Have you ever heard of Infant Rescue Swimming?

[Liz CA]

 

 

They supposedly teach this to kids as early as 6 months.

 

[Ailaena]

 

This was all the rage in Phoenix, and last year after I had ds, I found a place here that did it. The teach the basics when they can roll over, and swim float swim when they can walk. It averages 4-6 weeks, of daily, 10-minute lessons and they push the kids hard.

 

I have nothing bad to say about it, but it is NOT for everybody. I met a lady the other day who was literally traumatized after a couple of weeks of lessons with her son. Like, she instantly had tears and was shaking just talking about it.

[Guest]

My husband's coworker had this or something similar taught to her two kids. I think they were closer to 2 though. They learned to flip on their back and navigate to the edge, and I think they even has them learn to do it with heavy clothes on. It's pretty impressive.

[EmilyGF]

My friend did this as a child and then did it with her children. She really loves it. But it is a commitment for mom and child; as in 5x per week lessons for 6 weeks to 3 months, depending on the child. Mom needs to count diapers to make sure child isn't swallowing too much water in the pool. You need to keep going to the pool after lessons, too, or child will forget. The cost and commitment was too much for us, but it was worth it to my friend who spends much of her time in communities where there are pools everywhere. Also, she had really positive memories of it from childhood.

 

I think it is sort of like Suzuki music lessons: there are some places that do it well and some places where it is a drain on kid and family.

 

Emily

[Jann in TX]

It did not work with my oldest dd--she would instantly sink.  DD1 did learn how to swim under water when she was about 5-- but could not tread water/float until she was about 10 (swim instructor said she did not have enough body fat (dd1 was a FTT baby).

 

Middle dd was swimming laps in a Jr Olympic pool WITHOUT any flotation device support when she was 2.5 years old.  We taught her how to float/turn face up for air when she was 1.5 years old (She was a sick baby or we would have taught her sooner!).

 

 

 

 

[Ailaena]

Yeah, I forgot about that. If you don't have a pool, they recommend (and offer) weekly play-type lessons after that to keep skills.

 

We were not advised of diaper counting, but there were strict feeding rules for before lessons

[TheReader]

My aunt did this a number of years ago with her daughter, because they lived on a canal. This was at least 20 yrs ago. It worked very well, but I think my cousin was 18 months or so (older than a year, younger than two, for sure). It was fabulous for their situation, and my cousin definitely could and did swim well, and it gave my aunt some measure of peace of mind given where they lived. Not that she ever let her dd run around unsupervised, but in a "just in case" sort of way.

[Pink and Green Mom]

It is pretty big in FL where I live - just about every single family home has a pool in their backyard.  The two little girls next door to me had this training when they were about 6 months old.

[momacacia]

I've heard that the responsible teachers will advise that this doesn't make your kid "waterproof," just that in an emergency situation should one arise, they should be able to surface, float (face up on back) and find the edge or float until helped. Its not designed to just let the two year old run around the poolside unattended all day.

 

I think there's a good bit of fussing/crying that can be involved in training. Not to be negative, because if we had a pool or lives near water, I would definitely do this with my kids.

Edited June 24, 2016 by momacacia

[EmilyGF]

It is pretty big in FL where I live - just about every single family home has a pool in their backyard.  The two little girls next door to me had this training when they were about 6 months old.

My friend who loved it was from FL and did it with her kids as soon as they could crawl.

[MrsWeasley]

One of my biggest fears is my toddler drowning. If I could find someone to teach this, I would do it, even if my two year old hated it.

[Daria]

I think that anything that gives parents the slightest bit of peace of mind, leads to relaxation around the dangers of water.  Given that, I have very mixed feelings about this.

 

Looking at that video, I imagine that, for the cost of months of daily lessons, the family could have afforded to properly fence their pool.  That seems like a better investment.

[bolt.]

I've seen a lesson going on at a pool where I was swimming. It was effective, but it was not a fun 'swimming lesson' -- it was just muscle memory training with plenty of scary/traumatic feelings for parent and child. I can see it as a safety measure, but it is not the beginning of learning to swim. It was not 'daily for 6 weeks' in my setting.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Both my kids did it. It's a huge commitment. Daily lessons(15 min) for weeks. My younger kid had to keep with it another 6 months!!! We were at that pool way too much lol. Two weeks after our last lesson she jumped into a pool unnoticed at a party. She was able to cry out once. She could not flip over in the situation.

 

It was great for my son. He was 2. It wasn't great for my daughter who was 6 months.

 

SO my opinions are mixed. I would say closer to age 2 is better. And it should be a convenient location.

 

We lived at the beach and had friends with pools. I was 5 min from the lessons. But they were during nap time, so difficult for those months. I felt it was worth it at the time.

