Swim Lessons ?

How old were your babies when you put them in Swim Lessons? My girls are about 1 month adjusted age right now, and I am thinking about starting them in April or May. Is that too early??

We have Water everywhere, pools, ponds, beaches and we spend a significant amount of time at our river property. Of course the pool and pond will be fenced off, and they will not be out of my sight at the river or the beach...I just figure its better to be safe than sorry. I want them to start learning how to swim as soon as possible.

Logistically, how did you do Swim Lessons with 2 babies? Did you have help?

 

I have had all of mine in swimming friom the time they were about one. The triplets I started at six moths and rotated turns. Its really just teaching them to be comfortable in the water-no real skills taught before one don't you think? Now I have the older six in weekly lessons all through the winter. Class sizes are down at our Y during the winter so they get more attention. The 2 year olds have just had a few sessions with water. Mainly because I don't have a lot of time. I'll start them more regularly when they turn three. One other thing-you might not want to expose them to so many germs (from public pools) at that age, especially if they were preemies.

 

Okay I'm going to sound cruel and heartless here, but there is a program for newborn infants in our area. My oldest daughter was born the end of April and I had her in the infant program at the end of May. My youngest daughter was born in February and as soon as the water was warm enough, I had her in the program as well. The babies don't really swim that young, but they learn to go down, once they are under the water, it teaches them to hold their breathe so as not to get water in the lungs and to float basically. I'm not at all sure how they explained it, but it's a program that if the child falls in the water it gives you time to perform a rescue, etc. The teacher was Red Cross certified. As the children learned to toddle, I then placed them in full fledged swimming classes. Our girls grew up 50 feet from the water's edge. For us, it was imperative that they learn to swim, float, hold their breathe as soon as possible. There is no fencing off the Gulf and bays. The girls would paddle and swim like fish by 2. It's hard for me to remember a time when they couldn't swim. Because we still have a home on the water as soon as the weather is warm enough I'll have the boys in swim classes as well.

 

I started my 4.5 yo, singleton, at 6 mos old. I think he just turned 6 mos actually during the classes. I think the earlier the better. Before that you could just use the bathtub, put some water in it and to them it is a pool but around 6 mos or so they become so active that they would actually have some fun with it.
I say go for it.

 

We did swim lessons for a couple months, then stopped. too much $$$$$. We take them into water occasionally so they don't get afraid. And when they are old enough to take lessons (without a parent in the water) and actually learn to swim, we'll restart lessons. Till then...... it's money we don't have.

 

We started swim lessons when they were 11 months old, the lessons were for ages 9 months to 2 1/2. They loved it! We did it on Saturday morning so DH could go too, it's a lot easier to have a parent to each baby.

 

i need to find a program my kids can get into... it is really important to me..