Look into Knights of Columbus and Fort Myer.

Getting a pool membership will turn your kids into swimmers. We have taken both of our kids to the pool since they were a few months old and it has made them comfortable in the water. My 4 year old is a swimmer now and I attribute it to being in the water every weekend. It’s also a really good way to tire kids out!

Anonymous wrote:We started at a pool the year our oldest was 4. We’ve gotten tons of use out of it for the past 5 years. But I can see down the road that our oldest will likely be done hanging out with us at the pool in another year or so given the trajectory of other families with children that age.

My teenager isn’t on the swim team and only likes to go to the pool if a friend will be there. If both of our kids were like that, I would question the value of pool membership.

My 9 yo is on the swim team, however, and practically lives at the pool in the summer. Judging by the bond that forms between team members, I’d imagine that swim team will be an integral part of our lives for the next 9 years. We (her parents) have also made friends through the swim team and therefore came to enjoy the adult social events. The swim team was an unexpected avenue to really becoming attached to our pool.

We started at a pool the year our oldest was 4. We’ve gotten tons of use out of it for the past 5 years. But I can see down the road that our oldest will likely be done hanging out with us at the pool in another year or so given the trajectory of other families with children that age.

It took us about 5 years years to get an August membership at a different Arlington pool, and we are still on the list for Overlee

Get on a couple lists now and then re evaluate when you actually have the opportunity to buy a membership.

I have been on the Overlee waitlist for more than 6 years

I think 5-6 years is not realistic for over Lee. I’ve heard it’s 7-10 years!!

Get on the list now. We’re in Falls Church but joined our local pool’s waitlist when our first was a year old. We just got off for this summer and kids are 3 and 6 - it’s a lot of fun!!

You should get on the lists now. Our kids at at the pool several times a week - ages 3 and 5.
Got on the lists when I was pregnant. We had 2 summers of Aug-Sept rentals and this is our first full summer as a pool member. Swim teams start early - summer after L or 1st - if you think your kid is into that.

We have 7 years left on the Overlee list by my calcs - waiting since 2014. They say you move 100 spots a year, but we moved 60 last year.

We have a 7, 4 and 2 year old and have gone to the pool since the oldest was 3. Definitely get on the waitlist now and see if you can do the August membership. I wish we had gotten on the Overlee waitlist as it is much closer than where we ended up.

Anonymous wrote:We became members at Overlee just at the time ds was old enough to join the swim team.

I know lots of people who join the waitlist and then join Knights of Columbus on a year by year basis while they wait.

Next year you can jump on the Overlee August pass (on sale in the spring but you need to be quick or they sell out) and spend August there to see if you like it.

If you are near Overlee, having the pool nearby will probably be something you love when the kids are older.

This is a great idea. I’ll keep an eye out for them to go on sale. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:We go to the pool every sat and Sun and have three kids (5,2, and 3 months).

Is your 5 year old a good swimmer? Does one parent stay with the baby while the other goes in the pool with the older kids?

We became members at Overlee just at the time ds was old enough to join the swim team.

I know lots of people who join the waitlist and then join Knights of Columbus on a year by year basis while they wait.

Next year you can jump on the Overlee August pass (on sale in the spring but you need to be quick or they sell out) and spend August there to see if you like it.

If you are near Overlee, having the pool nearby will probably be something you love when the kids are older.

We go to the pool every sat and Sun and have three kids (5,2, and 3 months).

We just bought a home in Arlington and have heard the waitlists at some of the pools can be long. Currently we aren’t much of a “pool family” because we have a 3 y/o and 1 y/o who can’t swim on their own and still nap during the middle of the day. We’re considering getting on the waitlist for Overlee (near us) with the hope that in 5-6 (more??) years this will be something our family is interested in as we do love swimming and being outdoors in general.

However, we’re debating whether to join a waitlist at another pool in the meantime with the hopes of getting in next summer. But with thousands of dollars in initiation fees plus membership costs, I’m not sure if it makes sense for a 4 y/o and 2 y/o (as of next summer). Especially since we’re trying for a third and may have a baby too.

At what ages did you find your family really started getting use of your pool membership and are there any pools that *only* require a 1 year~ waitlist or are they all multi-year waitlists?

Thanks!