 

However it wasn't a success for both my kids. Only my son. Consider your water exposure and lesson situation before doing it. It can be hard to watch...they do cry in the beginning from being scared going under water.

[Guest]

I think that anything that gives parents the slightest bit of peace of mind, leads to relaxation around the dangers of water.  Given that, I have very mixed feelings about this.

 

Looking at that video, I imagine that, for the cost of months of daily lessons, the family could have afforded to properly fence their pool.  That seems like a better investment.

 

You can't really fence every irrigation canal, stream and river you live near or come across while out and about.

[UCF612]

My kids both did it. One at a year and one at 6m. It was fabulous for them. I know some people don't like it because kids cry but personally preferred having 5 min of crying over potentially losing a child to drowning. We live in FL. My oldest son literally walked right into a friend's pool, sunk for a second and then kicked himself up and back to the step before anyone could catch him. I'm thankful for the program and the skills it gave him. He's on swim team now.

[Lady Florida.]

It is pretty big in FL where I live - just about every single family home has a pool in their backyard.  The two little girls next door to me had this training when they were about 6 months old.

 

We took ds to ISR* lessons when he was about a year old (1998). Many of our relatives have taken their kids too, more recently. Our grandsons have been through it. There are several important things to know/remember about this kind of training.

 

1. These are not swimming lessons. They are meant to help a child save himself if he falls into a pool. He can float on his back to the side of the pool and stay there until someone (hopefully very soon) finds him.

2. The complaint has been that it makes parents complacent, but our experience and that of people we know, is that the ISR teachers stress, really stress, that you must be just as vigilant as if your child didn't go through this training. See #1. This is not swimming lessons. Parents should not let themselves get a false sense of security if their child has been through ISR lessons. 

3. Your child will probably not like the lessons. It's important that he like the teacher because the lessons are not fun. 

4. If you don't have a pool, refresher lessons are recommended until your child is old enough to learn how to properly swim.

5.They will teach you that swim arm bands are bad, bad, bad. This is not a settled topic among swim teaching experts, so take from it what you will. However, the teacher will be able to tell if a child has been using them.

 

*Actually ours was called Infant Swim Research and I see this one is Infant Swim Resource, but the concept looks to be the same in both. 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[ktgrok]

 

Looking at that video, I imagine that, for the cost of months of daily lessons, the family could have afforded to properly fence their pool.  That seems like a better investment.

 

That is what we did. I will not and could not do ISR lessons. Just, no. I won't do that to my child, and I've known several children that did it and then were later very afraid of the water. They forgot how to swim, but remembered the fear. and I don't trust it anyway. And I am terrified that those kids will inhale water and later die from dry drowning. 

 

We fenced the pool, with a lock that I can barely open, let alone a child. Then we also have a slide bolt on the door that leads to the patio, way up high, where I can barely reach, that we keep locked. So even if they figured out the regular lock, they can't reach that. Multiple levels of protection. Oh, and a chime that sounds when the door opens. 

 

My kids don't go in water if I'm not there. And if they are not swimmers, and we aren't working on swimming skills, they wear a puddle jumper vest thing, that is approved by the coast guard as a life jacket.

 

My then 2 and 5 yr old took lessons last year, with an amazing instructor, and will again next week. The 5 year old was able to learn basic skills, the 2 year old ALMOST had it, but not quite. Turns out he doesn't have the normal reflect to come to the surface...he just sits there with his head under water until he runs out of air and starts to panic, but still doesn't try to surface. The instructor said she'd only ever seen one kid like that before. Hoping it goes better this time!

 

But my main reason I won't is the risk of dry drowning. The do swallow a lot of water, and could inhale it as well, and then die in their sleep later at nap time or bed time. No thank you. That terrifies me. I have no control over that. Especially with a wee baby that can't explain they don't feel right. 

 

I don't judge others that choose differently, but I think the risks are underestimated or covered up many times, and the benefits are overstated. 

[Janeway]

I wouldn't do it. I read that it makes a child less scared of going in to the water and therefore, a bigger risk. Plus, it seems to me it could traumatized the child.

[wintermom]

There are many factors to consider for individual families, but on the whole I'd support more quality general water safety education for all parents and all children over this very specialized water safety program. I was a life guard, swim instructor (ages 6 month to adult), swim coach and life guard and instructor trainer, as well as a kayaker and canoeist. After all this training and experience prior to being a parent, it was my desire not to have a pool or open water near my home. The safety risks are so much bigger than most untrained people realize. You really need training just to become aware of the safety risks, even before you can work at preventing them and even rescuing yourself or your child. As someone mentioned, the risks around water are everywhere, and they are different from region to region, house to house, season to season.

