# can your 4 year old swim?



## fluffpuffin

I guess I'm after some reassurance if sorts. Isla has only started swimming lessons a few weeks ago and seems very much a beginner with slow progress. It seems most kids can already swim at 2 or 3 years old and isla is the odd one out and quite behind. 

When did your kids start swimming lessons and how soon did you notice progress?


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## suzib76

Eldest never had lessons, she was self taught in the water with the exception of lessons when she started high school, so long after she was swimming confidently.

Middle one wouldn't go to lessons until he was 9, but he didn't get on in the group lessons so I took him out - he is 11 and still can't swim.

Youngest had lessons at 3/4 and hated it so I took her out. She is 5 (just) and can't swim but I am looking to start her again in the summer, as I aam my middle one


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## alicecooper

I started Jason at 4, Alex at 6 and Lydia at 8.

Jason did 6 lessons and did nothing other than walk so we gave up. I'll try him again when he's older.

Alex and Lydia took to it fine and are still having lessons.

I don't think they need to be SO young to start the lessons. Sometimes waiting until they're a bit older is better.


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## aimee-lou

Earl turned 5 in October. He's never had lessons and still can't swim. We do go relatively regularly and I'd like to go more. We will probably start him in lessons next year or the year after but I plan on us going every couple of weeks to build up his confidence. It's not that he's shy or anything but I think the group lessons would be a bit much for him atm.


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## OmarsMum

Omar turned 5 in November and still can't swim, we took him for lessons at school but they taught them nothing. We're planning to start swimming classes in Summer

Eta: he can swim with a noodle and armbands with no issues and he is not scared of water


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## emyandpotato

Rory has lessons but he swims with arm biscuits on so not yet independently. I'm more bothered about him getting exercise than learning to swim because he can't walk far so needs to make up for it.


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## jd83

Neither of mine can swim, but we also haven't taken them for lessons yet, as lessons are pretty pricey where we live, and I just can't justify the price yet. When they show interest, we'll look into it.


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## lindseymw

Joshua started lessons just before he turned 5, by 5 and half he was able to swim confidently without armbands front and back. He is in the class now where they work on technique.

Jacob started around 6 months ago, it has only been about a month that he has actually bothered to swim properly (with aids). Before that he was just happy to float about or just kick his legs.


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## housewifey

My nearly 4 year old has been able to swim for about a year now although she has been in lessons with me since she was a baby and started lessons without me about a year ago. She has moved up levels and is now in the technique class. I wouldn't worry about it, there are many kids your daughters age that cannot swim especially if she has not long started. If she enjoys it, keep her in and she'll soon surprise you! x


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## fluffpuffin

Thanks. Good to get your views. I've been comparing with the other kids in her lessons and they seem really advanced. Some of them are younger and swim really well. When i chatted to other mums in my area their kids seem to have been able to swim from the time they were 2 - 3. I thought isla was the odd one out.


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## rosie272

Charlie had lessons at 4 - they got 10 free lessons with nursery and he's did a full block of paid ones as well (18 lessons) and he still can't properly 'swim'. Having the lessons gave him more confidence in the water but he needs more tuition. I booked him in again in August last year but it was a different pool and he really didn't like it - it was deeper than our regular one which was fully booked. We're starting again in summer.


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## hattiehippo

I think a lot depend on how confident a child is in water and trusting other adults.

My DS started swimming lessons nearly a year ago but it took 3 months for him to get confident with the teacher and for me to be able to leave the side of the pool. After a year he can swim about 1m without arm bands but enjoys the lessons and is very confident in the water.

He has a couple of friends who just took to it and can swim very confidently at 5. My goal is just that he can swim enough to not be in the non swimmers group when they start swimming at school in 3 years time!


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## RachA

fluffpuffin said:


> I guess I'm after some reassurance if sorts. Isla has only started swimming lessons a few weeks ago and seems very much a beginner with slow progress. It seems most kids can already swim at 2 or 3 years old and isla is the odd one out and quite behind.
> 
> When did your kids start swimming lessons and how soon did you notice progress?

