NOW CLOSED Talk to Speedo about children learning to swim and be in with a chance of winning 1 of 3 £50 Speedo vouchers

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

As part of the work we're doing with Speedo, we want to find out what you think about all things swimming-related. Here's what Speedo say about what they're doing: "With new research revealing that 40% of British children can't swim, Speedo has teamed up with Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and her mum Kay to launch a new learn to swim competition, in a bid to empower parents and children to take the plunge, have fun and get in the pool."

We've provided a few questions to get you started but please feel free to add any other comments you have. Everyone who adds their comments here will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three £50 Speedo vouchers to spend in store or online.

This thread is open to all MNers. Please note that your comments may appear (anonymously) on the Speedo pages on Mumsnet, and potentially elsewhere.

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

You can also enter Speedo's competition on Mumsnet here.

MNHQ

[veryconfusedatthemoment]

It is important and I started with my DS at age 3 with fun play lessons in the water to give him water confidence. I didnt do more formal lessons until I realised that when he went swimming with the school in Yr 1 when he was 5 he was the poorest swimmer in class and that knocked his confidence.

It should be parents but for example I am not a good swimmer and already have to teach/support my DS at maths/literacy etc so really dont want to have to do swimming as well. He goes with school but only for 12 weeks each year, hence private lessons.

I dont teach my son swimming - not really a good enough swimmer

DS (age 7) struggles with concentration - he enjoys being in the water but not so much the swimming lessons. Yet more pressure on a young child. I persevere as the swimming is an important life skill.

I do feel pressure - DS is the poorest swimmer in the year and he finds that hard. Many of his older friends in the year are doing length badges and certificates. DS can barely swim a few strokes. Whn he swims with school he is given 1:1 help which makes him different to his peer group.

By the way my son's only issue is that he is late summer born in a class of mostly much older girls. This is yet another area where he doesnt do as well and his confidence is shot to pieces.

[jimmenycricket]

We have been trying to get our children swimming, however the local pool is taken up entirely with lessons except for Saturdays when it's full of marauding teens who intimidate little ones.

FYI we did try and get them into a swim class and managed it, but were unable to renew as we couldn't go queue up for two hours to book it on a particular day (some of us, you know, WORK) .

They start at school in yr 1 here though so my daughter does it at school. My four year old though, frankly, despite ten weeks of lessons, has no clue at all.

[ToothbrushThief]

Swimming is an essential life skill AFAIC

I started with my DC under a year. Kept swimming up throughout childhood. It's an enjoyable family activity. DC now swims (very well) with a club. I think it has to be regular to be effective. 10 weeks with school just isn't going to give confidence or ability. You'd be better off doing a water safety course in that time.

My older DC swam 2 miles in a pool (no feet down, stopping or holding sides) in their early teens.

Swimming enables them to safely socialise at the beach/pool etc. it's a good exercise and social activity

I wish pools were cheaper with better family changing

I find the commitment to taking DC to lessons and club irksome at times but the benefits outweigh it

[mummytime]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

YES - I started to get mine used to the water as babies, starting to learn to swim at 6.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Schools should teach kids to swim, and it should be done by intensive swimming courses, not the present system where they often actually learn to swim outside of school. As it is kids whose parents can't afford top up swimming lessons may not actually learn to swim.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I have helped boost confidence, but had a professional teacher teach them. I don't want to teach them bad stroke technique. It's like getting a professional music teacher, I can help with practise not teaching.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

My oldest two enjoy it, my youngest doesn't but has progressed fairly well. It would be nice if it didn't have to take up their free time, but could be learnt adequately in school.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

I would love to if it was more convenient.

[swallowedAfly]

i'm an ex scuba diving instructor so pretty confident in the water and was a bit shocked by how much my ds hated it! what i found was that they have to be ready or you can easily just deepen their aversion.

what really helps in my opinion is a sunny holiday by a pool with lots of other children around enjoying the water. in one week he had overcome his aversion and was loving the water and happily swimming about out of his depth in arm bands and happy to take off the arm bands and swim with a float and 'try' at swimming. big relief for me that he finally liked it.

since then i've been a bit slack in keeping it up but on the couple of ocassions we've been to pools he's been able to negotiate the pool holding onto a small float and it's very clear that moving on from that will not be difficult. i've done nothing about formally teaching him to swim yet. at primary school within the next year or so they start going swimming and having more formal lessons and maybe i'm relying on that a bit too much.