 

I'd guess that probably the biggest benefit the ISR program is the parent education, because they are there in the water with the child being taught about the potential risks to their children (and themselves), and how to prevent or minimize these risks.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by wintermom

[hornblower]

We didn't do this training but we did do a "water babies" program which is very young infants in pools, learning to float and go under water. I have an underwater pic of my dd going underwater from the instructor to me, a distance of about 2 meters. She has her eyes open and is smiling. 

It was super fun & totally NOT traumatic.  You do it very, very gradually & they do learn to do the float on the back and kick maneuver as well. 

Both my kids were always comfortable in water, right from infancy & swam most days. My ds at one point later in his childhood stalled in swimming lessons because he preferred to swim underwater rather than on the surface... lol 

Our program was not intended to try to teach rescue swimming at all though it sort of ends up being a side effect imo.  I've heard from others that the rescue swimming program is much more intense and stressful for some kids. I'm not sure that's really worth it. 

[ktgrok]

There are many factors to consider for individual families, but on the whole I'd support more quality general water safety education for all parents and all children over this very specialized water safety program. I was a life guard, swim instructor (ages 6 month to adult), swim coach and life guard and instructor trainer, as well as a kayaker and canoeist. After all this training and experience prior to being a parent, it was my desire not to have a pool or open water near my home. The safety risks are so much bigger than most untrained people realize. You really need training just to become aware of the safety risks, even before you can work at preventing them and even rescuing yourself or your child. As someone mentioned, the risks around water are everywhere, and they are different from region to region, house to house, season to season.

 

I'd guess that probably the biggest benefit the ISR program is the parent education, because they are there in the water with the child being taught about the potential risks to their children (and themselves), and how to prevent or minimize these risks.

 

So true. I did a one day water saftey/rescue type course, when I worked at a summer camp and that plus supervising swimming (along with the actual lifeguard who of course had much more training) taught me so much. I honestly don't even trust my husband or father totally to watch my kids in the water...they tend to get distracted and turn away. For me, watching them in water means eyes on them, the whole time, no matter what. 

 

We do want to move in another year and would prefer a house without a pool. And absolutely not one with a lake/water. 

[umsami]

We live in Florida.  Very popular here.  Did it with my youngest, when he was a little over a year.  Had a great teacher and in about two months, he was able to do the kick on his tummy, turn over and rest, kick on his tummy to the wall.   He took "regular" swim lessons at 4, and progressed quite quickly. 

[Julie Smith]

We didn't do it, no need here. The closet open water would have taken a walk across numerous busy streets for about 1.5KM, or climbing a fence, breaking into a locked building, ...

 

But I like water and just took my boys to the pool often starting when they were about 3 weeks. By the age of about 18 months for Eldest and 2 for Youngest they both could swim as in jump in the water, swim for a distance, surface for air, keep swimming, ... And they enjoyed it. We would go to the pool about 3, sometimes 4 times a week and spend an hour in the water.

 

My biggest problem is Youngest didn't find breathing important. He would push himself away from me and happily swim around underwater. When I was sure he was in need of air I would pull him to the surface. He would be slightly blue. He would sputter, gasp, and push himself away from me to keep swimming. When he got better at talking he would gasp out the words, "me swim". He took the longest to swim since he just didn't seem to care about breathing.  :huh:

[Katy]

I think almost all of my Florida friends did something like this with their babies.  Except maybe the one with triplets. Multiples didn't lend itself to that much swim time.  Her kids are in school now & all still wear lifejackets to swim.

[Truscifi]

We looked at it, but opted instead for water babies. It is slower paced and more gentle, and it also sets them up for swim lessons when they are older. It still teaches basic water safety skills like floating and grabbing the side. Both my boys were swimming independently very early just from water babies. We did go to a private instructor though, not one of the big classes.

[Guest]

My main thought when watching that video is that that is a stupid pool for a family with a young child to own. Good lord, get a dang fence!!

[redsquirrel]

Ive never heard of it, but I don't live in an area where this would be a constant source of stress.  My kids don't come across a body of water unless it is on purpose.  I did have those baby swim classes for them when they were less than a year old, but they were useless. My boys both had a terrible time learning to swim despite having years of lessons. Like someone else mentioned upthread they have very little body fat and just sink, sank sunk.  My kids were even skinny when they were babies, lol. 

 

I am happy to say that they are now 16 and 11 and excellent swimmers. We belong to a cooperative private pool and they spend hours in the water. But for years we owned a selection of live vests in different sizes, lol.  I wouldn't let them near water without one because they sank like stones.

 

If I had a pool or a pond, or lived in an area where private pools were common or I lived within easy walking distance of water, I would have seriously considered it.

 

I should add that we do have a good sized lake here, but we don't end up at the lake without planning to be at the lake.

 

Around here, small children around all the ponds scare the crap out of me.  I sometimes feel like I am the only one who takes them seriously. I am always asking people how they keep their kids safe from the pond on their property. I usually get blank stares in response.