Baby swimming lessons

[Ameliesmum]

I am looking to begin swimming lessons for my baby and I was hoping there were some mums out there who could recommend a good swim school for babies.
I have a list of a few in my area but would love to have some feedback, like what to ask etc. I live in the Mitcham area.
Any comments would be appreciated.

[LucyE]

Make sure they are AustSwim and SwimAustralia accredited! Then with a short list of schools, ask if you can go along and just watch some lessons taking place (some will even offer a free trial lesson) and watch how the instructors interact with the children and just the general 'vibe' of the place.

For me, I wasn't concerned about seeing crying children but how the instructors dealt with it. At one place I went to, the instructor forced the child to continue with the activity which just resulted in a more terrified toddler who's crying and screaming just escalated. At our current school, if a baby/child isn't keen on any particular task, no one is forced to do it and the parent is encourage to just soothe the child until the are calm enough to want to join in again. The approach of making learning to swim fun I feel is so much more positive and sucessful. Our school has lots of bath toys to entice little ones and you should never underestimate the power of group involvement. DS gets a little freaked out with new things (like 'monkeying' along the side rails or learning to jump into the pool) but after watching some of the other children in the class do it, he was more confident that it was okay.

Other less important factors that I took into account were;
* Is the pool heated? It's recommended that children under 1yr swim in warm water. We have our lessons in the hydrotherapy pool which is heated to 34C year round.
* What are the change room facilities like? Do they have a table with change mats for ease and comfort for babies and parents? Are their heaters for winter? Do they have a safe area to place crawlers and toddlers while Mum or Dad gets changed (like a portacot)?
* Do they offer holdiay courses so that bub doesn't forget - I find this important over the long summer break.
* Do they allow you to do 'make up' classes if you miss a lesson with no financial penalty?

Hope that helps.

[mummy sam]

i have a question to go along with this, at what age can a baby start swim lessons?? And is it worth doing it at a young age, or is it just water familiarlisation(spelling??) ? my bubs 15 wks is it too young.

oh and i've heard box hills good, but maybe a little far

[LucyE]

Ameliesmum - Check with your local pool on their age policy. Ours recommended to wait until after their six month vaccinations.

[Narelle]

i have a question to go along with this, at what age can a baby start swim lessons?? And is it worth doing it at a young age

I'll let you know if it's worth it Chloe and I start next Thursday, bubs have to be 6 months at the gym where we're going.

[Ameliesmum]

Thanks for the advice. Now I have some info will make it easier.

[zenifa]

My DD has started her swimming lessons at 5 mths, been to 2 lessons so far, she and DH really enjoy it. The place we go to, takes babies from 3 mths, but I think that may be too young, as they aren't as alert, and don't have good head/neck control and their concentration isn't as good. Each child is different so it is up to the parent. We attended a free (obligation free) orientation to see what their lessons are like and they could see if DD was ready, which she was. Good luck! Z :)

[Funkychicken]

Hi there,
Both of our older two children began swimming at about 6 mths. The idea is water familiarisation, as you may have gathered. We attended a local swim school, which is Austswim accredited, but after 2 frustrating years we switched to another centre. We were so sick of teacher swapping and being progressed through classes only to have the next teacher repeat what the children had already done. The level of communication was pathetic and every teacher swap meant convincing our shy DS#1 to get in the pool. A boy who adores the water and has no fear of it, but change the teacher and he would become angst-ridden about it. Eventually we swapped to Kings swimming school-owned and set-up by Phil King (olympic coach and Debbie Flintoff-King's Husband). The teacher training program is designed so that every teacher is trained identically so that each child receives the same program regardless of the teacher. During every lesson there is a teacher/supervisor checking every child in every class to ensure the child is understanding the teacher properly and to assess the ability so that no child is overlooked and cannot miss out on being upgraded when necassary. The level of professionalism and care is second to none and believe me, we have tried a few pools. I have also undertaken the Austswim training course and was left feeling really dissappointed by the lack of intensity. Half the people doing the course with me could barely swim themselves!
One of the things that I find exceptionally rude is the parent who undermines the teacher by instructing their child from the poolside. This happens all the time resulting in a child who won't listen to the teacher as mum/dad is yelling from the sidelines. Very confusing for small children and insulting to the teacher. The teacher is someone trained to TEACH and when I am paying out dollars for lessons I want someone who is confident, not confused because the parent is doubling up on the instructions.
Don't just accept a pool that is accredited with Austswim as that dosen't mean they are great, but really look into the teaching quality.

[LittleBoysRock]

Owen is starting swimming lessons today. My Mothers Group are all going and we are taking the bubs to Zest gyms. They have made a class just for MG which is 6 mums and 6 babies.

Owen loves the water so it should be great. He is 6 months, I was reccomended it is better to wait until about 5-6 months.

[LucyE]

The level of communication was pathetic and every teacher swap meant convincing our shy DS#1 to get in the pool. A boy who adores the water and has no fear of it, but change the teacher and he would become angst-ridden about it.
:eek: I just assumed that would be a given!

Whether it's worth it or not is rather subjective. Some would find it rather expensive but I think it's invaluable. Even though it's water familiarization and not necessarily 'learning to swim' I think anything that makes an infant comfortable and at ease around water is a good thing. If it buys just a few seconds in the event of an accident, I think is well worthwhile. Our school teaches things like how to enter a pool and the repsonse to immediately roll over and look for the side (among other things).

[Belinda1000]

hi i became a swimming instructor many years ago.
swimming lessons can be very expensive and i dont think a qualified swimming instructor can teach a baby to swim any better than a mother can. i dont see the point in spending money on lessons until your child is water confident you r wasting your money watching your child sitting and crying on the edge of the pool.
peronally getting your child confident in the water needs to start with you someone they r confident with and they trust. water is scarey enough as it is without the added drama of someone they dont know. my advice get in the pool with your young baby and when they can confidently put their head in the water and blow bubbles then pay for swimming lessons. but of course if money is no option then you can pay some one to do this for u. my DD is 7 months old and loves the water we have a blow up wading pool that we get in all the time.