up with it, because he absolutely loves it....and I'm sure it's germ-ridden but so is nursery, play centre, shopping centre etc etc. I guess maybe I have to sometimes put my prejudice aside and let him enjoy something.....and his confidence in the water has come on leaps and bounds. He asks every week to go. It would be a shame to deny your child something - why not try it a couple of times on hot days ( so not when freezing etc etc) and see what happens? If they hate it, then they are not missing out.

I take my lo swimming in a private pool which is much cleaner/warmer/nicer than the public baths. There are loads around here and we are way oop north so bound to be some in your area too. Its well worth the £10 to have the place to ourselves and very tiring loads of fun for ds (5 months). Seems a shame for your dd to miss out because you don't like the public pools. I totally understand why though, they are horrid!