When to stop swim lessons?

[Anonymous]

Ability to tread water for at least 1 minute. Swim one lap of free style and backstroke without stopping. Know safety and how to ask for help at the pool, especially leg cramps. Have stamina to stay in pool for a stretch of time. Be able to deep dive and come afloat safely, especially if they like to jump in the pool. Level 4/5 of swimming.

[Anonymous]

I'm keeping my kids in lessons until they can competently swim multiple strokes for exercise purposes. Swimming is great exercise and I value it as an important skill to acquire. I continued to take swim lessons all through college to improve my stroke skills.

[Anonymous]

Most summer camps with pools have a standard test a kid must pass, and most pools have a test for when a kid would be allowed to use the diving board or be in the water without a parent ... I'd do lessons at least until your child can pass that kind of test.

[Anonymous]

Do they want to stop or you don't want to due to cost/transportation? I'd keep going.

[Anonymous]

Kids can drown even if they know how to swim.
When it comes to swimming, I'm like a helicopter mom. Most of the time, there's no second chance if there's a problem in the pool. I watch my kid and others closely. I can see others don't even know where their kids are most of the time and they can't swim well. I also watch the lifeguards-there are just too many kids to watch out for and most of the times they are just kids themselves at the pool. And they will get distracted if their lifeguard friends talk to them.

You will know when they are comfortable enough to not be watched closely -when you see them swim across the length of the pool with no issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do they want to stop or you don't want to due to cost/transportation? I'd keep going.

They want to stop. I want them to keep going, but I'm wondering if I'm holding them up to a silly standard. Answers seem all over the place!

For example, one can kick himself across but his face is in the water so he treads water if he needs to breathe mid-way. I told him he needs to keep going with lessons so he gets the stroke and breathing; that's not good enough. He says it shouldn't matter because he can pass the pool test cited above and because all he likes to do is jump in and get back out over and over. I'm going to make him keep going, but I want to give him a goal for when he can stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you watch them if you can't swim? Do you rely on others to jump in the deep end if sth were to happen?

Thank you for your concern. They know how to swim; so I'm watching out for them getting tired or a cramp or something. Once, one got tired and I threw him a pole. Otherwise all has been fine. Yes, I would feel comfortable relying on a lifeguard to jump in the deep end if need be.

You are crazy! You don't realize this because you don't know how to swim. But you as a non-swimmer as the only person watching are actually putting your kids more at risk than if they were alone. They trust you, but you are incompetent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they want to stop or you don't want to due to cost/transportation? I'd keep going.

They want to stop. I want them to keep going, but I'm wondering if I'm holding them up to a silly standard. Answers seem all over the place!

For example, one can kick himself across but his face is in the water so he treads water if he needs to breathe mid-way. I told him he needs to keep going with lessons so he gets the stroke and breathing; that's not good enough. He says it shouldn't matter because he can pass the pool test cited above and because all he likes to do is jump in and get back out over and over. I'm going to make him keep going, but I want to give him a goal for when he can stop.

It really depends on the kids. My parents forced lessons on me and I hated them. I made no progress. I forced them on my kid and after the initial resistance he loves it. I encourage him to keep going as I know he enjoys it. In your case, I'd stop this summer and wait till next and try again. I'd prefer more than that, like you, but its not worth the power struggle. Not everyone is going to be a great swimmer but it is a good skill to have.

[Anonymous]

They will never be safe in the ocean if you don't push them to be stronger swimmers. And it is far easier to learn now. At a minimum breast stroke bc that is your survival stroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you watch them if you can't swim? Do you rely on others to jump in the deep end if sth were to happen?

Thank you for your concern. They know how to swim; so I'm watching out for them getting tired or a cramp or something. Once, one got tired and I threw him a pole. Otherwise all has been fine. Yes, I would feel comfortable relying on a lifeguard to jump in the deep end if need be.

Your kids are not good swimmers if they do not know their limits. If you feel it ok, let them stop but they would only be in water they can stand in. If you have to throw a pole, I'm assuming you are at a private pool as our public has no poles easy access to visitors. If one needs a pole, I'd be really concerned but that is a separate issue from lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they want to stop or you don't want to due to cost/transportation? I'd keep going.

