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Original poster

Is the baby swimming class a "scam" or is it truly beneficial?

146 replies

happyfishcoco · 09/07/2023 22:01

Is the baby swimming class a "scam" or is it truly beneficial? Can a 6-month-old baby really learn to swim? Some claim that a 6-week-old baby can start joining swimming classes. Moreover, there are a total of seven levels in baby swimming classes, followed by ten levels in toddler swimming classes, amounting to seventeen levels that take around four years to complete. Is it worthwhile to spend £2500 to learn swimming by the age of six? Are the initial seven levels in baby swimming classes of no use? as toddlers can directly join toddler swimming classes.
I'm wondering if anyone has experience with baby swim classes. is it worth anything?

OP posts:
ContractQuestion · 10/07/2023 08:04

It's completely money making. Hence the 140000 leveles they want you to go thru and the expensive photos hoot.

The main thing until about 4 is water confidence. I went to a fab mum and toddler session that was fun in the water- they completely got this. Frog mats to play on, little watering cans etc. No expectation of levels and I absolutely loved this.

I see our local pool does something similar as a payg fun swim for parents and under 5s.

If you go once or twice a week and just have fun that will bring a fab association with water and fun for them (not anxious following instructions) and also you can have fun in a fun activity with your child.

One of mine started about 3 - the other closer to 5 and they were both the same by about 6. The 5 year old who started later started with some 1-1 sessions (affordable as we hadn't started weekly at 3) and when she was comfortable swimming widths we put her into group swimming. Honestly wish we'd saved years of lessons with child 1 realising how quickly they can learn when older/ start 1-1.

Leapintothelightning · 10/07/2023 08:06

I did it with my first. I have not wasted the money on it with my second. Take them to your local pool and get them used to the water that way! My eldest is 3 now and I'm seeing benefits of her going now

ContractQuestion · 10/07/2023 08:07

I think that's it - they can swim confidently from a young age if taught well, and have some positive association with water/fun in the water.

Expensive lessons/classes pre 4 aren't necessary at all!!!

But if you're enjoying them as a mum then fab (just like baby sensory - I'd suggest a normal toddler group in a church hall is as good ,but if you enjoy it and can afford it all good!) What's wrong when people are convinced they "need" to for their babys development rather than a abit of fun which is where I don't like the water lessons marketing.

Starlightstarbright2 · 10/07/2023 08:08

My Ds did waterbabies . He was playing on the side of a pool when he was about 2 ? Fell in bobbed up swam to the wall and held . I was within arms distance so wouldn’t have drowned but he was just very calm . That was the point it showed me the benefit .

I loved our lessons - lovely bonding time. He never got on with traditional lessons always wanted to swim without arm bands .

Holidaytime8 · 10/07/2023 08:09

I wouldn’t call it a “scam”, but just something fun to do. That’s all. Enjoying the water together and having an activity that day. Bit like going to a rhyme time activity etc.

Bearsinmotion · 10/07/2023 08:16

Both of mine did a few baby swim classes at the council pool (drop in and less than £5/session). After that I took them by myself. Neither DC can remember not being able to swim, and are complete water babies, but I think that’s because we were just in the pool a lot, not the classes themselves.

Original poster
happyfishcoco · 10/07/2023 08:19

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 10/07/2023 07:29

I did the parent & baby lessons at our local pool. I could never afford the upfront cost for Swimbabes/Waterbabies etc. The local pool lessons cost £1 more than an adult swim, and included a swim nappy.

I didn't ever think that they'd teach ds to swim. I did think that they'd give me a structured activity for 30 mins, plus journeys into town, opportunity for a coffee out etc.

As it happened, DS was swimming independently without any floats by 3, and was a club swimmer for a few years. I didn't do baby lessons with dd, although I did take her swimming from time to time as a baby. She started lessons at three, but hates swimming. Ironically she is far sportier than ds, just not swimming. Obviously this could be down to many differences between my dc, as much as whether I took them as

if just £1, or £10, I would not open a post here.
where do you live? such a good price. I would like to move there.

my local leisure centre charge £5.5 for an adult swim per session.
and the baby swim class is £20 per lesson (30mins)

OP posts:
IncomingTraffic · 10/07/2023 08:25

They don’t necessarily have 140000 levels. DS’s school gives out term lot certificates, but they’re age related. They do a little ceremony on the side of the pool for the toddlers who get a clap from
everyone. It’s cute and the children love it.

