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?

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[RachA]

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.

 

[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!

 

[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!

 

[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!

 

[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.

 

[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)

 

[fluffpuffin]

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

 

[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 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