Can your five year old swim?

[Anonymous]

No, it's pretty dangerous to have a 5 year old whose parents think that swimming skills are protective. Those are the parents who do risky things like reducing supervision.

That's ridiculous. Once a child has a certain level of swimming skills, it is entirely appropriate to reduce supervision. That is why YMCA pools and various city and private pools have swim tests that children can pass such that they can be in the water without an adult. It is not, however, appropriate to eliminate supervision - a parent still needs to be on the deck watching the child.

[Anonymous]

DD is 6 and has been able to swim the length of the pool since 5. She has done years of lessons, though. I would say most kids her age can not swim independently.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's a brag thing that people have answered OP accurately. All of my children could swim by 2 and all (ten and under, close in age) can swim three lengths of a big pool - eldest can swim a mile easily. But we lived in Samoa on a beach when they were babies and it was either put the little blighters on a long leash tied to a palm tree or teach them about water. It's hard to baby-proof a lagoon.

OP here's what I have learned: it doesn't matter whether your kid is a good swimmer but if you know people with pools, boats, beach houses or if you live by water then you MUST teach them to be okay floating in water and getting to safety. That's a couple of days work. To me it's as basic as teaching a child not to put their hand in a fire, not to touch the cleaning products under the sink and not to put plastic bags over their head (did anyone else have that child??). So dump all the expectations set by beltway-bitches whose kids are a whisker away from the Olympics and focus of getting them to the stage where if someone picks them up and chucks them off a boat into the sea (a sophisticated water-safety test in our house back in the day - with dad in the very shallow water I might add) they can hold their breath, surface, lie on their back, float for a couple of minutes and maybe (on a good day with a tail wind) dog paddle.

Whatever you do don't buy into the "if he doesn't like water he's not ready" thing. Those are the most at risk. Start early, go hard. Make it fun.

[Anonymous]

I hosted a pool party this weekend for about 6 boys (almost 5 to 5.5). Two out of the six could swim. The rest definitely could not swim. My son has spent 2 full years in swim lessons and can swim well, but still doesn't have the endurance for a whole length of the pool.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP about learning water safety. On vacation this year, both our 3 year old and five year old fell in the pool. We didn't even know the 5 year old fell in and we were sitting right there. He popped right out of the pool. He knew just what to do in the situation. I cannot believe how quickly a kid could drown. I realized that kids will never yell when they are in trouble in the water. The 3 year old (who has been in lessons) managed to tread water until we pulled her out. Who cares if the kid can swim a length of the pool... As the PP pointed out, the important thing is knowing what to do if you fall in the water.

[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.

Ours kids were swimming since before birth.

[Anonymous]

No. DD took a few group lessons and about 8 weeks of one on one lessons and ended up hating it. She was 4.5-5 at the time. She can doggy paddle, but I don't think she could freestyle. She needs more play time in the pool to become a better swimmer.

[Anonymous]

DC 1 could not; DC 2 can. I could, DH could not. It depends on the child....

[Anonymous]

Nope.
None of my kids can swim well and they're now 9, 9, and 6. I've probably spent about $3K on years of lessons of all sorts---group, private, etc.
We're just not swimmers. I'm 40 and I can't really swim either (besides a crappy breast stroke and treading water).

The funny thing is that my kids are great athletes in other ways--both of the older ones do just made the "A" team in competitive travel sports (i.e. beat out hundreds of other kids).
They're just not swimmers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty dangerous to have a 5 year old who can't swim.

I have to agree with this. While your son does not need to be swim team ready at this point, it's good that he has some basic skills that can help him navigate in the water.

My son just turned five and can kick across the pool and float on his back and front. His form isn't great but I feel more confident in his ability to safely play in the pool. I also think he appreciates more that its dangerous to just go jumping into the pool and that you have to be careful.

Invest in swim lessons. It's worth it.

How many lessons would you suggest?
We have spent about $2k-3k in lessons over 3 years and my 6 year old still doesn't swim independently.

[Anonymous]

You spent between 2 and 3 K and your kid can't swim. Couple of questions:
- was there water present during the lessons?
- was the child anywhere near the water?
- was the instructor water-phobic?
- could the instructor swim?

Depending on the answers are yes then you have been ripped off my friend....

I teach kids to swim - just for my friends - and I have never spent a couple of days with a kids and not had them blowing bubbles (breath control), swimming (badly) across a pool, floating on their back and on the way to mastering dog-paddle. And having a fantastic time learning to love the water...

Refund time for you.

[Anonymous]

My 4-turning-5yo took 3 out of his 6 lessons just to get into the pool. Needless to say he was not swimming by the end. We were going to go for round 2 this summer, but since I didn't set an alarm for the second registration opened, no luck for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


I would just like to interject here that at the Bethesda outdoor county pool, where we are regulars, most 5 years olds cannot swim one length of the pool independently - or one width, for that matter! The situation may be different in gym pools or private swimming clubs.

As per usual, asking that type of question on DCUM is self-selective. Parents who have been proactive about their children's swimming will be more motivated to answer.

Yep, hence it's become a brag thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty dangerous to have a 5 year old who can't swim.

I have to agree with this. While your son does not need to be swim team ready at this point, it's good that he has some basic skills that can help him navigate in the water.

My son just turned five and can kick across the pool and float on his back and front. His form isn't great but I feel more confident in his ability to safely play in the pool. I also think he appreciates more that its dangerous to just go jumping into the pool and that you have to be careful.

Invest in swim lessons. It's worth it.

Right so your five year old can't swim by OP's definition. What was your point again?

[Anonymous]

My 5.5 year old can swim for about 2 seconds, so not really. We are doing private swim lessons this summer with a lifeguard at our local pool. Hopefully by the end of the summer.