What do you mean by swim? Do you mean with or without armbands/other swim aids? 

Both of mine have lessons and have done since they were around 18months/2 years. Both could swim with aids from very young however youngest still needs aids at 5 years and oldest has been in the water with no aids since he was around 5 but has only actually been able to swim confidently since he was 6 1/2 or 7. He's 7 1/2 now and has just got his 20m badge. 

From having been going swimming right from when they were born and seeing others I'd say that being 2/3 and being able to swim with no aids isn't actually common. Most of the children I see in lessons are around 4/5 when they start swimming with no aids.


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## kayleigh1985

My dd started swimming lessons about 4 months ago now. She is 3.5 and is a while of swimming independently I would have thought. She enjoys her lessons and is confident in water, she can swim with a tummy belt but once you take that of her... no chance!


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## xprincessx

no, he's never even had lessons! He is autistic though so it would not be an easy feat at the moment

I hope I don't sound naive but 4 still sounds extremely young to me to be able to swim independently. I would have thought more age 6 was more likely! I think I was about 7 or 8 and OH didn't learn until secondary school!


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## dani_tinks

Jacob's been swimming with waterbabies since he was 9 months old, so he's confident in the water. He's almost swimming independently, but he's more confident diving in and going under water than doing lengths of the pool!


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## SarahBear

Violet is 2 and has never had lessons, so can't answer the question for her. I do remember being taught to swim though. I was somewhere between 6 and 8.


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## wish4baby

I have 5 kids...and the 4 older ones could (the baby is nearly 10 months, she's still working on rolling over, face up in the water). 
At 3 years old all 4 were proficient enough to join a year round / competitive swim team (at least 25 m freestyle & backstroke). The 4 oldest are still on swim team :) 

We started formal lessons at about 18 months, but did mommy & me stuff in our pool or (indoor) jacuzzi starting very young, just a few months old. It started because I was worried they'd get out & drown in our pool, so I watched all those infant safety rescue classes & decided to start it myself (I also was a lifeguard for years before becoming a mommy)


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## fluffpuffin

Seems that starting early is the key. Isla isn't very confident in the water at all yet... Wish I started her earlier.


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## bluebell

^^ I agree, I think starting them early really helps. My LO was almost 4 when he started in lessons. His teacher is great, only ever has 2 or 3 children at a time. My LO had no arm bands from the start and the teacher mainly focused on him learning to breathe underwater and build strength in his arms and legs to begin with. He got his 5m and 10m in doggy paddle when he was 5.

He was 6 in October and recently moved up to a bigger pool to learn front crawl and he's come on so well. He can easily swim the 10m length of the pool without a float doing front crawl. I was never taught to swim 'properly' so I'm quite awestruck watching him :D His teacher wants him to try for his 25m soon.

I'd really recommend starting your LO in a small class if you have any in the area. My LO was not happy at all in the water before he started but the teacher helped him overcome that really quickly. It's such an important skill and a priority for him with living close to the beach.

xx


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## Mummytoosh

My 8 yr old can swim, he was mainly taught in primary school though.
My 4 & 3 year old can't swim, my 4 year old is getting more water confident but my 3 year old clings on and hates it!
We'll go swimming with them again in March when our leisure pool reopens for the season.
Swimming lessons are very expensive and with all the dancing & football fees and school trips etc it's not something we'd ever consider.
xx


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## Eleanor ace

My DS is 3.5 and can swim a bit, he can just about do a length of the learner pool but only after his swimming lesson- the rest of the time he wants arm bands on or to use a noodle. He's in a class with 5-7 year olds though, the children in his old class (3-5ish) are mostly still in the pre-swimming class though.


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## embo216

My 6 year old can swim without aids but her younger brother still needs them, we pay £20 every week for a half an hour lesson so very expensive!


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## Vickie

Hannah is over 6 and she really just started to get the hang of swimming. She certainly doesn't swim far. We have to work on her stamina and her breathing techniques.


