We started with ISR -- International Swim Rescue -- which teaches even babies to turn over and float on their backs if they fall into a body of water. We then continued on with lessons, and our little one is doing great.

I highly recommend Weaquatics -- www.weaquatics.com

It's run by two brothers who were swim champs in Richmond. David does ISR training for the infants and toddlers. Brad works with kids on actual swimming and strokes. They're both fabulous with kids.

I think they have a pool they teach at in Georgetown.

+1 on money well spent. DD will turn 3 in August and is already floating and swimming to the edge of the pool. We did a mix of weekly privates last year (skipping Dec-March) and a 4-week survival course in May. Now that the essentials are in place, we'll probably switch to group or semi-private.

Sorry to resurrect and old thread, I am a new poster and have a 2.5 year old. Can someone recommend their private instructor for lessons for a 2.5 year, preferably in DC. We have done mom and baby classes at JCC and Y. We have been putting DD in water since she was 4 months old. The upside is she LOVES the water but now is way too comfortable. I have been putting her in a puddle jumper because she is a runner and has total confidence to jump in the pool on her own. Now she assumes she can float even without the puddle jumper. I am looking for 2-3 days a week with a private instructor. Any recommendations apprecaited.

We lived in Florida when my child was born. He was in group swim lessons from the time he was 15 months old to just past 2, when we switched to private lessons. They were only 15 minutes long, and for the first maybe 5 lessons, he screamed through the entire lesson. I had to hide around the corner so he would try to run over to me. Another mom told me, "Give it a month. You'll see the progress."

Sure enough, a month later, I was the one watching lessons, telling the new moms to give it time as their child screamed blood murder.

This swimming was for water safety, to get your self in and out of the pool, monkey walk around the sides, and jump in, and also swim enough to get to the sides.

Sure enough, when we were on vacation in the Caribbean, my child fell into a pool when he was almost 3. All the adults jumped up, but my son had already popped up, turned himself around, and pulled himself out of the pool.

Speaking only for me, my DS loves the water, but got zilch out of group lessons. At 2.5-3, he just didn't want to wait, listen, a d by the time it was his turn he was just goofing off. But he loved water and I didn't want to lose that window. So we went ahead with private lessons. In my experience, because he is not afraid of the water, he has gotten a LOT more from private lessons, and I would actually say the group lessons were a total waste of money.

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with teaching a kid under 3 is their willingness/readiness to listen and do as they are asked for 30 mins.
My 2.5 year old is pretty easy going, goes to daycare, and does a 30 min dance class she just started on Saturdays.
I do not think she is ready to get in the pool with another adult and follow directions learn actual swimming.

I take her swimming now twice a month and she is comfortable in the water, goes, under, blows bubbles, will jump in if i catch her etc.
I am going to wait until she is 3 and understands more before I start proper lessons.

My DD was two when she learned to doggie paddle. I agree that ti's too young to learn complicated strokes but it isn't too young to learn how to propel yourself forward in the water. That is what DD learned in private swimming lessons.

I think the problem with teaching a kid under 3 is their willingness/readiness to listen and do as they are asked for 30 mins.
My 2.5 year old is pretty easy going, goes to daycare, and does a 30 min dance class she just started on Saturdays.
I do not think she is ready to get in the pool with another adult and follow directions learn actual swimming.

I take her swimming now twice a month and she is comfortable in the water, goes, under, blows bubbles, will jump in if i catch her etc.
I am going to wait until she is 3 and understands more before I start proper lessons.

Anonymous wrote:We were living in Southern California at the time and DD being able to swim was imperative since everyone has an in-ground swimming pool. Yes, she got private swim lessons at 2.5 (maybe a little younger) - a special course to teach her to surface, turn and doggie padded to the side of the pool and hold on.


I am of the belief that any and all swimming lessons at any age are valuable. Your DC won't learn the breast-stroke at 2.5 but she may learn to survive if she falls in the water.

+1 I was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and my parents still live there. Every night there is a story of a child drowning on the news.

Drowning in pools is the #1 cause of death in the south and southwest in children under 5 - and the only cause of death that is 100% preventable.

I echo the above. Private swimming lessons can never be a waste of money at any age. We are starting DC at 18 months this year.

We tried and I think it's worth it - we got fired after three lessons and told to try next summer - she had been home w a nanny and us and wasn't comfortable being in the water with the swim
Coach by herself - she also just didn't quite have the attention span required (though she does during her group classes like music) so maybe it was the instructor?

I used to be a private swim coach and I taught many 3-6 year olds how to swim. I don't believe I ever had a child as young as 2.5, but I'll bet it's possible. It's great that your child is already very comfortable in the water- that fear was usually the hardest thing to conquer with older children.

Swimming lessons are never a waste of money.

If you can afford it, private lessons are money well spent. My daughter joined her summer swim team at 3 and it is a point of pride even 9 years later.

We were living in Southern California at the time and DD being able to swim was imperative since everyone has an in-ground swimming pool. Yes, she got private swim lessons at 2.5 (maybe a little younger) - a special course to teach her to surface, turn and doggie padded to the side of the pool and hold on.


I am of the belief that any and all swimming lessons at any age are valuable. Your DC won't learn the breast-stroke at 2.5 but she may learn to survive if she falls in the water.

We did about a year and a half of the mommy and me type classes. My DD loves the water. Did your child learn to swim at 2.5-3 years of age? Should we stop for now and start again at 4 or so with private lessons?