Has anyone here forgone formal swim lessons and taught their own kids...

[MomofSeven]

I grew up with a pool and never took a swim lesson in my life. I did take mandatory swimming class in highschool, but by then I was a very strong swimmer.

 

Now as a mom, it seems like every parent I know puts their kids in swim lessons. Unfortunately, with six, this would be very costly for us.

 

I've found a website on how to teach your child to swim, and I wonder if I can't just do it myself. It provides tips and games to build swimming confidence in young children.

 

I have access to my sister's pool everyday, so that would not be an issue.

 

Has anyone taught their own children?

[MamaT]

I taught all my dc how to swim, but they learned when we lived in Florida and had a pool in the back yard. They were all like little fish by the time they were three.

 

We go to the public pool 3-4 times a week here in the summer, and they swim in my sister's pool in Florida when we visit every year. I think they are great swimmers, and they have never had a formal lesson.

[chiguirre]

I enrolled ds2 and dd in lessons, but they ended up really learning by practicing what they did in class with me. OTOH, if I hadn't signed them up, I wouldn't have known what to do. Dd will be taking lessons again this summer so that she (and I) can learn how to learn the strokes. Ds2 will be doing Special Olympics swimming and I will be in the water with him so I hope to pick up teaching tips there too.

 

Could you post the site you found? I'd love to see it.

[camibami]

You don't even have to "teach" them, just go to the pool everyday. My oldest was in Y swim lessons from 3-5, never learned anything. We moved to MS, neighbor had a pool he let us use and we went every day, and she started swimming in afew weeks. My youngest has never had a lesson, but learned to doggy paddle at 2, and is a great swimmer (though not as polished as big sis, who does a swim team).

 

Just take them a few hours every day this summer, and they WILL be swimming by the end of the summer.

[DarlaS]

I have three of my four kids take lessons and not learn to swim there. DD was four at the time, so that's not what the lessons were about (I would have liked to have known that in advance).

 

She taught herself the summer she turned six. Actually, I think her big brother taught her. He also learned when he was six just by swimming in our backyard pool.

 

It's hard work for my kids learning to swim as none of them seem to have any buoyancy beyond infancy. They sink like rocks! When I hold my five year old in the water, he barely seems lighter than out of the water. It's very odd. :001_huh:

 

My oldest still doesn't swim, and neither does my youngest yet. The little guy sure wants to though! He'll be six in the fall so maybe this is his year.

[TwinMominTX]

I tried when my kids were 3-4 years old. They were not interested in learning from me. I also spent $50 per hour with a private instructor for about 15 hours and they still weren't doing well.

 

I pretty much gave up and then we went on a business trip with dh. One of his employees was staying at the same hotel and in two 30 minute sessions taught my dds how to swim.

 

They were just not interested in taking direction from me.

[KJB]

My older two children took lessons but my number 3 started on his own. We were staying at a hotel for two weeks and we swam every day. DS #3 (age 5) kept jumping in to me and then swimming to the side of the pool. At first, I'd catch him and swim with him, more or less holding him. Then, I'd launch him toward the side with a strong push and he'd swim the tiny bit rest himself. By the end of the two weeks he would jump in and swim to the side alone.

 

Now, he's swimming like a fish. He's just started lessons this year to learn strokes and he's the only 5 year old in the top group!

 

Of course, he was very motivated and had no fear. He'd been in the water routinely since he was small and his older brother and sister are swim team swimmers.

 

So, it can be done! I think the degree of comfort in the water and lack of fear are the two keys.

[Firefly]

You absolutely can! We never really gave our dc formal lessons... just showed them by example and by offering advice. We've always had a pool and they were in from the time they were babies, but I think you could do it just by taking them regularly to a public pool. Good luck!

[chanda7]

I taught my daughter (then 5) to swim fairly easily. Admittedly, her stroke is terrible (and she is too stubborn to work on it), but she can swim and pick things up off the bottom of the pool. I found a book about it at the library and followed some of the techniques. It was called Water fun : swimming instruction and water games for the whole family by Maryalice Fairbank Miner.

[snickelfritz]

1. They don't have regular access to a pool. They go occasionally and need the higher intensity and higher exposure of the lessons.