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## EcoMama

My son is 5 and started lessons a week ago, all the kids in his beginner class cant swim and are aged 5 & under. The upper techniques class have no kids under 6 in it x


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## hazzabeanie

my son harry is 5 he can swim with armbands but not without we dont do lessons as they dont fit around work school etc but we try to go swimming as often as we can and teach him ourselves xx


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## Natsku

Maria is nearly 4. She can't swim, never had lessons as there doesn't seem to be any lessons here.


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## AP

Alex just kicks happily away with arm bands, tori wont even let go of me bless her


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## Cangaroo

My 3.5 year old can swim beautifully with the noodle, but has no confidence to try without. She is very scared of getting her face wet and won't go under water. She started lessons this term, and hasn't made much progress yet. We had a breakthrough today, though, as she decided to wear her goggles (which she's been refusing to do) and did somewhat better. I think it just takes time!

My goddaughter, however, turned 4 in October and got her 200m badge in November!! Yes, I do mean 200, not 20. She got her 100m badge well before she was 4. It's amazing. She's started high diving lessons already as she swims so well. She has a very good swim teacher, started young and is naturally very confident.


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## Seity

I have a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old. Neither can swim. The only way they could learn was we paid money for lessons and since we are never around pools or any deep water, there's been no point in spending money we don't have on lessons they won't use. I'd be happy to teach them myself someday if we have access to a free swimming area. The older boy always hated baths until he was 1 and to this day I still have to bribe him to get his head wet in the bath.


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## tallybee

Try not to compare hun theyre all different and will progress in their own time. As long as she's enjoying it that's the main thing and she will be grand x


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## elsielouise

My son has just turned six. He has been swimming since he was three with weekly lessons. He can swim a length on his back and about half a length from the deep end in front crawl. At four I think a width was his limit cos he just wasn't strong enough. Worth every penny and he will keep gong til he can jump in the deep end in pyjamas and get to side and out. They not allowed to do this level til they are even at our local pool.


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## jensonsmummy

My local pool doesn't start swimming lessons until they are 5 so hoping to start LO after his birthday. They are quite expensive tho


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## annanouska

I've been stressing that my 2.5 yo can't swim :blush:

He went to water babies and used to do brill swimming small distances underwater etc then his epilepsy kicked in he forgot it all.

I used to swim nationally trained as a swim coach etc so have been obsessed with him just having basic swim skills I honestly thought he was really behind :wacko: I've tried to teach him myself but as I'm mummy he messes about. Feel a lot more relaxed now and happy just letting him have fun x


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## Lauraxamy

My daughter is four, she goes swimming regularly with me or her Dad and has done since she was around four months old. She loves swimming but can't swim without arm bands. It's not something I'm worried about really, she's very confident in the water so I'm sure when she's ready it'll just happen. 
She'll start swimming lessons with her school once a week when she's a little bit older.


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## Bingo

It seems very much to depend on where you live. Here most babies start between 6 months and a year and have year round lessons once a week so learn to swim (freestyle aka front crawl) by the time they're 4-5 years old. My eldest started lessons at around 2 years old and is still slightly behind her friends. They are now all learning arms whilst she is still on legs. I think she'll catch up pretty quickly though. She went through the lower levels very quickly.

My 2 year old started lessons at about a year old and is doing really well. She can't dog paddle unaided yet but is probably not far off. She can grab submerged items from the bottom of the pool and uses her arms and legs really well.

I wouldn't sweat it. They will all learn in their own time with lessons. OP it sounds like she's doing really well and she will eventually catch up to her peers given time. My four year old still won't open her eyes under water (they use goggles in lessons). She is very confident in the water now which is a direct result of the lessons. I will say she came on leaps and bounds when we started taking her to a public pool once a week for play. She can't touch the bottom there so she has to 'swim' to get from one platform to the next. She also taught herself how to swim under the submerged platforms which still gives me a heart attack every time she does it. So my advice is to get them in the pool for free play weekly if possible. It builds their confidence and they don't have to take instruction.


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