i think, ideally, it is for parents to provide opportunities to be in the water and learn confidence and pleasure but more formal 'swimming lessons' would be better done by the pros through school. i say ideally because not all adults can swim themselves or feel confident in the water and you can't teach what you haven't got. for my son it will be a combo of my efforts, the schools and his desire to swim that gets us there. i do think the confidence and fun is the most important part - learning to swim, surf, dive, etc is all fairy easy if you are happy in the water.

this thread has reminded me about swimming actually - my son is only 5 but yes it's probably time for me to be taking him more regularly and teaching him some basic skills like how to float and scull/scoon (is that what it's called?). i remember when my niece and nephews were little i'd teach them things like that and how to sink and make a game of who could sink and stay under (not easy for kids as it feels counterintuitive to let your breath out underwater rather than hold it). little things that made them 'get' how your body works in the water and to feel confident in it. time to start doing this with ds.

[pushitreallgood]

my youngest two can swim but my eldest can not i am not sure how that happened and i am trying to rectify it at the moment and trying to teach her as i feel it is important to be confident and comfortable in the water at all times. her father can not swim and is terrified of water and i do not want tht for her. i was taught at school and i know she had a term of swimming lessons but came out of it none the wiser. i think swimming should be part of the school pe curriculum to ensure all children can swim.

[NiniLegsInTheAir]

~Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?
I think it's very important and should be encouraged from a young age. But especially so from about the age of 3.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?
I think it should be everyone - parents for obvious reasons, schools should be involved (my parents didn't teach me how to swim so the only real time I went swimming was with school and in some households that still applies). Government should also be encouraging swimming as you never know when the skills could be useful.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?
My DD is only 1 and we havn't taken her swimming as much as I'd like. I am a very poor swimmer with not much water confidence and have nobody else to take her. Proper swimming lessons are very expensive so at the moment, I'm not taking her. I'd like to but don't feel confident doing it on my own.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?
On the rare occasions when I do take my DD, she is scared at first but loves it after a few minutes. Having bigger kids around who splash a lot make it more frightening for her however.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?
I feel pressure from other mums who have the time/money to go to swimming lessons, and also from companies trying to get me to buy lessons.

I'd also like to make the point that where I live, swimming lessons happen almost exclusively during the week, and I work full-time. Open pool sessions at our local public pool are short at weekends too and very busy. I'd also like to see some provision for swimming lessons for parents who are not very water confident so they can learn with their kids at the same time!

[crackersncheese]

I think it's massively important to learn to swim as a child. I wasn't taught at all until I had a term at school at around 10. Never really mastered any technique and although I love being in water I'm not at confident.
I'm starting to take my 4month old for lessons in a few weeks. This is more to build my confidence with him in the water so we can swim for fun as a family. Will probably enroll him for proper lessons once he's at school so I don't pass on my awful technique (I look like im drowning very very slowly).

[Roseformeplease]

Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

Mine started at 3 and loved it. They had been in the pool before then, but started lessons at 3. We live by the coast so it is essential - a potential lifesaver - not to mention really good fun. The other issue here in the frozen North is the weather. Swimming provides a cheap, year round form of exercise. Once they are 8 they can go to the pool without an adult, meaning that it gives them a social occasion and something they can enjoy with their friends.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Parents, ultimately, but mine have enjoyed lessons we have paid for topped up by swimming lessons with school (at the same pool, and with some of the same instructors) and have also loved swimming just as a leisure activity.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

We supported their learning with lots of practice. No, I wasn't worried about helping them as I was there during the lessons and saw what they had achieved. However, they were prepared to try more with an instructor than with me and made much faster progress as a result. When I tried to get them, for example, to take a stroke on their own, they were clingy and reluctant. The instructor just told them to do it and they did!

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

Not really any problems. The only issue was when I tried to be the other end of the pool with my younger child while my older one (aged 3) was just beginning to learn to swim. He didn't see why he couldn't be with his Mum and sister and cried a lot. We ended up watching from the gallery and then getting in to join him after the lesson which solved this.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

Not really. We are very fortunate with our pool and its proximity and they go when they want (free once in High School) and enjoy it. The only pressure has been during the dreaded swimming pool parties when they were younger. The adults had to go in the pool if the children were under 8, meaning floating around for an hour, getting freezing cold, while the children played on a giant float, leaving no space for actual swimming to get warm. So very glad when these stopped. We used to fight to be the one that didn't have to go in.

