Us it OK for my kids to learn to swim on their own?

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:09 pm

I'm just wondering if their are drawbacks to kids learning to swim on their own my kids seen to pick up treading and swimming just from watching other people swim in a free pool with lifeguards. They usually could jump in and horse around first and eventually swim well enough front, back, tread for a minute, to swim in their camps pool.

My preeteen and teen asked if they could take lessons with their friends to learn advance swim lessons and tricks to swim in an Olympic size pool they want to go together. Teen wants lessonsnto become a lifeguard.I still have some younger kids that cant swim one can tread and jump in. He doesn't put his head in the water or swim. Typically all my kids learned on their own pace in various orders. I have the money now to give them lessons. I'm a little stingy. I only want to give it if they could gain in a way they wouldn't be able to learn on their own

Does it make a difference how my children learn? Could they pick up bad swim habits. I'm not the best swimmer myself buy it just occurred to me that I hope she taught herself right. She looks the same swimming with her friends at the pool. All the kids seem to have learned from each other how to perfect their hand strokes over the years. So I'm not sure? I would love to here other mothers experiences

amother

Currant ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:12 pm

No idea how to respond but I’m curious; do your kids not learn how to swim in camp ?

amother

Arcticblue ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:14 pm

It makes a huge difference. There are correct ways to swim to be least fatigued and safe. They should take proper lessons.

amother

↑ Arcticblue ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:15 pm

amother Currant wrote:

No idea how to respond but I’m curious; do your kids not learn how to swim in camp ?

No camp I ever sent to gives free lessons. Some had optional paid lessons after camp hours.

amother

↑ Currant ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:18 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

No camp I ever sent to gives free lessons. Some had optional paid lessons after camp hours.

Mine aren’t free either. Instructional swim is part of what’s included in the fee. So is swimming in the camps you’ve sent to just kids in water playing ?

amother

↑ Arcticblue

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:19 pm

amother Currant wrote:

Mine aren’t free either. Instructional swim is part of what’s included in the fee. So is swimming in the camps you’ve sent to just kids in water playing ?

Yes just playing no instruction. Both day camps and sleep away in the tristate area. Curious where you live that offers lessons in camp?

amother

↑ Currant ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:20 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

Yes just playing no instruction. Both day camps and sleep away in the tristate area. Curious where you live that offers lessons in camp?

There are no day camps where I live but we send to camps in Nortb Jersey (Bergen county) where it’s standard (among the other camps there too) They get swim report cards Twice a summer.

giftedmom

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:24 pm

It’s fine. My kids took the deep water test just from learning on their own.

amother

Topaz

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 12:24 pm

I think your options are to either teach them to swim or get them lessons.

I wouldn’t rely on them picking up the skills themselves. It’s just not worth the risk.

Also, I think according to halacha a parent has an obligation to teach their child to swim. That can be done through an instructor of course…

amother

Mayflower

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 1:25 pm

every day camp I went to growing up gave swim lessons

Elfrida

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 2:09 pm

My father taught me to swim around when I learned to walk. It wasn't advanced swimming, but I always felt comfortable moving in the water, and I was never afraid of going in deep water.

When I was about ten I went to swimming lessons (and came home and told my father everything he did wrong!) Between about five to ten I just picked it up as I went along. My strokes needed refining, but I was safe in the water.

Children can pick it up easily enough, but more advanced swimming needs formal lessons. If they want to ne a lifeguard, they need lessons to get their swimming up yo the required level.

amother

Hibiscus

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 2:22 pm

I’d pay for at least one set of lessons to make sure they know the basics.
I actually received Olympic level training and would do the same for my kids, but for those who just want their kids knowing the basics, I think one set of lessons is enough.
In the pool I go to, a set of lessons consists of 6 lessons, btw

amother

Sage

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:14 pm

As long as your kids can fall in the water and not drown, and can get to shore if dropped in the middle of the pool, they know enough IMHO.

