Swimming lessons for infants

KathyPet · ‎03-09-2010

have any of you had any experience enrolling a infant (6 months) in those infant swim classes? my daughter is thinking of enrolling my grandson. How was your experience? were the results worth it?

StylishLady · ‎03-11-2010

Not sure about 6 months. My twin grand daughters who will soon be a year old are going to visit us next week and our daughter wants to introduce them to swimming in our pool. I have read up on information regarding infant swimming. We need to make sure our pool water is at least 85 degrees for their little bodies. Check information yourself on Google or whatever search engine you use.

Kitlynn · ‎03-09-2010

I have a friend who is a swim coach for the Mother Tot classes. My daughter learned to swim at nine months old. She took right to it and the instructor for the older kids called me and ask if I could bring my water dog to the classes so the kids could see a baby swim and then they wouldn't be afraid. It was amazing. Now my daughter is thirty three and absolutely is still a water dog!!!! The younger the better but you have to have someone who knows what they are doing to teach the class or for private lessons.

MickD · ‎03-10-2010

Kathypet ~ This is the perfect time to start a swim class (before any sort of water anxiety might occur as babies can't comprehend the vastness of a pool). I started taking my son to the pool when he was an infant. We had an informal group of moms/babes who would meet weekly. Then when he began school I had him enrolled in formal swim classes. He then graduated to ocean swimming and surfing at 6 years old. He started surfing with the big kids and adults like a little pro. at 14 years old, he is confident, not afraid of the water/ocean, is cautious/doesn't take risks. I chuck this all up to acclimating him to the pool as an infant (now me on the other hand - I am not going to surf way out in no man's land with the big fishes!).

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.... ~ S & G

KathyPet · ‎03-09-2010

For those of you who did it and were pleased it sounds like once you started them in a informal swim group or a class at a early age did you them keep them going on a continual basis for a long time. babies forget quickly so I assume they have to go to swim on a ongoing basis or they will lose the skill?

Alsee · ‎03-15-2010

Wonderful. Both my little ones started lessons at 8 months. Very natural for them and loved the water. Now at 7 and 9 they are terrific swimmers. Even tho we always kept the pool covered and still do when not used, it was good to know they could float for at least a short time. As I said they loved being in the water as babies and would recommend it with the right certified instructor.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

I started my daughter at Swim Babies when she was 6 months old. Swim Babies was a business that only enrolled babies. I was very pleased with the very professional staff. Since babies still have a water instinct from being in utero, it was not difficult for my daughter.

We had an above-ground pool at home, so DH was very good about taking her in the water on a daily basis after the classes ended. We moved to a colder clime when DD was 2, so joined a swim club in Marin County. When DD was 5, we enrolled her in formal swimming lessons and she was like a fish in water. When she was 12, she and her Dad went through PADI scuba diving training and both passed. To this day, she loves to be in the water and introduced her husband to scuba diving.

One month ago, she started her baby in a swim baby class and is really excited about it. Right now they're in Hawaii, so she's taking the baby into that nice warm Hawaiian water.

If a mom is going to do it, she has to be dedicated to it and follow through with additional water experiences and swim lessons later on.

Vamp · ‎04-14-2010

I took one of my DDs to swim class when she was about a year old. Total waste of time, in my opinion. They don't learn to swim (which I understood going into it and was fine with that) but the idea is to get them comfortable in water. Honestly, I doubt it made a difference. My second child did not go to swim "lessons" as an infant and both of my kids learned to swim at around age 5 or 6. There was no difference that I could see in their ability to learn or their fear/lack of fear of water. If your daughter wants to do it, fine; I don't think it does any harm, but I also don't think it makes a lick of difference. Just my opinion, of course.

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

I gave my children swim lessons when they were in elementary school. But I'm a regular swimmer at our community's heated indoor pool and have been amazed to see some of the swim classes with tiny infants. They hold their breath, learn to float face up, and learn to swim to the side of the pool very quickly. Most of them seem to take to it naturally with little fear. Toddlers are a different story -- lots of anxiety and screaming before they relax and take to the water.

Luvsparis · ‎07-02-2012

When my oldest daughter was born, 27yrs ago next week, my husband and I took her to our poolwhen she was 3 months old. We were living in a condo in Aventura, Fl so we wanted to prepare her for being around a pool. We submerged her and pushed her under water to the other parent. She was like a little tad-pole and not at all afraid of the water. We continued to do this whenever we were at the pool and later gave her swimming lessons. We did the same w/our younger daughter & they both turned out to be great swimmers. It is never too young!!