[treetrunkthighs]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

I think it is vital to encourage children to learn to swim. I think that pre-school is probably the best - I have taken both of mine since they were 2/3 months old and both could swim a width at 4 years old. I think they probably would have learnt at the same rate if they'd started later but it is such a great bonding experience getting in the pool with a baby, especially with no floating aids - all that cuddling and skin to skin...what's not to like?!

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Parents. However I think it is great if schools have the money/facilities/time to mop up the ones who have slipped through. I think the government could make swimming accessible to all and offering free/low cost sessions would be a good move.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I try not to get involved with "teaching" them now - especially the older one who can swim far better than me, but I do encourage and try to emulate what I have seen the younger one doing in lessons when we go as a family. I am not very confident in the water, which is a big factor in why I think swimming is so important - I wish I could do it well and enjoy it but I can't. My older daughter (10) gains enormous pleasure from swim training and competing which is really all I wanted.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

A bit of both really. There is a time where you know they can do it but they haven't got the confidence when it can get frustrating but there is nothing like pressure to put them right off so I have tried to keep calm!

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

I spend half my life at the pool as it is, so even if I feel the pressure i don't bow down! The pressure probably comes from me - lots pf dds peers swim 5/6 times a week - we aren't able to commit to that at the moment but deep down I feel we should!

[strandednomore]

Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

Yes definitely for lots of reasons: enjoyment, exercise, so they can join in on holidays, and of course safety when we are at the beach or at a pool. Also, we have loved overseas and had a pool in our garden so it would have been very strange if they didn't learn to swim!

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

A combination - swimming teachers and parents. I think prices should be subsidised by the government though.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I have helped them by taking them swimming as often as possible and re-inforcing what their teachers have taught them, but I leave it up to the experts to teach them the proper strokes etc. I don't want them to have to un-do what I have taught them!

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

Mostly been an enjoyable experience. Both learned to swim from a very early age (one was three, the other two when they started swimming independently of arm bands etc) so it has been a fairly easy transition

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

A little pressure from them! But I hate indoor municipal pools, they are fairly boring and I find them cold! and the changing rooms are horrid. We try and go on holidays to places with waterparks etc as much as possible

[Arcticwaffle]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

When they were babies I used to think that swimmiing was the ONLY activity I really wanted them to be good at young. We do a lot of watersports and it seemed important to have them able to swim. We started when they were 4 months old with weekly toddler swim sessions, moving on to lessons from about 3, still going on the lessons many years later.

But retrospectively I think it was a waste of time taking them young, children who rarely went near a pool til 6 or so very quickly overtook my dc in swimming ability. Currently my dc are still learning to swim, in lessons with children far younger. They don't really seem to be great natural swimmers. They can all swim (aged 12, 10, 8) but they won't win any prizes.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Parents primarily but schools/government should also provide opportunities to learn to swim, it's an important life skill.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I got very bored taking them as toddlers, I didn't really try to teach them myself, I think the swimming teachers are probably better at this than I am.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

They like going swimming for fun, but they find the lessons challenging and don't always enjoy them, though they like being able to swim. Sometimes I've had to bribe my 8yo to keep going with an end-of-course treat.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

The children would like to go swimming more, for fun, and we do take them but don't always have the time or energy.

[DizzyHoneyBee]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

Yes, it is vital as there is water around so much where they can get into difficulties. Children should be introduced to playing in the water as soon as they have had their first vaccinations and then they and gradually learn more and more skills, especially not to be afraid of the water.


~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Parents, and swimming teachers. Schools tend no to go until year 3/4 which is quite late but it does pick up the children who have never been taught by their parents or had lessons.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I helped teach my child until he was 5, then he had swimming lessons but could already swim a width by then.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

He used to be terrified of the water and would scream at the prospect. That all changed one day when he decided to try to swim without his arm bands, he never looked back and now is on the town swimming team.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

No, but they swim 3 times a week already.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

[prakattack]

I think it's really important for children to learn to swim as early as possible. I do my best to take them as often as I can, though at this stage, I'm just trying to make sure they're confident and sensible around water, not teaching them to swim as such.
My eldest, just turned 3, is ready to learn properly now I think but I don't actually know where to start. Local council swimming lessons are from 4, the ones for 3yr olds are for building water confidence, which we can do ourselves. Think we'll have to wait a year...

