https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 19 May 2026 09:14:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608420 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:40:40 +0000 KayKay 2608420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do any with DD1 until she was almost 4. She made minimal progress in the once-a-week sessions we did, but did get more comfortable with the water and learned some safety stuff. After she turned 4 (this summer), we did 3 sessions of weeklong, accelerated lessons where they went every day for a week. She made huge gains in her abilities and form -- I think a combination of being older and going everyday.</p> <p>We did a couple once-a-week sessions with DD2 this past winter, but until they are older, the classes are parent-child and more focused on acclimating to the water (less about actual skills). I thought it was fine as something to do, but we likely will just take her to the pool to play and stay comfortable with the water....and not do actual lessons again until she is 3ish. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608372 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:53:19 +0000 Boogs 2608372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our oldest has been in lessons consistently since about two. His progress has been very slow moving because of his personality. We are starting the next one sometime after he turns two. </p> <p>It's hard to pay so much money for so little progress, but the safety they teach is invaluable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608363 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:48:00 +0000 alphagam84 2608363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is starting lessons in October and she will be just shy of 1 year old. It's a 6 week course at a price of $45. I would have started them sooner but it was hard to get her into a weekend class! She loves the pool so I'm sure she'll love the lessons. I think it's really important to start kids while they're young. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608199 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 08:40:14 +0000 erinbaderin 2608199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started parent toddler classes at 6 months. Each session is 10 weeks and in the past 2 years we've done 3 levels. I'm not sure it was worth it since my son doesn't seem to enjoy it that much, and mostly refuses to do what he's asked. We're taking a break from them right now, the next level is without parents and I don't think he's emotionally ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608166 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 07:44:32 +0000 nana87 2608166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO took a swim class with dh this summer, I think it was like 8 weeks or so? She's 2. It was great! I only went to one class (I used the time they were gone for "me time!" ) but lo definitely became MUCH more comfortable in the water, and I saw it extend to bath time (she used to REFUSE to lay down in the bath, and now she'll lay on both her back and stomach, and pretends to swim--"reach and pull!"--in it) as well as at the splash pad. So I'm def a fan and we'll keep trying to get her into lessons (on a wait list for the fall, classes fill up fast here!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608146 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 06:44:24 +0000 delight 2608146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our YMCA starts swim lessons at 4 months. We did one session then and haven't done any more!! DD is 3 now and likes going in water but prefers to sit on the steps of the pool and splash. She's very timid to swim around so we are starting lessons again in a few weeks. With LO2 we will keep going with the lessons early on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608143 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 06:22:23 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2608143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our standard YMCA lessons don't start until age 3, so we did a session this summer (LO will be 3.5 next week). It was M-Th for two weeks, so pretty intense and hard to be there every day, but it was really great for LO. The teachers were super patient and silly and he loved it. We will probably sign up for lessons one day a week for a couple sessions (5 weeks at a time) in the fall. I would like for him to be in lessons until he can swim independently, but cost is definitely a factor. Our YMCA lessons are not free with our membership. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608140 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 05:58:48 +0000 Adira 2608140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started both kids around 18 months. We just do the 8 week long, once a week sessions at the Y. For Xander, he's been to three 8 week sessions (he's 3.5 now). I think if we had gone more often, he'd probably be further along in his skill set, but he still loves it!! And Logan's only been 4 times so far, but he's definitely a water baby. He already seems to understand some of the concepts and even has no problem floating on his back with minimal support! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608112 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 22:44:55 +0000 Corduroy 2608112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tried swimming lessons for the first time this summer at 3.5. With DH and I both WOH I found them very hard to schedule. We did one session that was 4x a week for two weeks. It took LO a few days to warm up to it. It was the first class of any type where I wasn't participating with her. I think that threw her off. I ended up liking the 4x a week schedule but I would have struggled to keep it up more than one session since I was ducking out of work early. </p> <p>The lessons were at a pool we belong to so DD and I were able to swim after the lessons for 30 min or so before picking up LO2. I think that helped a lot. After the session we went swimming every day for two weeks. After we stopped going daily LO started to regress. I'm not sure how much will be retained through winter/spring. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608086 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 20:54:17 +0000 Pollywog 2608086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I taught swim lessons for 5 years and my husband taught for 4. We are starting with our then 7 month old in a month. My vote is that it is never too early! We are doing water babies one day a week. When he's bigger we will do levels until LO can swim at least 200m with good form and without stopping </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608081 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 20:38:28 +0000 wheres_c 2608081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did mommy and me for two summers once a week. He was 1.5 and 2.5.<br /> Now at 3, he is enrolled in a learn to swim program at a large swim center. We go one a week. They have 8 different stations until they graduate from the program. He is in station 4. He is doing so well. I think 3 is the perfect age for swim class to start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608080 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 20:35:22 +0000 Mae 2608080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter just started lessons last week with my mom (a mommy and me class). She's 2. The place she goes has rolling enrollment for the parent-attended classes so it just goes on forever until we want to move her to the next class. She's only been to 2 classes and while I initially felt like it was a bit of a waste of money I'm immediately loving it. My dad goes and shoots video so I can see and she has a BLAST swimming with my mom. They are working on getting her comfortable in the water (she'd only been swimming 3 times ever before this) and especially with getting water on her face which she tends to hate. They have them work on doing things with instructors to get used to other people handling them in the water so that doing the classes without parents will be less of a big deal. Plus she's learning how to float and kick and all that good stuff. I'm really glad we're doing it now. I sort of can't wait to go swimming with her as soon as we're able so I can see how much more she likes the water now that she's getting used to it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608069 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 20:10:39 +0000 winniebee 2608069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have taken our kids swimming on average every other week their whole lives (indoor and outdoor).</p> <p>We started DS1 on swim lessons about a month before he turned 4. We bought a house that had a pool and wanted him to be more skilled in the water, for safety purposes. The first set of lessons was a 6 week session. It didn't go very well. He protested going in every time and refused to go in at at more than one visit. But the lessons were free through our YMCA membership. I made him go every week and if he chose not to participate he had to watch.</p> <p>We then enrolled him in lessons for the next two sessions - the Y did 4 week sessions this summer but TWICE a week, and I put him in a slightly higher level. He loved it. I'm not sure if it is because we were swimming all the time in the pool, or he was more comfortable going 2x a week, or he liked the level he was at. But the lessons ended a week ago and he keeps asking us to go to lessons again. </p> <p>We enrolled him again in the fall, but it's back to once a week. We kept him at the same level he was at this summer - you've got to be able to swim the width or length of the pool (I can't remember which) unassisted. Which he can actually now do the width unassisted at home, but I wanted to keep him at a level he would be comfortable with and then see what his teacher thinks about his abilities after this next session. I'll keep him in lessons all year at this point.</p> <p>DS2 is 20 months and he'll be starting mommy &amp; me lessons next month as well. He definitely is comfortable in the water and can swim happily with a puddle jumper but I want him in the routine of going to lessons every week so that when he is old enough to do lessons without me, it is not a struggle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-swimming-lessons#post-2608065 Sun, 21 Aug 2016 19:57:46 +0000 Bao 2608065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been thinking of enrolling my oldest in swimming lessons for a while now, but I keep putting it off. I'm hoping to hear about your experience with lessons! </p> <p>How old was your LO when you first enrolled them?<br /> How many weeks did it last? Did they do just one levels (like a level 1) or did they go through several levels?<br /> Did your LO like it/overall did you think it was worth the money?</p> <p>Any other tips? :) </p>