If they ever want to learn faster methods or to be more precise they can take lessons then.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:15 pm

Thank you. I see mixed answers
Some never heard of not taking swing lessons. Some say it's fine.

Where I live camps take the kids go on tons of trips. But swimming lessons are not included in the camp price.

Swimming lessons happen around shavous. The weather isn't always hot . I would also have to arrange carpool which comes with its own set of problems.

amother

Starflower

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:36 pm

If you cn afford it, it's a VERY good use of your time and $$$.
I say go for it!
It builds confidence and skill. It really enhances their childhood and adulthood.
I went to very basic lessons given by some youngish unprofessional lifeguard in a bungalow colony 20 years ago.
And it was the best thing ever!!!
I learned so much and van tread for 10 minutes straight. I can swim without getting completely wiped.
Before I was able to swim but get out of breath in 2 minutes. And I could barely tread for a full minute.

I still one day want to do advanced lessons and I'm an adult!

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 5:20 pm

Honestly? I think it depends on the kid.

I love to swim. I had a relative in town who had a pool when I was a kid, so I learned very young. The camp I went to did offer lessons, but I don't remember learning much from them, mostly because I'd learned as a kid from my parents/grandparents/older siblings/cousins.

My kids are growing up in a community where most camps for elementary age and up do have swimming in a pool, but we don't have free access to any pool (nor do we have money to go to the pool regularly as a family). We splurge and go a couple of times a year. We leave the little ones at home, and dh takes the older boys to boys' hours, while I take the older girls to girls' hours. We then work with them to teach them whatever skill they need to know. I'm not teaching them specific strokes -- who cares if they know how to do the crawl perfectly?

When they're around kindergarten age, I make sure they're not afraid of the water and are willing to go where they can stand, or hold on to the wall, or hold on to me with one hand while they get around the pool. And make sure they're comfortable dunking their head and blowing bubbles, maybe holding onto the wall and kicking, things like that.

In lower elementary, I encourage them to doggy paddle first, and then to swim under the water at least a bit. At some point they become interested in passing the deep water test, so I practice treading and swimming across the pool with them. At some point their friends are jumping in and they want to learn that too, so I'll do that as well. Each year we tackle a couple of things that they're interested in learning (or that I think they're ready for). Once they're comfortable in the water, if they're swimming every day in camp and watching their friends, they'll pick up skills on their own. I might help them learn how to dive or something if they're interested, but that's really it when they're older.

That said, I now have a young girl who I think we will splurge on lessons for. She is very anxious in general. She's only in preschool, so I'll probably wait a bit, but I think she might do better with someone who isn't her mommy teaching her.

That said, I think that it's important that a child know how to swim. Doggy paddle is fine, unless they really want to do more to keep up with their peers (e.g., to pass the deep water test, to dive off the diving board). If you're not able to teach them the basics, then yes, you should pay someone else to do it. If you are, then you're not a bad mother for not wanting to spend endless amounts of money teaching them olympic-level swimming skills...If they want to become lifeguards later on, they can learn then.

Ema of 5

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 5:24 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

Yes just playing no instruction. Both day camps and sleep away in the tristate area. Curious where you live that offers lessons in camp?

I’m pretty sure simcha day camp, in FR does lessons. At least they used to, when I sent my son there. The boys had one free swim and one lessons. I don’t know about any other camps.

amother

Gray

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 5:54 pm

amother Currant wrote:

There are no day camps where I live but we send to camps in Nortb Jersey (Bergen county) where it’s standard (among the other camps there too) They get swim report cards Twice a summer.

Same. These swim report cards are meaningless. They don't actually give swim lessons
Also North Bergen day camps.

amother

↑ Currant

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 6:22 pm

amother Gray wrote:

Same. These swim report cards are meaningless. They don't actually give swim lessons
Also North Bergen day camps.

What are you talking about? My daughter literally learned to swim in daycamp.

Must be different camps

amother

Emerald

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 6:32 pm

It’s a great skill to learn as well as something you never know when they will really need it
Whoever can afford it please give swim lessons
It may save your kids life or they might learn to save another