[iwantavuvezela]

Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

For me personally it is important for me to encourage my daughter (5) to swim. I think it comes from living previously in a sunny climate, and having fond memories of been in the pool every day, swimming, diving and been really confident in water. I have also seen adults who are afraid of the water, and I would like the happy medium for my daughter, to be able to swim, to be confident in water, and to be able to go swimming with friends, enjoy the sea etc. I also think its great exercise.

Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

I think this for a child rests with parents. To take a child swimming involves the chagning and unchanging, getting them ready, drying them etc. I think this would be too much work to ask of a nursery or when children are in their first years at school. I enjoy doing this with my daugther, i would be happy if she did swimming at school, but would see that as a supplement. I would not expect the goverment to intervene in this AT ALL.

If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

My daughter has been learning to swim for the last two years. I take her swimming and keep it fun, but try and replicate the techniques that I have seen in her swimming class. I feel absolutely confident to take her swimming and if there were no teachers around, with some help I could teach her myself. My duaghter has grown in confidence with her lessons. It started with her crying when she thought we had lessons and terrified of putting her nose, let alone head under the water. A year later she was referred to as a real water baby at a swimming party!

Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

Yes she is loving it. In the beginning, and her initial fear of jumping in; head going under she didnt but I perserved. I am glad I did - she is always now keen to go to her lesson, and i see her improving slowly but surely.

Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

The only pressure would come from myself. I would like to go more often with her, but often run out of time over a weekend. I dont feel pressure from anyone to do this, but I value her learning to swim, enjoying the water, seen her confidence grow, so i feel internally I should support this more than I do.

[kellestar]

Yes I do think it's important that they are confident in the water. I've been taking my DD 22months to a weekly parent and toddler session since she was 6 weeks. It's been great for both of us, she really loves the water. She has delphin armbands and paddles about a bit. She'll be going to lessons when she's 3 [youngest they start at]. I'm expecing DC2 in April and hope to take them swimming too.

I think parents should take the main responsibility, having people show you that are confident in water helps build your confidence. I think it's great that there are swimming lessons once they get to school, but I think they should be water confident at that time. I will be using a swimming teacher once DD is older, as having another child will make it hard to teach DD, however I will still take her swimming, but more for fun.

I loved the water as a child and spent lots of time at the pool, my Dad used to take us and when I was older our school took us swimming and I joined the leisure centre's active kids club on a Saturday morning. DH loves swimming too. We are lucky that we live close to a small community pool who charge very reasonable rates for sessions and lessons, the council leisure centres are at least twice the price and the pool temp isn't as warm.

My mum, my Gran and my MiL can't swim, they all had bad experiences when they were younger and it put them off. In fact they think I shouldn't be encouraging DD as they are petrified of water and worried about her drowning. They've been to see DD in the pool and spent most of the time fretting at the pool side. Though MiL has offered to help me out at swimming when DC2 arrives, I think she'll pass on her nerves to either of them by being so fretful, she's happy to put on a swimsuit and get in the water as long as she is in the shallow end. I'm not sure I'd even trust her if she doesn't know how to swim, what if she slipped and struggled to find her footing. But that's a bridge we will cross when DC2 arrives.

[skaen]

Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

I think its vital. A really important life skill

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

Parents should be responsible for organising lessons but should only teach children to swim themselves if they have enough knowledge and capability. I was taught to swim by my dad and while I'm ace at doggy paddle, it would have been helpful to have learned other strokes and be able to be really good but my parents didn't see any point in going beyond that. I'm now learning crawl as an adult. If parents can't or won't organise lessons, the school should step in.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I've been taking them swimming and encouraging them to show me what they've learnt. I don't try and teach them anything as I don't want to cause confusion but try to encourage water confidence and showing off.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

My DD is 5 and is starting to enjoy it. She can swim a bit on her back and underwater on her front but can't quite get to the full stroke. Plenty of time though.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

DD would love to go swimming more often. However, all the pools round here are 1 adult per child up to age 4 and 1 adult per 2 children to age 8. As DS isn't 3 yet, it will be some time before I can take them on my own, which effectively means we can only go at weekends when DH and I are both free.

