Baby Swim Lesson

[mary1217]

My mom is getting on my case telling me DD needs swim lessons. We do not have a pool, so I think it is pointless right now when she isn't going to remember by next summer and she actually has never even been in anything other than a baby pool at this point. My mom said she would pay for it (she has no clue how much it costs). The ISR lessons in our area would be $700+ depending on how many weeks she would need to go.  Or should I just do regular swim lessons - what is the difference? 

[bullybutt]

I think the difference in the ISR and typical swim lessons, is the survival factor if your baby were to fall into the water. It teaches them the "instinct" to float on the water until help arrives. I posted a video once upon a time about it. It's so scary to watch.

I've had DS in typical swim lessons for several months at different times. I won't be doing that with DD. It was kind of a waste of money for us. It was mainly just having the kids hang out in the water and sing songs and pour water on their heads and dunk them under water...for like 6 weeks. I didn't see the value in that. I have started taking DS and DD to the pool on my own and I think they get more out of that, then the classes. Plus they are MUCH more comfortable with me than with an instructor trying to grab them and teach them to float on their back or whatnot. I will be saving my money from now on.

[bullybutt]

Ugh, I don't know why the video link upload isn't working.

youtu.be/nI_XzNfxjlY

[Liv]

bullybutt, those videos scare the crap out of me. If DD had more regular access to water, I might want to do it, but as it is, I don't think I could handle putting her through the training!

[bullybutt]

Jun 3, 2015 8:43:44 GMT -5 Liv said:

bullybutt, those videos scare the crap out of me. If DD had more regular access to water, I might want to do it, but as it is, I don't think I could handle putting her through the training!

That's how I feel.  If I OWNED a pool, then I could definitely see putting my babies through that.  But since I don't and I helicopter the shit out of them when we are in the water, I think just good old fashion playing in the water and letting them learn the old school way is what is going to be best for us. 

[soon2bmrsn]

Jun 3, 2015 8:45:39 GMT -5 bullybutt said:

Jun 3, 2015 8:43:44 GMT -5 Liv said:

bullybutt, those videos scare the crap out of me. If DD had more regular access to water, I might want to do it, but as it is, I don't think I could handle putting her through the training!

That's how I feel.  If I OWNED a pool, then I could definitely see putting my babies through that.  But since I don't and I helicopter the shit out of them when we are in the water, I think just good old fashion playing in the water and letting them learn the old school way is what is going to be best for us. 

ITA with bully. I just now put my 3.5 and almost 6 year olds in swim lessons. We have a neighborhood pool, and/but I don't see the value in lessons until kids are a bit older and able to actually understand/remember what they're learning. This may be an UO.

[honeybee434]

If I wanted to put DD in lessons to teach Her something, I would do the survival float thing. I can see how that could be a useful tool, but can also see why you wouldn't want to bother.

If I just want a mommy and me class to have fun and get her used to the water, I would do normal swim lessons. I would like to do something like this with LO just to have an activity for us to do together, so may look into it at the Y later this summer/fall. But I don't expect any learning to happen at this age.

[lea]

If we had a pool or were in pools often, I'd do it but truth be told I haven't even signed 4.5-year-old up for lessons yet. I'm doing that this fall now that he's old enough that I don't have to go in with him. Anytime he's been in a pool has been with us at a hotel or something. I think I'd only do the survival class if we or a close relative/neighbor had one where the likelihood of falling in was more than it is.

[jnnfrrose6]

No lessons here (so far) for either kid. My parents are members of a club, so I did ask her to find out about lessons for me so I have an excuse to go up there and visit/go to the pool myself. We'll see. We may just do it on our own too. DS loves water and the one time we took him to the pool last year he was already jumping in to my arms and putting his head under. Not sure lessons are necessary.

[anotherdreamer]

No swim lessons for any of my kids yet. We only have a small kiddie pool and when we're in a bigger one someone is holding them. I don't think the babies would pick much up, my 3.5y old won't even listen when we try. Regardless since we won't be swimming much for awhile I am waiting.

[sararl07]

We wanted to sign up for the ISR class but with the lessons 10 mins everyday and they only time they taught this was in the middle of the day , and the other individual who taught it would be a 25 min commute one way. Both were not feasible for a working family and add on top the high cost (mine was also $700). I found another swim class that she starts on Friday that cross between the two extremes that baby swim programs suffer from.

Some baby swim lessons just play around in the water and don’t actually teach babies to swim. Other swim lessons teach babies to swim with traumatic teaching techniques. The one I finally decided to enroll our daughter states they teach swimming in a warm and loving environment with effective, time tested techniques.

[isolemnlyswear]

C has been in swim class since February. She loves it. I did it because I wanted her to feel comfortable with water. We are taking the summer off and will start back up in the fall.

[Lola]

We did a 6 week session. I thought it was pretty pointless. Mainly just pulling him around through the water, blowing bubbles in the water and pouring water on his head. All of which he does in the bathtub. I dont think id sign up for another session of that kind. If it was the safety ones and I had a pool, I definitely would.

[rlb]

I think we're going to, because we live on a lake and they are only $35 at the Y (our only option), so it seems like a no-brainer to us. We don't have the ISR option here, and I'm so cheap I'd probably learn how to teach her myself to save the kwan. lol