They want to stop. I want them to keep going, but I'm wondering if I'm holding them up to a silly standard. Answers seem all over the place!

For example, one can kick himself across but his face is in the water so he treads water if he needs to breathe mid-way. I told him he needs to keep going with lessons so he gets the stroke and breathing; that's not good enough. He says it shouldn't matter because he can pass the pool test cited above and because all he likes to do is jump in and get back out over and over. I'm going to make him keep going, but I want to give him a goal for when he can stop.

Former lifeguard here. I think it varies. They don't need to know how to do backstroke, breast stroke and a perfect freestyle to be good swimmers. I don't think doggy paddle is good swimming and they should be able to swim stronger than just that stroke (ie not a perfect freestyle but face in the water, turning head to breath) would be better. Strength will come with age and practice.
I think they should be able to swim confidently across a full length pool without breaks and be able to tread water.
If you are used to going to the same pool every day would they be confident swimmers in a new pool environment (bigger pool, deeper pool, etc.)

I think as a parent, you want to be confident that if they go to your local pool, a neighbor's pool, a hotel pool, lake, etc. they can swim confidently and safely. I want to know that if faced with a body of water they can get themselves to safety. If we were going to the ocean soon, I would keep up lessons even longer since that requires an even stronger swimmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they want to stop or you don't want to due to cost/transportation? I'd keep going.

They want to stop. I want them to keep going, but I'm wondering if I'm holding them up to a silly standard. Answers seem all over the place!

For example, one can kick himself across but his face is in the water so he treads water if he needs to breathe mid-way. I told him he needs to keep going with lessons so he gets the stroke and breathing; that's not good enough. He says it shouldn't matter because he can pass the pool test cited above and because all he likes to do is jump in and get back out over and over. I'm going to make him keep going, but I want to give him a goal for when he can stop.

Former lifeguard here. I think it varies. They don't need to know how to do backstroke, breast stroke and a perfect freestyle to be good swimmers. I don't think doggy paddle is good swimming and they should be able to swim stronger than just that stroke (ie not a perfect freestyle but face in the water, turning head to breath) would be better. Strength will come with age and practice.
I think they should be able to swim confidently across a full length pool without breaks and be able to tread water.
If you are used to going to the same pool every day would they be confident swimmers in a new pool environment (bigger pool, deeper pool, etc.)

I think as a parent, you want to be confident that if they go to your local pool, a neighbor's pool, a hotel pool, lake, etc. they can swim confidently and safely. I want to know that if faced with a body of water they can get themselves to safety. If we were going to the ocean soon, I would keep up lessons even longer since that requires an even stronger swimmer.

PP again. I just wanted to add that I don't think swim lessons are for kids to just be able to jump and play in their local pool. It really is for safety above all else. Just because they only want to jump and hang out in a shallow end of water, doesn't cut it for me. Swimming and playing in water are two different things.

Also, are they bored with the lessons or dislike the teacher? You could try a different instructor, private lessons, etc. if that is their reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the kids love the water and can get around the length of the pool unassisted, but it's not necessarily a nice pretty set of strokes. Is that enough or am I supposed to keep making them go until they can do all the strokes properly? I don't swim so I don't know. They are good and comfortable enough to have fun a ton of fun and not worry me (still watching, of course).

How old are they? The thing that helped my kids tremendously was swim team. Much cheaper as part of our neighborhood pool than private swim lessons. Too late for this year but I'd consider it for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd want my kids to be able to swim one length (25 yards) in about 90 seconds, side breathing as appropriate. I'd also want them to be able to tread water for at least a minute and be able to swim front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.

This, but minus the "90 seconds" (I don't necessarily disagree, I've just never thought about it), but I'd add being able to dive. We also go to a lake every year and I try to get them to swim a lot there since I think being able to swim in really deep water without being nervous is important.

[Anonymous]

OP needs to learn to swim and start now. Her kids should take lessons until they are pretty competent, say passed the advanced intermediate lessons. It is great exercise and a critical life skill.

I can't even imagine taking my kid to the beach if I didn't know how to swim. My kid swims pretty well, but at the beach if we are off shore, he wears a life vest.