The class stays together and they all just get the age-related certificate each term. Until they’re 3, when they go into a preschool class without a parent. They do coloured levels, and get a certificate and/or badge at the end of the term.

At 5 they can go into the normal swim
school and do the standard stages.

It’s obviously not necessary to do baby swimming. But it’s really not a scam. It’s just a baby class.

Mumofoneandone · 10/07/2023 08:26

Our local pool had 'toddler splash sessions' that were in the smaller training pool, where the floor could be adjusted on height. I just took both children, when they were young, on an ad hoc basis so that got use to the water. They also spent plenty of time in the sea! They went onto swimming lessons fine later on when they were older and really keen.

IncomingTraffic · 10/07/2023 08:28

happyfishcoco · 10/07/2023 08:19

if just £1, or £10, I would not open a post here.
where do you live? such a good price. I would like to move there.

my local leisure centre charge £5.5 for an adult swim per session.
and the baby swim class is £20 per lesson (30mins)

Show quote history

They’re not compulsory though. They are expensive but that’s obvious when you decide to sign up.

Still not a scam. Just an optional activity to do with your baby if you feel like it.

Saschka · 10/07/2023 08:35

It’s hardly a scam - you turn up each week and they provide a baby swimming lesson. They never guarantee that your four month old will be completing their 1500m badge - it is more like their 10m badge by age 4/5 (and yes most kids in the class do achieve that, on front and back without a float).

I’m not sure if you have used council swimming lessons, but they are definitely not as good, and the children don’t progress in anything like the same way. Of course you can take them yourself, but most people don’t.

The other thing they are really good at is getting your child confident in the water, and happy to put their face in - the children in our friendship group who went to swimming lessons regularly from babyhood are happy underwater, the ones who started aged 5 are scared to put their faces in, scared to jump in off the side, scared of water they can’t stand up in.

Runnersandtoms · 10/07/2023 08:35

I think there's two different things. The lessons where they literally train babies to turn over and float on their back, and utilise the natural instinct to hold breath under water etc. So they really can swim. I believe you have to do this from very young for it to work and it's probably worth it.

Then there's what we did which was more like playtime in the water, which really just get them used to the water, getting water on their face, blowing bubbles etc. Which realistically you could easily do yourself by taking them regularly so it's more like a social event for the mums.

It depends what you want out of it and whether you're willing to pay.

tulipsunday · 10/07/2023 08:44

I have found the swimkidz lessons useful in teaching my son skills. I am not sure I would have had the confidence to get him jumping in the water or to know when and how to introduce breast stroke, front crawl arms etc. The safety aspect as well has been good - he can move along the side of the pool and get out. The fact that he enjoys the water and is confident has been worth it too. He has done it since a baby and is 3 now. Will move to leisure centre lessons soon.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 10/07/2023 08:50

I took DS to a ducklings class as a baby and it was great for teaching me how to make him feel safe in the water. He then progressed through all the swimming classes.

With DD I just took her swimming by myself but it wasn't as successful as it had been doing it in a proper class with DS. She's still not the most confident swimmer at 15 years old even though she did swimming lessons all through primary school. She just lacked confidence in the water.

DS on the other hand became a competitive swimmer at school, got gold medals and county records , was a club swimmer for a while before the early morning training became too much for him and is now working as a lifeguard at a health club while doing his A levels.

molecule1 · 10/07/2023 08:52

Wenfy · 09/07/2023 22:18

It’s beneficial if they do it in a cold pool. Kids will become used to the water temperature earlier. A warm pool will definitely hamper them being able to learn how to swim in a normal pool

Load of rubbish!

