https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 11 May 2026 15:45:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2828317 Thu, 14 Jun 2018 01:54:05 +0000 JCCovi 2828317@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started as soon as we lived somewhere where it was reasonably convenient. My son was 2 (Parent-Child) and my daughter was 3.5 (Group class, no parents). My son transitioned to being without me in the water around 2.5. We’ve done weekly classes for almost 1.5 years and neither of them can really swim. They can swim short distances and float on their back, but they can’t take breaths while they are swimming, so they are severely limited in distance. This summer, in addition to regular weekly classes, we are going to do 1 week of daily classes. I’m also spending time in the water with them a few times per week. The problem is they are super confident in the water but their skills are not at all up to safe standards. Based on our experience, I would say the sooner the better, but it’s not necessarily going to happen really early if you start them early, definitely should happen earlier though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2828182 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 13:14:19 +0000 Alba4 2828182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started swim lessons with my older DS around age 2. He is 4 and is making progress but still can’t officially swim. We are hoping he makes the leap this summer.</p> <p>I’m going to sign DS2 up this summer for mommy and me. He’s turning 2 next week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2828122 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:09:35 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2828122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: Check your local high school as well. It's where we ended up with swim lessons for relatively cheap. Kids on the swim team at the high school level are trained, and then teach young kids (like my DS), and it's been going beautifully. This way, you don't have to get a Y membership or activity membership and pay for swim lessons as well if you're not already a Y member. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2828036 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 22:15:12 +0000 MamaCate 2828036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I think the age range at your local swim schools will determine this. Our current swim school starts child-only lessons at 3, the previous one did 2.5. </p> <p>We live in your same state with access to a neighborhood pool basically across the street from us. Both my kids love the water. I would say we swim 3-5 times per week? (April-sept)</p> <p>For DD who is 6.5 we did lessons at 2.5 and she could swim short distances to us by the end of the summer. She could swim by the following summer without parental support. She is now in lessons again to learn strokes and forget some bad habits. </p> <p>DS is nearly 3 but I talked his way into the child-only class. Last summer and the beginning of this summer we spent a lot of time holding him in the pool and he really wanted to put his face in, jump to us, swim to us. He can jump off the step and kick his little legs to me for about 10 seconds at this point.</p> <p>We heard all the advice about no floaties/puddle jumpers. We ignored it. My kids are fairly reasonable and quickly understood the difference between how to stay afloat with the puddle jumper vs without. </p> <p>My nieces are similar ages but do not have access to a pool and are not nearly as comfortable as my kids. Some is temperament but some is exposure for sure.</p> <p>My advice would be to find a good swim school and talk to them about readiness and go from there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827887 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 11:34:51 +0000 snowjewelz 2827887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My older one is 3.5 and she only recently started saying she wants swim lessons (she had been saying no, unless I'm in there with her but no many classes that do mommy and me with older kids). We may start this year or before next summer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827852 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 10:34:45 +0000 Corduroy 2827852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve heard 3 so I tried to sign my just turned 3yo up along with his sister at a local swim school. The owner advised me against it for this summer and spend my money and energy on my 5yo. She said she takes money for 3 and under all the time but it doesn’t do much. She was aware that we visit a neighborhood pool several times a week during the summer. She also advised a float suit for my 3yo this summer to just let him have fun and get comfortable with moving himself in the water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827851 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 10:34:08 +0000 winniebee 2827851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>our local Y allows kids to do non-parent child lessons in pool with instructor at age 3. i would say until just recently my son preferred a puddle jumper, even when swimming with us. he's 3.5 and is just now able to swim on his own some. