Does anyone's preschool include swimming?

NJLH · January 2012

My girls currently go to a Y preschool twice a week. I'd like to enroll them 3 days next year, but the 3 day class includes swimming once a week. I'm nervous about the concept.My girls havent really gone in a real pool, just baby pool. I'm not even sure one of them would try it....she seems afraid of pools. Everyone else seems to think the swimming is a great thing. I may go observe it one day, but I'm curious if anyone else;s preschool has this. Thanks!

Mrs Manners · January 2012

I would love it if ours had that option. Ds was 3.5 this summer and can swim a little. He has NO fear and will jump off the diving board in the deep end if you are there to get him when he comes up. He will dive under for things and will swim between two people. We are going to do formal lessons this spring (probably hire an instructor to come to our neighborhood pool weekly).

ShanJosh777 · January 2012

Yes, DS goes to daycare at the Y and they include swimming in the preschool curriculum but not until age 4, so he hasn't started it yet. But I have taken him to lessons since he was about 18 months. I think it's really important to learn to swim and be safe around water at a young age.

I understand being nervous about it since you won't be there, but my experience with the instructors at our Y has been fabulous. They are great with the kids. When DS moved up to the class where I no longer went in the pool with him (at age 3) he was afraid, but they were great about working with him.

ArcticFox · January 2012

My DD had swimming in the summer, since her summer preschool is at the Y.

The difference was that the summer preschool is 3 and 4 year olds, so the 3 year olds would go on Wednesday, 4 year olds on Fri. If DD didn't want to go, she just hung out with the 3 year olds (she's 4).

I encouraged her to go, and since it was the last 1/2 hour of class, I would sometimes go and watch (as did the other parents). I think it is really great for them to see their preschool peers going in the pool and learning to swim. Also I told the teachers that DD doesn't like water and swimming, and so they were sure to let the swim teachers know, to make sure she had on a floatation belt thing and so on.

ironmommy · January 2012

Ours has a pool, and we love it. No better way to spend an Arizona summer! My DD has been in swimming lessons pretty consistently since she was 6 mo. So while she couldn't swim when she first started using the pool at her PS, she was comfortable in the water. I consider it a huge perk!

howleyshell · January 2012

LOOOVE ours!

Keep in mind that there's no way they're putting all the kids in a pool they can't stand up in at the same time.

Ours divides the class in half, puts them in a pool where they can touch the bottom, and has the class room teachers in the pool with the swim instructor to give a better adult to child ratio.

Go observe. I bet you'll be shocked at how well the kids are swimming at a very young age and at just how controlled and safe the environment is!

It's been AWESOME for ours. They went from fairly timid to having their faces in the water and actually doing kicks and arm strokes really fast!

livinitup · January 2012

I was a American Red Cross swim instructor and kids at that age were taught water adjustment in the shallow end and had a ball. The kids would be able to stand and we would do bubble blowing, dipping faces in the water, some water movement with an instructor, splashing, opeing eyes under water and holding the sides to kick. Instructors were always in the water with the children and another lifeguard(s) were watching. It wasn't independent swimming in the lanes or anything like that. I never ever thought the children were unsafe. I always put shy kids in the middle of the group and let them take their turn and congratualted any effort even if it wasn't perfect - it always worked like a charm. I think water adjustment is very important for young children, especially if they have any fears around it. A frightened child is at a much higher risk for drowning than a child with good skills.

macchiatto · January 2012

Hey there! I remember you from Multiples and the Toddler board. This is my first time over here; my boys turned 3 on Friday so I figured I'd venture over here.

Anyhow, we are Y members and we're trying to get the boys into the Y preschool. We took the Water Babies class with them in the fall. Could you do a parent-child swim class with them first to get them used to it and see how they do? (And now I'm curious if our Y preschool has this!)

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