When did your child learn to swim?

[LittleB]

My son is nearly 5 and I’m really worried that he’ll never learn to swim!

I’ve taken him swimming pretty much every week since he was 8 weeks old (apart from lockdowns). He enjoys it as long as he has his armbands on as he’s always been really worried about going under the water. He completely refuses to go under or put his face in.

Because of this I arranged for him to start swimming lessons when he turned 4. During the lessons he would follow the instructions but not when it came to putting his face in or jumping in, he would just say no. After 6 weeks he had gone backwards, he had no confidence in the water and when I took him at the weekend he would cling to me even with armbands on. He dreaded going and would spend every day leading up to it asking/worrying about going. I decided to stop the swimming lessons altogether.

I have taken him on my own every week since with his armbands on just to get used to swimming for fun and to get him to relax. I just have no idea how I’m ever going to get him swimming properly if he’s not willing to take the armbands off.

Has anyone else had any experience of this? Will my child still be wearing armbands when he’s 18?! any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[I’mThankyou_]

My son is nearly 5 and I’m really worried that he’ll never learn to swim!

I’ve taken him swimming pretty much every week since he was 8 weeks old (apart from lockdowns). He enjoys it as long as he has his armbands on as he’s always been really worried about going under the water. He completely refuses to go under or put his face in.

Because of this I arranged for him to start swimming lessons when he turned 4. During the lessons he would follow the instructions but not when it came to putting his face in or jumping in, he would just say no. After 6 weeks he had gone backwards, he had no confidence in the water and when I took him at the weekend he would cling to me even with armbands on. He dreaded going and would spend every day leading up to it asking/worrying about going. I decided to stop the swimming lessons altogether.

I have taken him on my own every week since with his armbands on just to get used to swimming for fun and to get him to relax. I just have no idea how I’m ever going to get him swimming properly if he’s not willing to take the armbands off.

Has anyone else had any experience of this? Will my child still be wearing armbands when he’s 18?! any advice would be much appreciated.

My son started at a similar age, and like yours didn't follow instruction and went backwards in progress.
I paused lessons for a while, he then began weekly school lessons and refound his confidence as he was with his friends.
I found in the lessons I paid for he would be messing around in order to try and make new friends.

He's now 10 and a very confident swimmer!

 

[shadowcat5]

Probably doesn’t help but I actually didn’t learn to swim until I was 21 and took myself off for 1-1 lessons.
I didn’t start learning until the compulsory lessons at school age 7(I think?) and I couldn’t get it. I hated the water touching my face, I hated the feeling of the “waves” and how they’d rock my body, felt like I had no control and I hated the other kids splashing. Age 9 my parents decided enough was enough and I had to learn. They put me in the baby class with all the 4/5 year olds which I hated. They let it go after I proved i could doggy paddle.

i swim regularly now so there is hope. I would say just let him have the armbands. He’s only 5, that’s still so young. Let him get comfortable and just take him swimming to play and warm up to the water. He’ll get there eventually but being nervous in the water and any kind of pushing is going to do far more harm than good.

 

[Happy35]

My granddaughter was having group lessons and seemed to be making no progress and was just messing around, she has now started 121 lessons and although more expensive than a group lesson she is now making good progress. I think she needs the 121 encouragement to boost her confidence and to try new things in the pool, good you are taking your son swimming as being in the pool should be fun and hopefully he will gain confidence in the water.

 

[Tublet83]

I would change swimming class, my daughter was the same I changed to 122 classes which were brilliant to improve her confidence, and a few a few months she was swimming and rejoined a bigger class.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

Easier said than done, but try to relax about it. He will learn in his own time. Lots of 5 year olds wear arm bands.

I very rarely went in a pool as a child, I only ever went in when we went on caravan holidays once a year and even that was probably only once within the whole week.

i did a few swimming lessons with school from the age of 8-10 and I couldn’t get the hang of it then.

then when I was 17 I went on a beach holiday with my ex and I taught myself to swim in the pool. I wasn’t wearing arm bands then obviously. I stopped wearing them years before I could swim because I could stand up in the pool!

 

[Pipsy]

Where are you? I thought it was part of the curriculum. Perhaps it's just England. I wasn't asked to put my face underwater until I was about 9. Not sure how it is today but when I was in reception class, I remember floating on my back whilst a teacher held me secure and slowly letting go, holding on to the pool edge, extending legs and kicking vigorously, making big splashes, then eventually swimming a width (of the same baby pool) with armbands on, arms stretched out and holding a float whilst being asked to make big splashing kicks with feet, then making the kicks smaller. We did not jump ever. We had to sit on the edge then slip in. No running or jumping were strictly enforced rules actually.

Not sure when I progressed to swimming without armbands, float or moving my arms. Think it may have been a year later? Progression was probably quite slow. I think the first year was just about building confidence and getting basic movements co-ordinated. I'd just go back to basics, personally. No need to go underwater. Adults can learn to swim, so being five years old is nothing lol. Do't worry, take it slow.

 

[Facehugger]

Stop worrying, honestly, I know it's hard but he's still only little. Keep taking him yourself, once he's happy in the water get him holding a float to get used to that slowly and practise kicking his legs, then when he's comfortable doing that, put a bit less air in his arm bands over the weeks.
Eventually he'll not need his bands at all, but his confidence in the water is all that's important right now, you're doing great as lots of parents don't even bother.

 

[I'm that Diva]

I have 3 kids, the eldest and middle started swimming at a young age and loved it. The first time I took my youngest into a pool (I think he was 18 months) he screamed the place down. Every attempt over the years was him just sitting in the shallow end and not budging. Every time we went on holiday, it was the same, just sitting or paddling in the shallow end. Then one year, when he was 14 we were in Majorca and he just turned to me and said I'm going to learn to swim this holiday. Between me and his older siblings he ended the holiday swimming the length of the pool. When we got home I then took him swimming every Thursday at our local pool and before I knew it he was swimming 20-30 lengths at a timeI guess he'll get there in his own time

 

[GoLando]

I have taken mine (now 8yo) since he was about 6 weeks old. I tried small lessons for him too. He’d use the woggle to float into the middle of the pool and just lie there ignoring instructions. He’s worn a float vest every time I have taken him and then we had a big gap where I’ve not taken him for the last year. We went recently and I asked him to put armbands on but he refused. He could stand in the pool so he did that and I asked him every so often just to try and he finally did a scrappy doggy paddle for a metre or two - so he’s getting there! If he - the laziest boy around - can finally start then I wouldn’t worry. Just go swimming regularly and play in the water. Once he can float and paddle a bit you can move onto helping him with proper strokes.

 

[Itsjustmesmee]

8 year old still cant swim despite swimming lessons, we have moved classes 3 times. The younger 4 year old picked it up quicker.