Swim Lessons

holley79 wrote: I am just curious. I am looking at taking Parent/ Tots classes with Annika at the Y.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: I had both Emily and Spencer in swimming lessons. I wish we would have kept up with it.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Christian took them before, last yr.
Kellie has not yet.

holley79 replied: I was just talking to the Y. They have Parent/ tot classes I am looking at. They begin Aug 19th and go for 8 weeks of Saturdays. It's 45.00 but I think for 8 classes that isn't too bad. (Like I have a clue. )

Jackie012007 replied:
I used to teach swim lessons at the YMCA...I took them there myself when I was a kid. Knowing how to swim is a great skill to have especially in an emergency or if you own a boat or soemthing... also a great sport for kids to participate in - I went on to be a lifeguard (was my first job at 16) and was a competitive swimmer until college!

jaytrevjax replied: All three of my boys are in swimming lessons. I start with mom and me the summer after they are born, and keep up with it (so far anyway!) I think swimming is VERY important! We don't live where there are backyard swimming pools or anything (winters in Utah are crazy!) but, you never know when they will need to know the skills. I wish my mom would have put me in swim lessons when I was small, because, swimming is NOT my cup of tea!

DVFlyer replied: We just finished up a two week Parent/ Child class. It was more of a play with your children in the pool class, but it was good to get them out of the house and used to the water.

I will keep going with them because it's one of those "mandatory" things on my list of things to do.

luvmykids replied: I had the kids enrolled at a country club but now we're going somewhere else...I met a mom at a pool party who's 2yo was actually swimming under water!!!

I don't want the kids to have false confidence around water but I do want them to be able to enjoy it safely.

3xsthefun replied: No, I have never taken them to one. I would be kinda interested though. But problem is I don't know how to swim myself.

CantWait replied: Both of the kids have taken swim lessons.

Robbie goes in spurts depending on what else he's got on the go, so we're not very consistent.

Anthony went once when he just turned 2 or around there. I thought it was a waste of time for his age level because he already felt comfortable in the water, and they didn't do a lot of other swim requirements. I think it just depends on where you take them.

MommyToAshley replied: We didn't do the parent/tot class but I did put Ashley in lessons at the Y a little after she turned three . She just got moved up a level (she had to be able to swim 5 feet by herself). I agree with the others that it is an important skill to know and a great sport and excercise for the kids. Ashley loves it too.

MomToJade&Jordan replied: No, but I plan to remedy that shortly since we are in Florida now. Jade loves the pool so it's an idea. I never took swimm lessons myself, but took to water like fish.

JP&KJMOM replied: Both of mine just finished swim lessons. They love the water and take from a wonderful teacher. I was amazed when we went to the lake last weekend how much they both really learned.

holley79 replied: My mom lived with my granny when I was first born and they had a pool. I was in the pool at three months and could physically swim by the time I was 6 months. My (nice) MIL has a pool so I want Annika to know how to swim. She loves to get in the pool and doesn't mind going under either. I am looking forward to being able to have something to do with her, together. I was looking at Mommy and Me fitness classes at the Junior college but they are during the week. I wish they had more Mommy and Me stuff on the weekends.

TheOaf66 replied: we took Tanner but we think it would be better for us to teach him ourselves in MIL pool.

holley79 replied:
The thing I was really looking at was the Mommy/ child time and getting to know other parents in your area that have children close to the same age.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
We took Tanner to a couple parent and tot classes and he really loved them. The ones he didn't like were the ones that start teaching the skills where there are no "fun and games" type stuff anymore. He got really bored and didn't like it. The thing I liked about the parent and tot ones (we took ours at our YM) is that they were offered in the winter too, so it was a nice way to do something active when it was below freezing outside. As for the skill lessons, we wont be doing those anymore. He just didn't care for them and would always ask "when are we going to sing the songs mommy?". My mother and father have a pool, so we will just be teaching him the skills stuff in their pool from now one. But the parent and tot classes he really enjoyed!

Boo&BugsMom replied: Oh, I should also mention that he had a HORRIBLE teacher for the skills lessons! I think he may have had more fun with a better teacher that was more "fun" for a 3-4 year old. None of the kids liked her much and they would all goof around because she couldn't hold their attention. She was dull, to say the least! She didn't know how to handle child attention spans well. If we would have had a better intructor it may have been more worth it. As for the parent and tot classes, the teacher was great!

luvbug00 replied: we didn't. we just let mya go at her own pace and she's still learning and that's fine by us we are always with her anyways.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I think the parent and tot class you want would be great it that is what you want to get out of it. It's a lot a fun for the kids and it's great bonding time.

mom21kid2dogs replied: Swimming lessons were one of the few things my parents "required" us to take. Worked for me~I've been a lifelong water lover. I had my WSI at 14.5 and taught and guarded for years.

Olivia did take "formal" swim lessons last year for the first time but has been water proficient for a year before that. She started at an advanced beginner level. She's planning on going again this year. Sunday we were working on diving off the diving board. She's almost got it!!


Personally, we never used arm floaties so it helped her depend on her skill alot earlier.

Cece00 replied: We usually do BUT this summer I'm not putting them in. I am just too pregnant & tired & busy to do it this summer, considering I work PT & have 3 @ home & I'm 9 wks away from having the baby + I have kidney problems I'm dealing with.

But they go to the pool a LOT, considering I take them about 1 time every week or two @ my inlaws, and they go 1-2 times a week with their dad to his sister's pool. They are both actually quite good @ swimming.