If your kids swam at a young age, without a lot of lessons, did you . . .

[Anonymous]

My kids were early swimmers, swimming across the pool, or down to retrieve things from the bottom before their 3rd birthdays, swimming 25 yards before their 4th. I didn't really teach them, we just went to the pool a lot, and played and it just happened.

My oldest is now a swim instructor, and he's been watching videos on teaching kids how to swim, and he's been getting videos of people pouring water on their babies heads, saying that it prepares them to swim.

Both of my kids, as babies, loved to be in a shower with an adult, and later loved to play in the bathtub with the shower running. I wasn't thinking "Oh, this will make them swimmers", I was just keeping them busy, but they certainly had water on their head and running down their faces a lot. So, now I'm curious, those of you whose kids swam early, did they have similar experiences?

[Anonymous]

They do this at goldfish I think it’s ridiculous. For the kids that are ready to put their heads under it’s just annoying. For the kids who are scared it’s traumatic. I wouldn’t use you tube to learn instruction skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids were early swimmers, swimming across the pool, or down to retrieve things from the bottom before their 3rd birthdays, swimming 25 yards before their 4th. I didn't really teach them, we just went to the pool a lot, and played and it just happened.

My oldest is now a swim instructor, and he's been watching videos on teaching kids how to swim, and he's been getting videos of people pouring water on their babies heads, saying that it prepares them to swim.

Both of my kids, as babies, loved to be in a shower with an adult, and later loved to play in the bathtub with the shower running. I wasn't thinking "Oh, this will make them swimmers", I was just keeping them busy, but they certainly had water on their head and running down their faces a lot. So, now I'm curious, those of you whose kids swam early, did they have similar experiences?

Bath time was enjoyable with your typical bath toys for both my kids, but I don't know that I'd call it some pivotal moment in their comfort/enjoyment of water sports. When we joined a pool, we played a lot, throwing and diving after those torpedo toys or doing jumps from the side of the pool where we'd catch them or I'd throw them as high as possible in the air for them to dive back down. As far as the "teach" part, that didn't really happen until 4 or 5-ish, we're talking about 15 min. max at a time. I taught both to swim modeling after a video on youtube that I liked. Nothing complicated- just focusing on glide/superman, kicking, and then gradually working in the coordination of the crawl/breathing movement. We made a conscious decision never to use floaties/puddle jumper; we were motivated to get them as self-sufficient as possilbe and i think at least one or both were motivated to use the diving boards.

[Anonymous]

I think lots of time in the water plays a very large part. For example if you grow up swimming with the pool, ocean or lake down the street like I did as a child. I think it's much more difficult for those without easy access. The pandemic threw a wrench in learing to swim for my kid and I'm assuming a whole generation. Lost a whole preschool year+ that could have been filled with lessons etc...

[Anonymous]

Yes, I routinely waterboarded my kids as infants. They are now top swimmer who make NVSL All Stars.

[Anonymous]

Hmm we started showers fairly early and my child is not an early swimmer. We have found taking her to the pool a lot matters more than the group lessons she's done.

[Anonymous]

I think it is time in the water and access to the water. If you have a pool your kids will learn faster.

I grew up in Fl. Everyone has a pool. Everyone swims before they are two. I am an adult who can swim for a long time but my form is atrocious and I never swam on a team.

I took my kids to a gazillion swim lessons. Both had fun in the water from a young age. We do not have a pool. 30 minutes a week is not enough but it is best I can do. They can swim - but if they fall out of a boat in deep water we’d better get to them within a few minutes.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t do it intentionally so DD would be a good swimmer but I did pour water over her head in the bath as part of washing hair and body so she would be used to having water in her face and be used to the sensation.
I took her to the pool once a week at 6 months to play and get comfortable. Started lessons at 3.5 and didnt need to waste money on blowing bubbles, putting face in etc.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids spent tons of time in the water as infants/toddlers - baths, showers, beach, pool. Grandparents live in Florida and have a pool. Parents big swimmers so lots of pool time.

One of my kids swam early and the other did not. The one who did not loved water including being the pool, but HATED putting her face in the water initially. She was 4 before she was okay putting her face in (happened during swim lessons, not while playing in the water with us). She learned to swim around 4, was independent in the water by 5, now a really strong swimmer at 8 and actually likes swimming more than my other kid who swam at 2.5. She's on a club swimming team and my other kid has no interest in competitive swimming.

I believe in early exposure to water and demystifying it and teaching water safety really early. I strongly oppose this idea that you can teach a child to swim by tossing them in the pool and letting instincts take over. Some kids might do okay with it but other kids will be traumatized and it will make them not want to go in the water at all.

People fixate way too much on kids learning skills like swimming, biking, etc. early. In the end, the difference between learning at 2 versus 4 or 5 is negligible. Maybe it matters for olympic swimmers but actually I bet you can find examples of swim champions who started later and took to it really fast which would get you a similar result.

[Anonymous]

I actually think learning to swim early is very different from learning to bike early, since it’s a survival skill.

We were always at the pool in the summer and only my oldest had any reluctance about learning to swim (and she was at the pool much less than her siblings as a toddler/baby).

Anecdotally, the kids who have the most trouble are the ones with parents who don’t have time for the pool (understandable- not judging) I think exposure is the #1 thing that allows most kids to want to learn to swim.

[Anonymous]

I made sure to buy a house with a built-in pool for maximum practice time. My children are not stopped by such nuisances as lightning or thunder. I also planned my pregnancy with DS to be born in early June. Never too early to make sure he’s set up for success in NVSL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both of my kids spent tons of time in the water as infants/toddlers - baths, showers, beach, pool. Grandparents live in Florida and have a pool. Parents big swimmers so lots of pool time.

One of my kids swam early and the other did not. The one who did not loved water including being the pool, but HATED putting her face in the water initially. She was 4 before she was okay putting her face in (happened during swim lessons, not while playing in the water with us). She learned to swim around 4, was independent in the water by 5, now a really strong swimmer at 8 and actually likes swimming more than my other kid who swam at 2.5. She's on a club swimming team and my other kid has no interest in competitive swimming.

I believe in early exposure to water and demystifying it and teaching water safety really early. I strongly oppose this idea that you can teach a child to swim by tossing them in the pool and letting instincts take over. Some kids might do okay with it but other kids will be traumatized and it will make them not want to go in the water at all.

People fixate way too much on kids learning skills like swimming, biking, etc. early. In the end, the difference between learning at 2 versus 4 or 5 is negligible. Maybe it matters for olympic swimmers but actually I bet you can find examples of swim champions who started later and took to it really fast which would get you a similar result.

Most drownings happen to kids between 1 and 4. The earlier they can swim the better.

[Anonymous]

I had an early swimmer that hated bath time (sensory stuff). But also had no fear and would just walk into pool at a young age. Also learned to swim via playing in water and out of need to avoid drowning.

[Anonymous]

OP here,

I'm not saying that people should or shouldn't pour water on their babies heads. I did it with my first because he had severe reflux and it was literally the only thing that made him stop crying as a tiny infant. I have just always wondered why my kids were like fish. So, when I saw people suggesting it as a strategy, I wondered if other people with early swimmers might have done it too.

[Anonymous]

We did it, and both kids learned to swim at 2.5. I don’t think it helps them learn the mechanics of swimming early, but for most kids (not all), it helps them not be afraid of getting water in their face/putting their head under. Some kids will resist or dislike it no matter how early you start.

I agree with others that tons of pool time helps. Our apartment had a pool, and we went every day all summer. We visited indoor pools in the winter. We taught our kids to swim ourselves, then they learned the strokes when they started summer swim team at 5-6.