Learning to swim.. More parental Help Needed

[chadtm80]

Jenn and I have a pool in our home, and while we have took EXTRA percautions on assuring that dustin dosent wonder out back for a lil swim.. ( put a security beep on the back door, and have child proof locking on it in a few placed) it still scares us to death.. One of the leading cuases if not the LEADING cuases of infant deat here in Florida.. When do we start swimming lessons? Do we try ourselves or do we get into a YMCA program??

[GalvestonDuck]

Whatever you do, get pictures!

I have several pics of me in the pool with my daddy when I was barely a year old. Of course, he was holding me and I had floaty things on my arms. But my neonatologist had told my mom that it would be great if they could teach me to swim as early as possible so that my lungs would strengthen. And so they did.

Of course, I wasn't swimming laps back then. But I gained something of an understanding of my buoyancy and how to put my face in and blow bubbles (imitating my parents). When I was a couple of years old and could actually speak and express my understanding of things better, I got to take swim lessons. After that, my mom could barely keep me out of the water! I got on the swim team and our country club had a rule that if a child could pass a proficiency test (swimming a certain number of laps without stopping and treading water for a set amount of time alone), then they could come to the pool without a parent. Life guards were there anyway. So, I was at the pool all the time!

Honestly, I'm not sure what the experts advise in terms of how old a baby should be before you start teaching them how to swim. But isn't it still a bit chilly right now?

[therock1811]

Best advice I can give (and this is coming from an 18-year old who has not been there yet) is that you should sign him up for lessons from any certified instructor (and it doesn't necessarily need to be at the Y) around the age of 4. If you want to train him yourself, I strongly urge you that you get something to keep him afloat (I know from experience that it don't feel too good to be on your own for the first time). Best bet is to have the lessons done by an instructor though.

[GalvestonDuck]

Oh yeah...a couple of more things:

Don't forget the sunscreen. Keep the toys out of the pool when you're not playing so he won't try to go after them. Get CPR certified. And I'm sure this goes without saying and I'm not doubting your abilities as parents, okay? But whatever you do, don't EVER go answer the door, the phone, to the bathroom, to get a drink, to check on dinner in the oven, or whatever when he's near or has access to the pool.

[therock1811]

Oh yes...that last point is absolutely CRITICAL! NEVER leave a child unattended!

[isobar]

I think the Y starts lessons at age 3, or after they're potty trained. (refer to other thread ) Not sure, where's pojo when you need her?????? They'll teach him not only how to swim, but important water safety stuff.

Like Duck said, blowing bubbles is important - getting him used to having his face in the water. You can do this in the tub. This summer when the pool warms up, spend a lot of time with him there with floaties.

Great idea about the child proof locks and door alarms. When we lived in FL, it was mandatory building code for all the doors leading to the pool.

[chadtm80]

It is mandatory on new pool homes now.. But wasnt when this house was built

[Amanzi]

I tried last summer with Alex.. but he is very scared of putting his head in the water.. we have a big problem trying to wash his hair even. He loves the water, but does not want to learn to swim. I have not pushed the issue either, im just extremely vigilant when we are around a pool.

Shannon is a great one to ask about ages etc as she is a swim coach at the Y

[CaptinCrunch]

I started my son swimming at 2yrs, he will be 11 in june and wants to be a junior life guard this summer

[Lindaloo]

He could actually start swimming lessons now. I am a certified lifeguard (not practicing lol) and I have taught kids younger than Dustin to learn to float on top of the water and treadmill. This is a good time for him to start learning how to hold his breath under water. You two will be quite surprised on how kids his age pick up on things.

You could start teaching him the things above now in the privacy of your own pool. Some kids do tend to be frightened of the water. When he is 2 enroll him at the Y!!

[Pburgh]

I started my kids at age 3 and my daughters started my grandchildren at the same age. We used certified instructors at local pools. At age 4 and 5, both of my grandchildren can swim - Quite a relief. Chad just make the water a fun/safe place to be so that your son doesn't get scared yet wants to learn. You can start him in the bathtub by letting him put his face down in the water and having him blow bubbles.

[Stephanie]

When I worked at the Y, YEARS AGO, I think that they had a program called "Water Babies". I think that the earlier you get them used to and comfortable with being in the water the better. It sounds like you have all of your i's dotted and t's crossed with safety.

[Lindaloo]

Yeah that is what it is called Steph!! Water babies. It has been too long for me. lol.

[coriolis]

Just a thought: once he starts lessons, he may want to get in the pool all the time. That means even more vigilance!

Good luck Chad!

[DaylilyDawn]

We had swimming lessons for my kids when they were 4 or 5 years old. My youngest was five when he had his first lesson, at end of lesson group was given a few minutes of free play time in pool. my son wanted to go off the high dive board( olympic size pool) .Everyone said he would chicken out, but his teacher went up to see what his problem was, came down got a towel and went back up to where he wa, placed the towel on the board and my son walked out to the end of the board and jumped off, surfaced and paddled over to the side where he climbed out and said "I want to do it again!" He went almost to the bottom of the pool and scared me more than it scared him. But he still loves the water, bought himself a watercraft personal jet ski and took it back to Va with him where he is stationed in the Navy.

[blizzard]

When I worked at the Y, YEARS AGO, I think that they had a program called "Water Babies". I think that the earlier you get them used to and comfortable with being in the water the better. It sounds like you have all of your i's dotted and t's crossed with safety.

Young children have the instinct to hold their breath and swim when submerged in water. My girls were swimming when they were 6 mos old. It is soooo cool to watch them navigate the waters at that age. Of course the later you start them, the more of that instinct gets lost. We didn't keep up on the swimming at that age, and now they are good swimmers, but if we had kept up on it, they could be great swimmers.

[hunter84]

we put both of our girls in lessons when they were between 3 and 5. They both are pretty good swimmers now. It made me learn too cause I never really learned until they were in the water.

[mf_dolphin]

The sooner the better. We started both of ours when they were still in diapers. (made them a little butt heavy) but they are both like fish now.

[ColdFront77]

Good luck Chad (and Jen).

I have been in pools and pond in my live, but never learned how to swim and have no desire to learn how.