Swim Lesson Questions

My boys are 2 years old, and we have a pool (with a separate gate and lock on it). We were hoping to have them in swim lessons at the beginning of the summer, but we didn't have the funds at the time. We have heard great things about a swim school near us that has an indoor pool and is year round. They recommend 8 classes (2 months).

My boys swim with us all the time and love the water. They don't like to go all of the way under, but they aren't scared of the water either. I think swim lessons are extremely important, but I'm not sure when to do them. If we sign up now, it will be December or January when we start them. It will be a fun thing to do in the winter, but will they forget what they learned by the time swimming season starts in May? Should we wait until next swim season or do it in the winter?

 

Do you go in the lessons with them? We restarted swimming lessons once our eldest turned 3 (she did infant ones and loved the water) and she could be in the class by herself. We are starting the next level in Oct with the babies in class with each of us and DD #1 on her own. At that age they focus ion getting them comfortable in the water, floating, blowing bubbles etc. I don't know how much they remember from each level but the instructors just keep them moving along.

 

My boys started at 3 1/2--I would have started them closer to 3, but I had some schedule stuff to get out of the way. Swimming lessons before age 3, are pretty much what you are already doing to get them comfortable in the water. And honestly, Jon wasn't able to really swim on his own until he was 4, and Marcus wasn't 100% comfortable until this summer. I would probably wait until closer to summer when they are 3 and will really get something out of it.

 

We had our boys in swim lessons pretty much since around 8 months old, mostly because they are really cheap here at the public pool which is right up the street. Over the years, we'd heard over and over that most kids, despite lessons, won't be able to really swim until age 4. And that was true for our boys -- they could kind of swim, and were totally comfortable in the water before age 4, but right around their 4th birthday their physical coordination and mental abilities all gelled and they were suddenly swimming!

It's not that I think swim lessons are a waste of time, but maybe not the expensive kind until they are closer to 4.

 

I started my oldest DD the summer she was 3 and that was a great age, IMO.

 

We started swim lessons this summer with my oldest (just after his 3rd birthday). Before starting he was like your kids liked the water but didn't want to go under. I think that was the perfect age because he was able to absorb what the instructor wanted him to do and he followed through. I think last year he wouldn't "get it". Now after 2 months he is going under and getting rings, jumping in the pool and swimming to the side, swimming to us, and using noodles and boards to move around the pool.
He is swimming just as well as the kids his age that have been in swimming for 1+ years. I would save my money until they are 3.

Cari

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend swimming lessons before the age of 4. You can go to their website to see their position on swimming lessons & why they took that position. My girls are 3 years 2 months - they swim with us almost everyday - but we won't put them in lessons until next year. We have multiple barriers to the pool - safety fence & gate, alarms on all doors, extra bolt locks at the very top of all exit doors, surface alarm & electronic pool cover - we know that even though the girls can "swim" they are not safe around the water. Good luck!

 

I highly recommend the swim lessons. I recently lost my James in a drowing accident this summer so it is never too late or too early to do the lessons IMO. I would also recommend you get a pool alarm for the pool because James climbed over the gate to the pool. I believe a pool alarm would have saved him since he was only out of my sight for a few moments.