Littlemissprosecco · 10/07/2023 08:53

Runnersandtoms · 10/07/2023 08:35

I think there's two different things. The lessons where they literally train babies to turn over and float on their back, and utilise the natural instinct to hold breath under water etc. So they really can swim. I believe you have to do this from very young for it to work and it's probably worth it.

Then there's what we did which was more like playtime in the water, which really just get them used to the water, getting water on their face, blowing bubbles etc. Which realistically you could easily do yourself by taking them regularly so it's more like a social event for the mums.

It depends what you want out of it and whether you're willing to pay.

it’s the proper utilisation of reflex breath holding that I did with my kids, I talked about it up thread. Totally worth it. But you need to investigate properly to make sure that’s what you’re getting

Littlemissprosecco · 10/07/2023 08:55

Otherwise I agree, it’s not worth it, just take them yourself and splash about!

LittleMonks11 · 10/07/2023 08:58

We just did some baby swim for fun - nothing like what you're describing which sounds like a money making venture.

LittleMonks11 · 10/07/2023 08:59

And then we started swimming lessons when she was about 4 or 5 I think

sunflowerdaisyrose · 10/07/2023 09:00

Both mine could swim independently very early. I did take my eldest to lessons as a baby and helped me with things I could do with them (I am a qualified swimming teacher too but I used to teach 4+).

My second I took swimming a lot and we did it ourselves and started lessons at 4 to get strokes sorted.

For the baby lessons, both my baby and I enjoyed them and it made us go regularly!

NeverThatSerious · 10/07/2023 09:04

I personally think that it’s very beneficial to kids to start as young as possible, hence me starting my boy at just slightly over three months. Obviously at the very start, it was more for me, a set class to attend, I bloody love swimming and always have, and a way to just get baby used to the water at a young age. Now he’s older, nearly 2, I’m so impressed with how much he ‘knows’ about being in the water, holding onto the edges, how to kick and how to scoop with his hands, how to make a bit of progress in the water, how to hold his breath without panicking under the water etc. We live on a working farm, and work on other peoples farms too, lots of them, and plenty have streams, rivers, tanks, troughs, pits etc and not that I am
planning on him just going off on his own, but I want to take as many steps as I can to keep him safe. It’s about £40 ish a month for a lesson a week, but it’s so so worth it imo.

Alifelessweird · 10/07/2023 09:04

Agree with the poster that these classes are really for the parents, but they dress them up as ‘educational’ to draw in anxious parents who don’t want their kid ‘left behind’.

When a Mum at the toddler Gymboree class got upset that the classes were progressing too fast for her son and he would ‘ never catch up and be left behind’, I realised that this nonsense has gone too far.

BCCoach · 10/07/2023 09:06

It’s a fun activity to do with babies. It will have absolutely zero impact on swimming ability at age 12 whether they start at 3 months or 3 years.

UrsulaIsMyQueen · 10/07/2023 09:07

We did it because we (me, and my baby) enjoyed it. We started when my baby was 7 weeks old, I met some nice people and my baby used to kick happily and giggle in the water. She could swim independently at 3, but that might have been the case if she’d started later too, who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️. But I think ‘we enjoyed it’ was a good enough reason to do it on its own.
I couldn’t do them with my second and third children as I always had a toddler in tow too. They are both less confident in the water and learned to swim later, but again that may have happened anyway, impossible to tell.

ladygindiva · 10/07/2023 09:08

Giltedged · 09/07/2023 22:21

I seem to have a unique view to most of MN on this but I do actually think our swimming classes have been brilliant. We’ve been going since DS was 4 months (he is now 2 years and seven months) and initially I didn’t expect much, I just thought it was a nice thing to do when on maternity leave and then after returning to work.

We went every week and then when it was very hot last summer I took DS swimming and I couldn’t believe how much he could do independently and how confident he was in the water. The teachers never make him do anything he really doesn’t want to do but other children doing it give him a bit of confidence.

It isn’t cheap - I pay nearly £60 a month - but it’s the activity I’d personally prioritise.

One of my DC at about 2.5 yrs mastered swimming and had unbelievable confidence and ability on her first trip to the pool; no baby swim lessons ever had ( she's a twin and it was impossible) . I think some kids just are natural swimmers.