swimming lessons

Little_Mama

Surfbabe wrote: »

Start by getting their names on waiting list and taking them at least once a week for fun time so they are used to the water and are confident going under. Unless you are a competent swimmer who can swim properly then don't try to teach them yourself - it does cause all sorts of problems if they have been taught incorrectly!! ( I should now - I teach swimming for a living!)

The main thing is water confidence. Swimming is a life skill, a necessity not a luxury as webitha says above.

Totally agree, I'm a swimming teacher too and have swum socially & competitively for over 30 years......I started young :rotfl:

Despite being a teacher my children wouldn't listen to me but came on leaps & bounds in a proper lesson. My 8 yr old can already swim 1500m with ease and could have gone on to swim more.

Where I see the real benefit is where the children have lessons but go with their parents in between, you can really notice a difference, especially if they apply what they've been taught and the boost to their confidence is great.

Swimming is a life skill, it's not just a sport and if a child has been taught properly they will not forget that skill, it's a bit like riding a bike, however, taught incorrectly or by someone who thinks they are a good swimmer can be a very dangerous thing. It's about knowing your child can stay safely in water for a certain amount of time while they maybe wait to be saved....heaven forbid. They don't have to have the best technique in the world but they need essential water safety skills, strokes and stamina to keep them alive.

Hope that helps a bit with your decision.
LM

MadDogWoman_2

My DD has been having lessons since she was 5 months old, she is a complete water baby.

She has always loved her baths so I have taken advantage of that, her lessons are only 1/2 an hour a week during term time, it's all about confidence and having fun in water.

She thinks going under is fun. She is only 16 months old but is quite happy to swim with just one hand supporting on the surface, no floats or armbands. She swims free when she is underwater.

The other thing the lessons teach the babies is what to do if they fall in, but all done as part of a game.

I took her swimming last week the first time since we broke up for the holidays and I have never seen a bigger smile on her face as when she went in the water.

We're off on holiday next Friday to Haven specifically because we have easy access to a swimming pool, I can see most of our time being spent there judging by the recent weather.

MDW

lady_stardust

While not necessarily a life skill, I think people can really miss out on a lot if they can't swim. Things like simply ambling up and down a pool on holiday, or perhaps giving some watersports a try. While swimming is not a big hobby of mine, I am so glad I learned to do it properly as it has enabled me to do some amazing things like scuba diving.

Personally I would go for lessons and back it up with fun family sessions where they can get a bit of practice in. If they don't get on with lessons then don't force it, but you never know, they might be the next Michael Phelps and lessons will give them an opportunity to do the sport more seriously if they wish.