 

2. They want them swimming when summer starts. We're doing swim lessons for my younger through June. At 6 and 3, I am always in the water or right by the edge of the pool. BUT, it sure is easier if they can at least swim to the side when summer starts.

 

 

Otherwise, I think people through the years have learned to swim just by swimming. My oldest made more progress when we swam last summer for fun, no lessons, than when she took lessons over the whole school year.

[westcoastmom]

For you 2 month old, I would try Teach Your Baby to Swim. See if you can borrow it from the library. My friend did this with his son in the bathtub and at 2, his son could swim like a fish.

 

We starting trying to teach all of our kids to swim at a young age, and I wish I had done the Teach Your Baby to Swim. My 6 and 7 yr olds can swim now and are in swim club. We are still working on helping our 4 yr old who is also taking lessons.

 

My husband and I both swim well and both know how to teach them, and we have tried many times over the years. None of them were interested in taking direction from us and just wanted to play in the water. We have done many different lessons in various places we have lived. The best success we found was when they had lessons 4 or 5 days a week in the summer.

[keptwoman]

I've paid a fortune over the years for the boys to do swimming lessons where they might be lucky to get 5 mins of the instructors time in a group lesson. I decided that after sitting and watching for 10 years I could do it myself with DD. I've only gone a couple of times with her but in those two sessions she can now kick well with a kickboard and float properly. It's just not that hard. I'm sure you can do it!

[Gretchen in NJ]

My sisters and I were taught by our father. My father, mother and I taught my children.

[kaylk in tx]

if you want them to be water-safe, then absolutely yes! just regular exposure to a pool and a vigilant eye will make them able to swim.

 

if you want them to learn to do the strokes technically correct, then probably not, unless you have a strong swimming background yourself.

[Mommyfaithe]

I grew up with a pool and never took a swim lesson in my life. I did take mandatory swimming class in highschool, but by then I was a very strong swimmer.

 

Now as a mom, it seems like every parent I know puts their kids in swim lessons. Unfortunately, with six, this would be very costly for us.

 

I've found a website on how to teach your child to swim, and I wonder if I can't just do it myself. It provides tips and games to build swimming confidence in young children.

 

I have access to my sister's pool everyday, so that would not be an issue.

 

Has anyone taught their own children?

 

I taught all of my kids to swim...at 2 years old...by playing with them in the pool....They did take lessons, but not until they could swim and wanted to swim on swim team...then they needed to learn technique. Now my daughter is a coach and swim teacher, so she teaches them.

 

Faithe

[DawnM]

We taught our own kids. We have a pool in the backyard.

 

Dawn

[lgm]

We taught our kids front crawl and backstroke, treading water, and huddle in the backyard pool.

 

At middleschool age they did lessons at the Y and camp so they could learn the other competitive swim strokes, dive, be more efficient at front crawl and back stroke, and learn the flip turns to enjoy lap swimming for health. They were much more relaxed canoeing after swim lessons than before - I'd say they gained confidence in themselves by having the evaluation from an outside person.

 

After watching all the preschoolers at the Y lessons, I'd have to say that the lessons are worth it if the parent can't do it. The instructors certainly stress pool safety to the swimmers. The parents in the spring session also get a talk on how to lifeguard that backyard pool...judging by some of the parties my kids have been invited to , there are many parents that need that lesson.

[WishboneDawn]

I've found a website on how to teach your child to swim...

 

And it is? :)

[Pamela H in Texas]

My kids can function in the pool, but I wish they would have had swim lessons. They are both interested. In fact, I was going to call the Red Cross today about whether they'd let them go in the adult class since they are a bit old for the normal classes.

[Pip]

My 2 youngest swim competetively and are very good. They took lessons at the Y for a short time and then it became more trouble than it was worth although the lessons were free as we are Y members. They were never afraid of the water and just paddled around and taught themselves to swim, no problem. In fact, they figured out how to do the strokes for competition on their own. When they joined the swim team, they just needed coaching on proper technique, turns, starts, etc.

 

My oldest took swim lessons but we also gave up on her because of the time hassle. Again, she picked up more on her own.

 

I think once you get them over the fear of the water, it is fairly natural. And some kids just are not afraid of the water at all. If you are looking at competition, yes, you need coaching. But just for fun and safety, I would say not necessarily.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Pip