[millie19]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?
YES- I believe it's very important to both their health & their safety that children should learn to swim. My dd started at 5months old and ds started at 4 months and so I think the earlier the better as it means the skills are there before any anxiety can develop. They have fun splashing and playing in the water and get confident and then learn the technique that can ultimately save their lives.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?
Parents should be responsible for being the ones to take them for the first few years, but swimming lessons are an expense and not everyone can afford them. But not every parent can swim or is confident in the water themselves. It's a shame that schools don't start swimming as part of their curriculums until they are 7 or 8yo. They should teach them earlier on in primary school and the government should be finding ways to support all schools to do this. My two learn at their local leisure centres and they are excellent lessons. What happens to those children who don't have parent's that take them to lessons, for whatever reason, or who's schools don't have it as part of the PE curriculum?

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?
YES - I have watched what my eldest was being taught at her lessons, and knowing the stroke she is aiming to learn, both dh and I have encouraged her to try and improve her technique. But we've also just let her swim under water and dive down for toys and have fun - that's what swimming is about when you're only 4yo! I loved swimming when I was young and still remember much of what I was taught and so I hope I am helping to supplement dd's swimming lessons when we get the chance to go outside of these.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?
DD loved it for the first few months, then hated it from about 14-16 months, then loved it and is now like a fish and at age 4 is now swimming better than the peers in her lessons who are 6yo or older. She is very confident in the water and loves her lessons! DS spent the first year getting colds & others illnesses from his big sister so we didn't get to as many lessons as we would have liked. However, he is now in a swim class without me being in the water with him, loves the lessons and can swim confidently with a noodle under his arms in deep water or the sea. They both jump into deep water happily (with us there to catch of course!) and it's great to watch their confidence grow as they improve.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?
No but I probably should have tried to take them in between lessons but taking two learners by myself was often more than I could handle! But they don't seem to have suffered for it.

[Princessdivaaa]

Yes it is vital children learn to swim...

My children are 4 and 2 and I have just signed up my 4 year old for lessons at the local swimming Pool.. Although they do have lessons at school during the summer..

Lessons are not cheap neither is going swimming so I think learning to swim should be a combination of parents, qualified swimming instructors and schools.

My children love going to the swimming pool so we try and take them as often as we can..

[glitch]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?
Yes absolutely. Everyone should be able to swim. I think you can encourage them from any age.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?
I think parents should be responsible for getting them in the water at an early age and then getting them into swimming lessons with a proper teacher once they are old enough.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?
I am clueless when it comes to teaching my DS to swim but his teachers are fab at it.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?
My DS loves the water and is doing OK at learning. I am lucky that I have a great swim school who are fantastic with all the children. They are in the water with them that makes them feel more secure and keep them engaged.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?
No I don't feel pressure to take him more often.

[Huffpot]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that? I think its massively important for chilldren to learn to swim from an early age to encourage confidence. I didn't learn to swim as a child and it has affected me in lots of ways (grew up in Australia) and I have now gone and learnt as an adult as I've always wanted to do it and so I can be in the water with my own children.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those? I think parents should take the main responsibility but it would also help if all the other parties mentioned helped - even if the cost of lessons could be subsidised in some way.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working? I took my eldest for lessons at a council run facility when he was young but wasn't impressed with the standard of them or the skills taught so did not pursue it with my youngest. As I now have two toddlers (3 and 2) I am going to enrol in private lessons recommended by a friend on the weekend with DP so we can take both boys together

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience? My eldest really enjoys the water (3) but my 2 year old is not impressed at getting wet so really needs some work done with his confidence

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from? No...the only pressure would come from myself for wanting them to be confident and safe in the water

[allagory]

I think people start swimming lessons too young. I see children of 3 4 and 5 bouncing around in the pool listening to no one. What's the point? By 6 the majority of children have the right levels of strength and attention span to learn. At the younger range of ages, I think it is more important for children to have fun in the water. My son does not like going to swimming lessons but he has developed a stylish stroke that will stand him in good stead for his whole life. Learning to swim at school is a bit of a waster of time. It seems that the investment of time - getting hoardes of kids on coaches and changed is not the best use of their time or their teachers. I can't imagine any 7 year old would learn to swim in 1/2 an hour a week for 1 term a year. Swimming lessons are something a parent needs to take responsibility for.

