Can your five year old swim?

[Anonymous]

Yes, both of mine could swim at 5yo. No lessons, just lots of trips to the neighborhood pool. When my oldest was little, I didn't know about the swim vests until he was practically swimming on his own anyway.

My youngest wore one until the beginning of last summer, at 5.5yo, when he was dead set against it (would rip it off right after I zipped it up.) In retrospect, he was right; by the end of the summer he could swim like a fish. He is pretty tall though, and was mostly smart enough to stick to where he could still touch the bottom if he had to.

At first, I insisted on being in the pool with him at all times (or my husband); by the end of the summer I relaxed enough that I would sit on the side but never take my eyes off him. Now he's 6yo and a total water bug. I still pay close attention, even in our pool with lifeguards, but I don't worry about stepping away for a minute to go to the bathroom or put food on the grill. And I never have to go swimming myself anymore unless I actually want to!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, both of mine could swim at 5yo. No lessons, just lots of trips to the neighborhood pool. When my oldest was little, I didn't know about the swim vests until he was practically swimming on his own anyway.

My youngest wore one until the beginning of last summer, at 5.5yo, when he was dead set against it (would rip it off right after I zipped it up.) In retrospect, he was right; by the end of the summer he could swim like a fish. He is pretty tall though, and was mostly smart enough to stick to where he could still touch the bottom if he had to.

At first, I insisted on being in the pool with him at all times (or my husband); by the end of the summer I relaxed enough that I would sit on the side but never take my eyes off him. Now he's 6yo and a total water bug. I still pay close attention, even in our pool with lifeguards, but I don't worry about stepping away for a minute to go to the bathroom or put food on the grill. And I never have to go swimming myself anymore unless I actually want to!!

if kids are always in a flotation device they will not learn to move on their own in the water.

[Anonymous]

My three year old passed the swim test at the pool. But he is a total fish. His first babysitter was a lifeguard. He was jumping off the diving boards (into her arms) at 18 mos.

[Anonymous]

I have twin 5 year olds. One can, one cannot.

Like everything, it depends on the kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't you hate when it turns into a brag thread. Years ago, I posted a similar topic on a parenting board just to have everyone tell me about their kids who were swimming since birth.

My twin boys could not swim at age 5 and had just started swim lessons. By the time they were 7, they could just barely make it across the pool. They are about to turn 11 and they just passed the boy scout swim test with flying colors (100 yards). My youngest son is about to turn 8 and he can just barely doggy paddle across the pool so I have signed him up for some more lessons this summer.

I am a TERRIBLE swimmer. I always was despite many swim lessons as a kid. I got to the point where I wouldn't drown in the deep end and could make it across the pool. DH has been instrumental in getting the kids to practice good swimming form. I need him to work more with boy #3.

She asked people answered, how is that a brag?

[Anonymous]

No.

She can doggy paddle for a few feet, but that doesn't count. I am enrolling her in swim lessons.

[Anonymous]

No. We've done group lessons on and off. I've sworn off of group lessons and will only do private going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you hate when it turns into a brag thread. Years ago, I posted a similar topic on a parenting board just to have everyone tell me about their kids who were swimming since birth.

My twin boys could not swim at age 5 and had just started swim lessons. By the time they were 7, they could just barely make it across the pool. They are about to turn 11 and they just passed the boy scout swim test with flying colors (100 yards). My youngest son is about to turn 8 and he can just barely doggy paddle across the pool so I have signed him up for some more lessons this summer.

I am a TERRIBLE swimmer. I always was despite many swim lessons as a kid. I got to the point where I wouldn't drown in the deep end and could make it across the pool. DH has been instrumental in getting the kids to practice good swimming form. I need him to work more with boy #3.

She asked people answered, how is that a brag?

Unclear to me as well. She asked and folks answered, and most even pointed out that they had invested in swim lessons (instead of claiming their kids magically developed the ability to swim on their own). Why ask the question if you don't want to hear when the answer is "yes?"

[Anonymous]

my 5 year old- who has been in weekly swim lessons with the county for the last 1.5 years- can swim about 10 yards on his own. He is highly motivated and interested, and I think he may be able to get across the pool by the end of the summer. But he may not be able to.
I am always surprised at people who say their kids can swim- and then I find out they mean with flotation devices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my 5 year old- who has been in weekly swim lessons with the county for the last 1.5 years- can swim about 10 yards on his own. He is highly motivated and interested, and I think he may be able to get across the pool by the end of the summer. But he may not be able to.
I am always surprised at people who say their kids can swim- and then I find out they mean with flotation devices.

I posted above that at 5 my son could swim quite well and a full length of the pool with NO flotation device. We have never allowed our kids to use any sort of flotation devices as they are nothing but a crutch.

[Anonymous]

My first two started swim team at 5. My third, who turned 5 Memorial day weekend, we opted to wait on Swim team as he isn't sill quite swimming a full length of the pool and we didn't want him to have negative experience with swim team his first year.

[Anonymous]

My twin girls started private one on one lessons at 3 and now at 5 they can swim.

I'm not sure why you regard swimimg lessons for children as bragging. How else will they learn? I can't swim because my mum's brother, who was a very strong swimmer, drowned and she put a great amount of fear on me about water. I have had lessons several times since I was a teenager in boarding school but I was still too scared to learn. I don't want my kids to be like me. All three were started with lessons very early on in their lives,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you hate when it turns into a brag thread. Years ago, I posted a similar topic on a parenting board just to have everyone tell me about their kids who were swimming since birth.

My twin boys could not swim at age 5 and had just started swim lessons. By the time they were 7, they could just barely make it across the pool. They are about to turn 11 and they just passed the boy scout swim test with flying colors (100 yards). My youngest son is about to turn 8 and he can just barely doggy paddle across the pool so I have signed him up for some more lessons this summer.

I am a TERRIBLE swimmer. I always was despite many swim lessons as a kid. I got to the point where I wouldn't drown in the deep end and could make it across the pool. DH has been instrumental in getting the kids to practice good swimming form. I need him to work more with boy #3.

She asked people answered, how is that a brag?

Unclear to me as well. She asked and folks answered, and most even pointed out that they had invested in swim lessons (instead of claiming their kids magically developed the ability to swim on their own). Why ask the question if you don't want to hear when the answer is "yes?"

If you read beyond the subject line, s/he's really trying to gauge what is normal, and not looking for just a yes/no to the subject line?

[Anonymous]

No. He's had a lot of fears because he has perforated eardrums that can't be patched for a few years. It doesn't help we had never belonged to a pool until this year. We've done semi-private lessons for a few months now and he's now able to swim a couple yards with his ears underwater. Major progress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you hate when it turns into a brag thread. Years ago, I posted a similar topic on a parenting board just to have everyone tell me about their kids who were swimming since birth.

My twin boys could not swim at age 5 and had just started swim lessons. By the time they were 7, they could just barely make it across the pool. They are about to turn 11 and they just passed the boy scout swim test with flying colors (100 yards). My youngest son is about to turn 8 and he can just barely doggy paddle across the pool so I have signed him up for some more lessons this summer.

I am a TERRIBLE swimmer. I always was despite many swim lessons as a kid. I got to the point where I wouldn't drown in the deep end and could make it across the pool. DH has been instrumental in getting the kids to practice good swimming form. I need him to work more with boy #3.

She asked people answered, how is that a brag?

Because people who claim that their three year old can swim like a fish are not the norm. Physically and developmentally it is unusual for a kid to be a competent swimmer before six or seven.