Can your five year old swim?

[Anonymous]

Mine can't. I thought this was the norm for 5 year olds. Is that right?

By swim, I mean swim unassisted at least one pool length, not swim a couple of strokes while you stand right next to him or her.

[Anonymous]

yes, but because of swim lessons.

[Anonymous]

yup. like a fish

[Anonymous]

My 6 year old cannot swim a pool length.

[Anonymous]

I've never tested to see if he can do an entire pool length continuously, but he can dog paddle on his own around the pool without me right there. At this point I pretty much sit on the side where he's playing while he jumps in, swims, dives for toys, etc.

[Anonymous]

My oldest could swim at 5 (was on our pool's swim team, even). My youngest could not. It just depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but only because we've spent years in swim lessons. Both swimming and not swimming at this age are normal, though. But, if the question is "Can a 5 year-old learn to swim with enough lessons" then the answer is yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine can't. I thought this was the norm for 5 year olds. Is that right?

By swim, I mean swim unassisted at least one pool length, not swim a couple of strokes while you stand right next to him or her.

Yes, swim lessons from infancy. Could all swim the length at around 3.

[Anonymous]

His form is pretty atrocious, but he can get around the pool on his own.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but only because we did a huge push of lessons last summer. He did some backsliding over the winter so we will do some more lessons this summer to really get him going strong.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I wasn't trying to open a brag thread, more to guage whether most five year olds are competent swimmers, not the ones whose parents have signed then up for swim lessons weekly since birth, the normal ones.

Those of you who have done the multiple swim lessons route do you know if most of the rest of your kid's classmates have learned to swim yet?

[Anonymous]

OP, we did a few swim lessons on and off with mixed results. At age 5, most of my son's friends were either non-swimmers or could only do a little dog-paddling. By the end of the age 5 summer (camp swim lessons daily), our son was doing a lot better, but still not able to swim an entire length.

We know a few people who have done continual swim lessons since about age 3. Some of those kids are very good swimmers, others are still not getting it.

[Anonymous]

My 5yo can't swim. Took lessons at 18 mo, then completely resisted pool for a few years, now has fun playing in pool so I want to try lessons again soon but I get the apprehension. I was a similar kid and didn't learn to swim until age 7.

[Anonymous]

yes, my 5/soon to be 6 yr old can swim very well. He took swim lesson through the county since he was 3 and my DH has worked with him. He also loves the water and was trying to swim/float very early on.

Overall though I would say that this is not the norm. The vast majority of kids under 6 and even some under 7 at our pool can not swim.

We got together with friends at a pool last summer. All five of the boys were between 5 and 5.5, my son was the only one who could swim.

[Anonymous]

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.