[Cathpot]

Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

I started baby swimming with my first child at 3 months, largely to get myself out of the house. I dont think it had any impact on her really. Then we started swimming lessons when she was rising 4 - both myself and my husband swim and we were keen for her to start. I think she actually started listening to the teacher about a year later. She is now at nearly 8 a very good swimmer. Her younger sister who we pushed far less, is not where she was at 5, but still loves it and will be fine in the end.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

We have found with our girls that they resist being taught to swim by us but not by a swimming teacher. So when we swim with them it is all about fun, and with him it is the nitty gritty of technique. That way they still learn and it stays fun.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I have helped with general water confidence but I dont push them on technique.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

It has been entirely positive

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

Nope

[TodaysAGhoulDay]

~ Do you think it's important to encourage children to learn to swim? If so, what do you think is the right age to start encouraging them? If you don't think it's important, why is that?

It's very important, and as early as possible. I have taken my DS swimming since the age of 5 weeks, just to get him used to the water. He's now 5 and he absolutely loves the water.

~ Who do you think should take the main responsibility for teaching children to swim? Should it be swimming teachers, schools/nurseries, parents/other family members, or the government, or a combination of all of those?

The parents for the first 4/5 years, then swimming teachers, then schools/swimming teachers from the age of 7 or 8.

~ If you have a child who has learnt or is learning to swim, have you been helping to teach them? If so, do you feel confident doing this or a bit out of your depth? (no pun intended!) Do you feel your teaching is working?

I have refused to put any sort of flotation device on my son since he was 3. I regularly take him out of his depth and let him try swimming to me from the side. Yes, sometimes he goes under and gets a big mouthful, but it never seems to put him off. I always try and make swimming fun for him, we take inflatable balls etc with us to the pool.

~ Does/did your child enjoy learning to swim? Does it/has it caused any tension between you and them if they've been frustrated by it? Or has it been an enjoyable experience?

He loves it, and regularly asks to go swimming, even in winter. We've always been very relaxed in the water with no pressure on him to swim by himself, I think it's important not to exert pressure at that age because he may well end up hating swimming.

~ Do you ever feel under any pressure to take your child(ren) swimming more often? If so, who/where does the pressure come from?

We go between once a week and once a month, and we've done this for almost 6 years now. He tends to nag to go if we haven't been for a while.

[steppemum]

I think it is very important to learn to swim, for fun, for exercise and for safety. I am always surprised by adults who can't swim and think how much they miss out on. I love swimming myself, although we do it mostly on holiday.

I can teach swimming (got my qualification years ago) but I have found it very hard to teach my kids. Mum knows nothing apparently

My kids have learnt to swim mostly on holiday, we go where they are in a pool for 2-4 hours per day. They learn just by messing around in the water, helped by the fact that there isn't much of a shallow end where we are on holiday. Each year we see them come on in leaps and bounds over the 2 weeks. I do think this type of swimming is very important to learn to swim, formal lessons doesn't really do it, they need to play in the water and have fun.

But they will not allow me to teach them their strokes, so they are very strong confident kids in the water, but have very poor stroke technique, so we have decided they need swimming lessons.

We started lessons on one local council run pool. The lessons were dire, they were boring, and the kids spent loads of time at the side watching the others swim across (they went one child at a time, so 8 children means they were only swimming 1/8 time)
The younger group had such a small part of the pool that they could only do 3 metre length. We stopped lessons for a year, then on holiday were struck again by how they needed to improve strokes.

Both older children have school swimming lessons, oldest is year 5 and has had them every year for 6 weeks. Has taught him some, but they learn in pool which is shallow, so he puts his feet down and doesn't swim. Comes home with a 10 metre badge when I know he can easily do 50-100m.

Tried again this year with lessons. Also council run pool, in another town 20 minutes drive. Found the lessons by recommendation, very good, well taught I can see their standard improving each week. Not cheap at £5 per child per lesson, this is a lot of money for us as all 3 kids are doing it.

I would like to see school lessons more effective, and more targeted. I would like to see pool open for free swimming for families in some way so they can be more accessible, or that families can get subsidised lessons.

My youngest is having lessons with her older brother and sister. She can swim a bit and is in the beginners group. She loves it, so that is working for her, but really 5 year olds having formal lessons isn't ideal to me, I think at this age playing in the water is much better than lessons, especially if they aren't fun. We are very fortunate to have a fun teacher in a small quiet pool.

My kids all love to swim, but my eldest does not like being made to have lessons, he doesn't like lessons, would rather just have fun in the water. We have a bargain that once he can do 20m well in each stroke he can stop.

My girls love their lessons, and love swimming.