Taking children swimming

jackiegibbo

i use the swim voucher from the box of kellogs winders i buy for lunch box and the council run pool took it no problem saves me £2.20 each time i go:D

craftyfox

no 1 son had a fear of the water and baths and showers were a nightmare because if the water went near his face he went mental - and then the school went to the local pool and although he went with them and got into the water he didn't like to be left out of the group because he wouldn't even try to float so i got him lessons - had to wait 5 months as the instructor is always booked out. he started last september and the class only had 6 others in a private pool and the first few night were not good but i kept him at it and in january he got the armbands off and when we finished last week for the summer he is now simming on his back and front and doing very well and we plan to keep the swimming up over the summer but he still won't put his face in the water but i don't care because he can now swim and that is all that i wanted so when the school goes back to the pool he won't be left out :T oh and we can hire the private pool for an hour at £12 for 4 people

MonkeySaving?

bestpud wrote: »

Those of you with children, when you take them swimming, what do you do once you are in the pool?

Watch out for mini floaters!

mishmash

Mine have all had lessons, the 3 year old goes weekly to lessons.

When we go to play, we play sharks, swimming with her on our backs. Ring a ring a roses is a good one and the grand old duke of york doing the actions in the water. My little one like swimming to the bottom of the pool through hoops or to pick up toys. She likes jumping in and holding on the side to see how much she can splash with her legs. I struggle to get her out.

Mish

bestpud

MonkeySaving? wrote: »

Watch out for mini floaters!

Ewww, thanks for that! :eek:

Edinburghlass_2

This reminded me of my daughter and swimming lessons, she hated putting her head under the water and things came to head one day at a swimming lesson when the teacher insisted she had to do it while my daughter bawled her heart out and shivered with the cold.

I took her out of the water and the class much to the disapproval of the head teacher and then took her and her friend (who was similarly frightened) to the public baths that afternoon and got them both to just try. They did and from that moment on the two of them loved swimming under water, you would never have known they had ever had a problem but I never forgave the teacher for trying to force her in the way she did. Especially as those particular classes weren't cheap!

ailuro2

don't ask why, but we invented a game called Santa's reindeers. It must have been approaching Christmas.

We would straddle one of those noodle/woggle/long tube floats with it in a U shape, then swim from country to country delivering present. We could choose our reindeer names, and when we got to Australia we'd find another imaginary present that had to go back up north to Scotland, the width of the pool would be America across to somewhere in Europe. You get the idea. She would happily play this for an hour if I let her, but it was good exercise for me too.

Dolphin rides are a good way to show them it's easy and fun to swim underwater (you swim underwater with child sitting on your back) which for us progressed to baby dolphin holding onto mummy's flipper and swimming.

I know they sound silly, but this is what we did.

Now DD is 9 and has had a few years of lessons I really have to work hard to win a swimming race with her.:o

morganb

Gutted at having spent £9 for a woogle (albeit a few years ago) to see them in Poundland for ... £1 the other day

mymatebob

Have a look to see if your council runs any incentives/offers for kids.
For example in Glasgow all kids under 16 can swim for free at council pools when they sign up to a YoungScot or Kidz Card scheme

sophie131

Are Kelloggs still putting the free vouchers on their cereal? Totally didn't realise they were doing it!!!