Swim lessons

imsoexcited915 · March 2016

Anyone considering this? What age is good to start? We don't have a pool yet but live near the beach and family has a pool so it's definitely something we would like DD to learn. Thinking of maybe even doing just a baby pool at our house this summer to get accustomed to it. Wondering when a good age to start is.

mrsmctaggart6 · March 2016

I wanted to start asap but DH is freaked out by chlorine/ public pool germs so I'll probably end up waiting and using a kiddie pool this summer...

hopeful87-2 · March 2016

We started when she was 4 months. My pediatrician said as long as the pool is well ventilated chlorine is fine for babies.

buckleyk · March 2016

With my oldest we took a mommy and me class at 4- 6 months. Honestly he was so young I'm not sure what he go out of it other than a good nap afterwards. I was hesitat to put him under only because I didn't want him to drink the pool water.

We we did another class this summer when he was 1.5yrs and it was great! He learned to kick, blow bubbles and go under on his own.

ZebraStripe · March 2016

We had DD in swimming lessons when she was 6 months and she's done them every year since. She now LOVES swimming and completely comfortable in the water.
We're doing the same for DS.

mktgarner · March 2016

We started at 4 months and have been going once a week since (now 6 months). I have just as much fun as him. I think it's great he gets used to the water, and it is a fun activity for us to do together!

xJKxOR · March 2016

Our community starts lessons at 4months but we haven't enrolled our son because both my husband and I find the chlorine to be so strong at our specific pool; like burn your eyes strong. We've taken him in two different pools at hotels while away from home and he was pretty indifferent to the experience but I'm going to hold off going to our local pool. We have a cabin on a lake where we spend most of our summers and they do lessons there so we will probably just go that route

yellowbean15 · March 2016

We've been going once a week for a month or so now. It's a fun outing for us each week and he loves splashing. Haven't started lessons but I was thinking of doing some this spring/summer after he turns 6 months to help give me some more ideas of things to do with him in the water.

ElleMF728 · March 2016

We started DS1 around 6 months. He didn't learn a lot but the most important thing for me was introducing him to the pool so that he wouldn't be scared of the water.

hlb8179 · March 2016

We started at 6 months. It's called back float baby so they just get used to being in water. It's also hard to get into lessons here in the city but if you start early you get preference on wait lists for classes when they're older. My LO just loves being in the water and my husband travels all week so we figured it'd be a fun bonding experience for them.

ForeverEverAfter · March 2016

I'd save your money, honestly. They don't get anything out of a class at this age that they wouldn't learn from you just going swimming with them. The pool here has a parent and tot swim time that is $5 to drop in, compared to $78 for 10 lessons. My 3yo just did her first formal lessons this winter and was on par with kids who had done the parent/tot classes. We have a pool, so we'll keep up the skills in the summer, and she'll get winter lessons just to get the level certificates.

mrsmctaggart6 · March 2016

kenzjim said:

We started when she was 4 months. My pediatrician said as long as the pool is well ventilated chlorine is fine for babies.

I would swim all the time, DH is the paranoid PIA on this one...

Growingapepper · March 2016

I'm starting one in a few weeks. Honestly I think it's more for me to do something fun and to bond in a fun different environment. It's nice to get out.

kbfash · March 2016

We start next month, MIL has a pool and we have a lake house so I want LO as comfortable as possible by Summer. I personally started at 6 months, I was a total water bug and was on swim team by 4 so I plan to do a lot of work with her myself too.

TahoeAugust · March 2016

We started at three months. Im really glad we did, because he has so much fun now and actually can dive for two seconds and doesnt cry or freak out. He loves it! I loved the instructors, who were very experienced with kids and had a learning plan developed for getting all the little kids used to water. The lessons included lots of toys, tummy time on floating mats, singing songs while playing with other kids. The lessons are fun because its something new and exciting for LO and it helps to socialize him. He was verry iffy at thr beginning but now he splashes around like crazy.

mrsmctaggart6 · March 2016

TahoeAugust said:

We started at three months. Im really glad we did, because he has so much fun now and actually can dive for two seconds and doesnt cry or freak out. He loves it! I loved the instructors, who were very experienced with kids and had a learning plan developed for getting all the little kids used to water. The lessons included lots of toys, tummy time on floating mats, singing songs while playing with other kids. The lessons are fun because its something new and exciting for LO and it helps to socialize him. He was verry iffy at thr beginning but now he splashes around like crazy.

I'm so jealous, that sounds like so much fun!

imsoexcited915 · March 2016

Do you think it's worth it at this early age if you don't have a pool? We will have a baby pool and live near the beach and family have a pool so it's definitely something I was thinking of doing at some point.

shelbydd · March 2016

I considered doing this but the price for ISR classes (at least the ones I looked into) were expensive and I can't even justify it without us having a pool in our own backyard. I was told it would be $105 registration fee + $80 a week for 4 weeks (or more depending on how long it took LO to learn. Not to mention we have to go 5 days a week for that time period and lessons are only 10 minutes a day which means gas money for that trip 5 days a week.

TabulaRasa25 · March 2016

Our baby swim starts at 6 mo.

slp213psu · March 2016

My in-laws have a pool so we started DD1 at 6 months. The mommy and me classes were just to get her used to water and she loves it. She has no fear now (2.5), which can be bad!!
There are several swim school chains near me. Google them and see if they are near you. Even the YMCA started at 6 months. Then there is KidsFirst Swim School and Goldfish Swim School.
I'm not going to be able to do a mommy and me with DD2 until the fall when DD1 is in school 3 days a week. But I'm really interested in ISR (Infant Swimming Rescue). It's crazy intense, 10 minutes, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. If you google that you might find one near you. It teaches the baby to turn over and float if they fall in a pool. They even teach them in full winter clothes. YouTube videos of it are amazing.

tlc11934 · March 2016

Public pools gross me out. We waited until the older kids were 2.5 - old enough to be in the pool with a teacher and without us. They still weren't very interested in swimming until around 3.5 years old. We won't be taking DD3 for lessons but will let her go in my moms pool this summer when she's closer to 1.

Mewkie · March 2016

DS1 started around 9 months and I am hoping to start DS2 soon. I'm trying to find a sitter who is willing to get in the water with us so both boys can be involved.
I agree that lessons at this age (where we go anyway) is way more of an intro to the water than anything else and could easily be achieved without a class. However, the class is much cheaper than joining the pool for the year. We do a summer membership only, so the lessons last winter worked well for us. It was definitely a fun activity once a week that tired LO out.

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