How long before your toddler liked swimming lessons?

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How long before your toddler liked swimming lessons?

By Foodnerd81 Sep 19, 2015

How long did it take for your toddler to enjoy swimming lessons.

C is 2, started last week. It's not going great- she's happy enough for the first 15 minutes or so but then she pretty much just tries to climb out of the pool and cries. It's not awesome. I know she has to get used to it but I'm hoping it gets better quickly! The pool and pool area are plenty warm so at least that's good. And she goes in with daddy while I watch. I'm sure she'd rather me (very attached to me these days) but I want her to have daddy time too.

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22 comments

Madison43
persimmon / 1483 posts

Sep 19, 2015

Can you stay at home? My 2 year old is going through MAJOR mommy preference and won't let her dad do anything for her if she knows I'm around. If they go out solo, she's totally fine though.
BandDmommy
pomelo / 5660 posts

Sep 19, 2015

I'd say it took a few weeks.
oliviaoblivia
pineapple / 12793 posts

Sep 19, 2015

She took to it on the first day.
We had been going swimming as a family a lot beforehand. The first few lessons DH went with her and got in the water (her lessons were one on one with the instructor). After a few lessons I took her and stayed out of the water.
Mrs Green Grass
pomelo / 5628 posts

Sep 19, 2015

We did an 8 day class and every day he wanted to leave at some point and one day we did leave early. But it totally worked!
autumnlove
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts

Sep 19, 2015

LO 1 hated her first class and did better around the end of her second class.
BeachMama
pear / 1946 posts

Sep 19, 2015

She liked them right away when we started around 2, though there's always been stuff she's afraid of or refuses to do (i.e. going under water)
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@Madison43: I could stay home but I think t would be even more difficult for dh, getting her dressed and stuff (still in swim diaper so change her when we get there) plus she keeps walking away from the pool and I bring her back over. But it might help.
MoonMoon
pomegranate / 3393 posts

Sep 19, 2015

He's always liked it, he started at 7 months. Some weeks he doesn't like the particular activity, but he's game to go into the pool.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@oliviaoblivia: I feel like private would help- there's a lot going on at this pool between multiple lessons and water polo in another pool.
AprilFool
nectarine / 2591 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@Foodnerd81: Dh takes LO swimming and I find it goes easier if I am not there, especially in the beginning. If she could see me she would cry for me. If I did go I wouldn't sit poolside but move when she couldn't see me. DH manages to change her and get her ready.

It took my LO a good few weeks and another few when we moved up a level. Swimming lessons are still hit and miss but she is stubborn and doesn't like being told what to do
2littlepumpkins
grapefruit / 4455 posts

Sep 19, 2015

At 1.5 we lasted one day because she screamed the whole time and seemed traumatized by it after.

At 2.5+ we lasted 3 private lessons but the teacher kept trying to make quicker progress and get her face wet and she held it together through the lesson then burst into tears as we walked out, so we stopped again. She loves swimming (with us, no face underwater) and is making progress being comfortable in the water and kicking and what not but we probably won't try again till next summer.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@AprilFool: I think maybe next time I will hide out where she can't see me. She isn't crying for me the whole time or anything, just not happy and climbs out any time they go over to the wall. I'm also going to take her to an open swim time at the gym near us this week and try to get her used to the water.

Between her crying for half the lesson, then falling asleep on the way home because it's right before nap time, and subsequently not napping the rest of the day, I'm feeling a little defeated.
Mrs. Champagne
coconut / 8483 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@Foodnerd81: if you're in the car too, can you sit beside her and keep her awake? That's what we do if we are out close to nap time and are both together.
AprilFool
nectarine / 2591 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@Foodnerd81: H is always really tired after swimming. She loves swimming.... just not swimming lessons so much. It does get better, her first lesson she sobbed the entire time. She still cries over some bits some times but we live somewhere where knowing how to swim is essential so we keep going.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 19, 2015

@Mrs. Champagne: yeah that's what we did last week and it worked. I just sort of forgot today and it was dumb. If I'm back there it's fun and she's amused enough to not fall asleep.
erinbaderin
pomelo / 5573 posts

Sep 19, 2015

We did them at 8 months and Bennett seemed to mostly enjoy them right away. It was a 12 week course. We then stopped for 8 months, and had the first one back today, and it was terrible. I would have had an easier time taking my cat to swim class, Bennett just clung to me, tried to climb up me as high as he could, and whimpered "No wawa!" over and over. I'm hoping it will get better!
NurseDMB
kiwi / 643 posts

Sep 19, 2015

Pretty much right away. (He started a little before 2) - but he has always loved the water
birdofafeather
pineapple / 12053 posts

Sep 20, 2015

R has always liked them but she had a pair of twins that pretty much sobbed through every lesson off and on 2x a week for a month. The mom just hid in the corner and the instructors were super patient. It was all 2-3s and not with parents and the instructors said it's not uncommon. The mom just kept at it and by the end they weren't as upset but it was definitely worse if they saw her so she stayed out of sight!
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 20, 2015

@birdofafeather: yeah I know we will stick with it because it's a really important thing- she's not so much learning to swim yet, but getting comfortable in the water. And that's just non-negotiable. Plus we paid for all 7 lessons. If it was something like music class or something I'd be more tempted to throw in the towel.
mediagirl
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

Sep 20, 2015

@Foodnerd81: It took until she was 3. At 2 she hated them. At 3 she was psyched to go!
NovBaby1112
grapefruit / 4066 posts

Sep 20, 2015

We tried at 2.5 and she hated the first lesson but after that loved going!
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Sep 20, 2015

@NovBaby1112: the funny thing is, she does love going. She talks about it before and is all excited, has fun for a little then cries during the lesson, then after we ask her if she had fun and she's like, "yeah!!!" Weirdo.

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How long before your toddler liked swimming lessons?

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