What Age for Swimming Lessons

right away honestly.

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I started mommy and me swimming lessons when my son was under a year just to get him used to the water.

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My daughter was taken swimming once a week as part of her daycare at the YMCA starting at six months. Now at 9 she is a great swimmer.

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The sooner the better. Even very young babies can learn to float in case they fall in.

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as early as possible.

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I started my daughter at the age she wanted to which was 3 yrs old. Even though we took her swimming at an early age we allowed her to make the decision on her own which that was when she turned 3. To this day she still loves it and will begin her lessons for the summer again.

I think the earlier the better. We lived in CA and were at the pool every day from March until late November. We started taking our daughter (who was born in March) when she was only 2 months old. By the time she was 3 years old, she was swimming laps on her own. She is 6 now and I would love to get her into a swim team but it seems harder to do out here in VA. My son who is 3 now loves to get out of the pool and do a flip into the pool. He will kick himself up to the top again after and just wait for us to get him. We are never more than a foot away from him so we can always reach him

I started each of my children when they were 3. The instructors we had were good to work with them to overcome any insecurities they had with the water. (Like water over their heads or in their faces.) Some of them had to take lessons several summers before they became good swimmers. They are all better at swimming than I am. That was my goal. The earlier they start getting used to being in the water, the better.

I've read and been told that 4 years old is the ideal time to start. Our swimming instructor told me the same thing a few weeks ago. That age is the best age for them to start picking up on technique. The newborn classes are good for people who have a pool in their back yard and are worried about an accident and their child surviving by floating on their back until they're found. In between those ages, I'm sure the kids could learn and would have fun, but you might not get as much bang for your buck.

It depends on where you go, I guess. I tried lessons at our local pool when my oldest was a baby and we just sat in the shallow water and sang songs. When she got older, they played games. I could have done that myself! I just signed up both my 6 and 3 year olds for "real" swim lessons at our gym.

As soon as possible. We started our daughter at 11 months, instead of 6 months as we'd planned due to finances. We didn't know about the free lessons from 6 weeks-6 months and will take advantage of those with our son and start full lessons at 6 months with him. We've seen such amazing skills develop in our daughter that we definitely want our son to start as soon as possible. Swimming is a safety skill, not just something fun to do, so the earlier they are comfortable in the water and learning water skills, the better.

My boys are 3 and 4, and they are doing great in their lessons! My husband and I are really happy that they both love their lessons so much. When they were younger, we would occasionally take them to the pool to play so that they would get used to being in the water.

I don't think it is too early after 9 months or so. It is a gradual process, so be prepared for years of lessons. It really does take time. For the toddler age I highly recommend a program that teaches swimming and also water safety. That second part is super important in case of emergency.

good luck!!

I started all my kids around 18 months in the parent-tot classes. I think they are getting old enough by then to "understand" a little bit about how it all works. Then I've done lessons about 3-4 times a year after that. My oldest is getting her lifeguard certification in about 6 months when she is old enough!

They offer newborn classes at many places so I think it's up to the parent to choose what is best. If it were me, I'd definantly want the kids to be protected at all costs if I had a water area close to me like a pond, creek, lake, pool, etc....