Appropriate age to start swimming lessons

[Koarlo]

Hi all,

I'm a first time mum with a 5 month old bub. I was just wondering what age would be ideal for starting swimming lessons at an indoor public pool. My friend has booked her bub in for when she's 8months old, but it just seems so young.

Thanks

[Acadaca]

I started Ds1 at 4 months and despite this he hates the water and won't go in. I really question their value at a very young age. I live in qld.

My second I started at 2. He loves the water and swims well.

I haven't started DS3...I probably won't. Will just do lessons in the pool ourselves.

I have a pool at home and live next to the beach. They learn a lot through play in the water with parents. It's personal choice, but from my experience I would say save your money until your baby understands instructions better and do water familiarisation/play yourself.

[Clementine Grace]

We started at 6 months and he absolutely loves it. I wondered if he was too young but he kicks and splashes and has a great time. Loves the games they play in the lesson (grabbing floating balls, lying on kickboard etc.) and he knows the songs now (at 8.5 months). We took him to our local pool today and as soon as we got close to the wading pool he started kicking his legs to get in.

[Jaykha]

We started about 11 months with my LO. We went on holidays and swam every day and I wanted to keep it up when we got back, so I joined the class. The pool was heated so we could keep going through winter. The first 2 terms it was more him getting used to the water than actually learning anything but he's actually picked up on a lot since then and will swim independently for a bit with a bubble and floaties and he's 17months now. He even likes putting his face in and blowing bubbles. You can prob just get bub used to the water by yourself, especially in summer, but I liked that we had a regular thing happening with the lessons.

[CleverClogs]

Mine were 6m , 9m and 6m. They were all in a private pool buy 8w and public buy about 4m.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using The Bub Hub mobile app

[ExcuseMyFrench]

We started at 6 mo cause I was just so excited to start ASAP and bub always had the best time splashing and kicking in his bath.

He loves his swimming lessons! He just goes ballistic kicking and laughing, put his head under the water while
closing his eyes and holding his breath etc. He's a natural ;-)

[CatesBean]

We're planning on starting at 6 months which is February for us. Very excited!!

Mine were 6m , 9m and 6m. They were all in a private pool buy 8w and public buy about 4m.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using The Bub Hub mobile app

Do you mind if I ask were the private pools heated? I always thought they had to be heated until 6 months (could be wrong?) did they like it at 8 weeks or get cold quickly?

[Koarlo]

Thanks for the great replies! Ok so onwards from 6months is fine, I think I was being a bit precious! I'll book him in for 8months, and as mentioned it will be good to get him familiar with water. Has anyone had problems with infections at a heated indoor pool? My sister was swimming laps at the same pool where they do the lessons and she forgot her goggles one day, well the very next day she had an eye infection. Do you think this is a one off or does it happen more often than we know? Or, could it just be a coincidence..

[Atropos]

The chlorine should kill off most germs

[NoteToSelf]

I started DS at 6 months, he did a year of lessons and then we moved and they had no winter lessons, so he stopped for 6 months. When he started again it was like he had never had any lessons, so I personally, from my experience, think that starting them as babies is a waste of money.

After that I have started at age 2.