My 3 1/2 yr old daughter loves water: the tub, the sink, the kiddie pool. I am considering swimming lessons at the local indoor pool. Has anyone else put their child of that age in lessons? Will she learn in a few months or will she require more sessions? I ask because she really wanted dance lessons and we paid a lot for them and she had a lot of problems taking direction and was a bit disruptive, although she enjoyed going into the big room and dancing, LOL....
2006-12-28 14:23:16 · 12 answers · asked by LuLuBelle 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
My son's been taking lessons since 2 1/2, he;s 3 1/2 now. He gets in the pool by himself and swims well with a kick board. He's taken 3 6 week classes to get to that point. He swims by himself in the summer with a float vest to help some. I think at 4 your daughter will take to it even quicker than my sons is. Swim classes are usually pretty afforable at local park districts (we pay $20 per 6 week session in Chicago). Start talking to your daughter about this now to mentally prepare her for it and maybe take her into the pool yourself the first time so she doesnt get too scared. good luck!
2006-12-28 14:32:35 · answer #1 · answered by Ella727 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Definitely put her in lessons! It will be one of the greatest gifts you'll ever give her!
My daughter has been taking lessons since she was 10 months old. She just turned 5 last month and she is already on the swim team. She swims laps of freestyle and backstroke and she loves it. She is so proud of herself.
But the main reason to do it is because swimming is a LIFE SAVING SKILL that she will need for her entire life. It is never too early to teach a child to swim! The AAP says they can get submerged in the water as young as 6 months. I highly recommend it, especially since your daughter loves the water. She will thrive in lessons.
I spend the extra money to put my daughter in private 1-on-1 lessons. I tried the group thing when she was about 2 and it just didn't work out. It was actually dangerous at one point because she couldn't touch the bottom and there weren't enough instructors to help all the kids. It was held at the local HS and they bragged about the student-teacher ratio. But most of the teachers were kids and it just didn't work. So I paid an arm and a leg for private lessons at an excellent local swim school (Saf-T-Swim) and I have no regrets. It's honestly some of the best money I've ever spent.
Now she doesn't need the private lessons anymore, as she is a proficient swimmer.
2006-12-29 01:27:28 · answer #2 · answered by ReeberKaseyMarcus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son is 18 months, at 12 months he was in lessons. What did he learn during these months was learning how to be in a pool and to swim to the edge in an emergency. We live in Miami, and we have lots of pools and lakes and it was impt. to us. Also, I was swimming like a fish before I walked.
Every summer we are going to put him in his lessons until he's comfortable and is a full fledge swimmer.
I think it's a great idea! It's a constructive activity that's going to help her more grow as a person... Also, when she behaves bad... you can say, "well if you don't behave well there's no pool lessons this week."
We had a personal swim instructor come to the house twice a week in the summer and it was well worth it.
2006-12-29 09:15:30 · answer #3 · answered by joy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am one of the teacher that gives lessons on how to swim. I teach different levels and with each one there is a form of difficulty that it comes with it. I believe in my mind that If your daughter can pay attention she should be fine. We use techniques designed to keep children in focus therefore they won't be bored and jump alone into the water.
My choice, pick the lessons. If the first session doesnt get her anywhere, try more sessions if she likes it. Most of the kids are enthusiastic about coming to get swim lessons. At least, thats what they say
2006-12-28 16:04:36 · answer #4 · answered by malapisia 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I started my son is swimming lessons at 3 years old and every year he moves on to the next level to learn more. He takes it every summer at our outdoor city pool and his classes are only 2 weeks long.
2006-12-28 14:26:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They have swimming lessons for 3 month olds.
4 years is an excellent age for learning to swim.
Toddlers are disruptive. Teachers, and trainers are used to it :) Dont sweat it.
2006-12-28 14:25:04 · answer #6 · answered by amosunknown 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Her age is OK but she will need more time to swim on her own.I'll say it is very important for the kids to learn how to swim.My 4 year old is been taking lessons for 9 months.He swims about 5 feet without the help of his instractors.As long as it takes.He hates the water,he hates getting wet.The day that i am told he can save himself ,he'll move on to music lessons and other things.
2006-12-28 20:00:56 · answer #7 · answered by avavu 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I started mine out as toddlers. They didn't learn right off the bat, but I didn't put them in the lessons for fun. In my opinion, it should be our responsibility as a parent to teach our children to swim. I don't want to go out and find my 5 year old floating on our pond because I didn't teach him how to swim.
2006-12-28 14:27:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
My sister was that age when she started swimming lessons. I was about 6, so I guess it depends on the child. If you think she's ready for them, and she could handle instruction well, go for it.
2006-12-28 14:25:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Children younger than ONE YEAR OLD can learn to swim with a competant instructor. Check you local YMCA for schools. Teaching your child to swim may one day save her life... especially since she loves water. There is no such thing as too expensive when it comes to your childs life. There is water EVERYWHERE.
2006-12-28 14:58:44 · answer #10 · answered by qfrasier 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