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827841 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 09:11:45 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2827841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’ve did sporadic swim ‘lessons’ since DS was like 18 months old. He was very timid in the water up til last summer but we spent a week at a cottage and he started getting confident. We signed him up this session for the first non parent assisted class at 3.5. He loves it! There’s 3 kids including him and they basically take turns sitting on the pool side and going in one at a time with the teacher to practice various skills. They do life jackets and pool noodles tied around their waists as well. So it’s not exactly ‘real’ swimming but more getting comfortable not always being held or relying on the floatie. I would definitely sign your son up! Especially as you have a pool you can practice in between and I bet he will take to it really well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827839 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 09:03:33 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2827839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As long as they're ok with it, the earlier you start swim lessons the better! DS1 started his swim lessons when he was 4.5, and I wish we had started him sooner. It took him a full year, but he can now swim for about a minute straight without needing a break or to touch the side/bottom of the pool. So much of it is being able to build up the strength to keep yourself afloat as well as have the endurance to breathe through it. </p> <p>The swim coach at the pool we go to has a 3 year old daughter who is on the swim team. Like, legitimately swimming laps. So if they're interested and they want to do it, go for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827837 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 08:57:01 +0000 MamaBear87 2827837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My lo is 2.5. She's done private lessons since last summer. She has never been in floaties/vest or similar, it just gives them a false sense of confidence and that's when you have an issue without them. She is comfortable in the water and goes in our pool pretty much every day. She knows to stay on the step when she isn't right next to an adult.<br /> She's just starting to learn the basics of actually swimming but can put her head under, blow bubbles and monkey crawl on the wall. </p> <p>I would suggest lessons this summer. The sooner the better in learning to swim </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827833 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 08:48:32 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2827833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm starting lessons for my son at 4. They won't do real swim lessons here until 4. He has no fear, but has no capability to swim either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827831 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 08:46:40 +0000 looch 2827831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the sooner the better, as long as kids are ready to put their face in the water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827809 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 07:37:48 +0000 FaithFertility 2827809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Give it a try...<br /> My DD was 2.5 last summer she is a fish with floaties, but wouldn't swim with out them, she would try but kept insisting she knew what she was doing ...lol this summer she is still in floaties and I'm showing ber on her own how to flip over, float and get to edge...<br /> My DS however is 1.5 and has zero fear and loves the water he I think would pick it up no issues I might enroll him!</p> <p>I think you don't know how they will react, so give it a try! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827803 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 07:21:26 +0000 Foodnerd81 2827803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2.5 year old is starting swim lessons this week. Up until last summer we had very little access to a pool by we joined a gym with a nice pool and will be there a lot more. My almost 5 year old has taken three sessions of lessons and is still somewhat fearful in the water and needs a floatation device of some sort when she isn’t in lessons. The 2.5 year old is already more comfortable in the water so I am hoping she will learn faster. But yeah- she hasn’t started yet so who knows? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827789 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 05:03:57 +0000 Charm54 2827789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in my parents pool pretty much daily in the summer. DD1 learned to swim without floaties right before she turned 4. By then she had the upper body strength and was like a little fish. We enrolled her in swimming lessons the following winter. </p> <p>We used the sea squirts swim vest as she was learning to swim... it gave her some help but forced her to learn the proper swim position. It also has a fin I could grab onto if I needed to catch her quickly. You can remove foam slowly to reduce the amount of support it gives. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827783 Mon, 11 Jun 2018 23:54:14 +0000 DesertDreams88 2827783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>oops, forgot to subscribe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/good-age-for-starting-to-swim-without-puddle-jumperswim-vests#post-2827782 Mon, 11 Jun 2018 23:53:12 +0000 DesertDreams88 2827782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO1 goes in the pool every other day with me, May 1-Sept 30 (5 months). He did last year at around 1.5 years old and is now 2.5 years old. He is a "fish" with his puddle jumper.</p> <p>I am thinking about enrolling him in swim lessons in the winter, *maybeeeee*. His 3rd bday is Jan 27th. Do you think this is too early? When did you have your child start to practice without a puddle jumper, obviously with you right there? When did you start real swim lessons (not mommy-and-me play-in-the-pool "lessons")? Did you choose to use a swim vest or arm floaties at some point, and when?</p> <p>I'm especially interested to hear feedback from pool-owners or those with regular access to a pool, please! I've seen that regular exposure to a pool makes a real difference in my circle of friends-with-kids. </p>