How old were your children when or if you had them take swimming lessons?

[Kitty 34]

Oldest DS was 7 months (it was the "thing" back in the day) People loved watching him when he was a toddler swimming underwater all the time at the apartment complex I lived. It was kind of cool even though I still watched him like a shark!

My other two sons were 3 and 5 when our school gym teacher gave them lessons at my sister's swimming pool.

Just was wondering as my oldest DS just took his 20 mo old to his first swim lesson or experience whatever they call it now this past Saturday. Apparently my son spent the majority of the time trying to keep my grandson from just climbing out of the pool.

edited to add......my sons continued having lessons thru camp and school.

 

[soccerdad72]

I seem to recall doing the parent-child classes at 2 years old or so and then they progressed to regular classes at 3 or 4. The grade school they went to had swimming as part of the PE program, so by the age of 8 or so, they were doing swimming classes during the school day. My older son got certified as a lifeguard at 16. Younger son is 13 now, but a very strong swimmer. Both of them were asked to do swim team at school, but neither one had that much interest in it.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Every year from about 12 months on. Although until they are about 3 it's more a "mommy and me" swim time. But they do learn some basics in those classes too.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

As soon as the local programs would take them - 6 months for 1, 3 years for the other.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

2 or 3. The first class taught the kids to kick to the side and climb out. Such valuable skills for any child who will be around water! She took real swim lessons for several summers after that.

 

[dish rag]

Extremely young. They were raised in Florida and with a pool. They were in a pool since birth being held.

 

[mumto3girls]

Mine took lessons at the YMCA starting at age 3. I wanted them to be strong swimmers so they kept going until they had exhausted the levels at the Y. They loved it when they were little, but tired of it as they got a bit older. Once they get to high school they have to swim a few semesters. My middle one is doing it now and says she's glad we made her keep doing it because it’s awful to be one of the kids trying to learn now.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We had a pool, so just taught DS the basics at home. Then he did a YMCA camp one summer (I don't remember the exact age) and got a little more formal instruction in actual strokes. He took his "deep end test" through Scouts.

 

[mjkacmom]

Age 3, year round until they were very strong swimmers and knew their stokes and could pass the lifeguard test. They are also great ocean swimmers, and did swim team at the summer pool club for years. I actually hired dd17 a private teacher when she was 3, so she could learn to swim 25 meters and be on the free swim team.

 

[SC Minnie]

Around 4. DD hated the water but I felt she needed to know who to swim in case she ever fell in. Flash forward to DD in college and she worked as a lifeguard.

 

[GreatLakes]

6 months which was the earliest we could find. It is more roll over and float than swim but we wanted him able to do that if he fell in a pool.

He just turned 2 and we have done 3 classes since with us and him. We want him comfortable in the water at a young age.

Both my wife and I strongly believe teaching him to swim is very important for his safety.

 

[Floridaman999]

Pretty sure it was around the 2 to 3 year mark.

 

[DisneyOma]

Both kids learned to swim in the pools at WDW, at age 5. Lessons were never that successful for us, but they learned the dog paddle at the quiet pools at CBR.

 

[superme80]

My kids started late. My kids were 9, 7, and 4. We plan on having the kids take swimming lessons for a few more years every summer.

 

[Magical2017]

They took lessons very early on but really learned to swim once we joined a pool and went almost every day. By the middle of that first summer both kids were decent swimmers.

 

[LilyWDW]

As young as I was allowed to... and I know I was in the pool even before that.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Don’t remember what age I actually took lessons. I know my dad tossed me in our pool when I was a tiny thing and I started swim team on the 6 & unders age group. My dad used to tell me I was left in a pod in the pool by aliens

 

[AppleDumpling]

Age 4 at the local community pool, which was the youngest they offered lessons. Continued every summer through elementary school.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

We started DS with lessons at the Y last year, just before he was 2.5. 2 sessions of parent-child swim lessons in the winter/spring, then we took the summer off, then started him again in the fall. He just started his 4th round this past Sunday, at 3.5 now.

 

[Skippy918]

We started at close to age 4. It took several months, but the kids learned the freestyle and backstrokes and were able to swim a full pool length when all was said and done.