my daughter will be 2 in September and have another baby due in late Sept/Oct. She's been doing Waterbabies since she was about 3 months old, but am trying to find an alternative. I'm looking for classes where they don't use arm bands and was also wondering if anyone knows of any unaccompanied lessons (i.e. where I can be poolside with the new baby) starting earlier than 3 years old?

thank you!

where are you? there are loads of classes. swimming nature are pricey but v. good. here in edinburgh aquatic learning are fab and good value.

be warned she might just refuse to do the lesson withoutyou. dd did waterbabies and point blank refused to get in the pool without me.

in berkshire, seem to be loads of swimming classes here too but almost all with arm bands which I'm (maybe foolishly) trying to avoid, also esp looking for something where possibly I don't have to go in with her.....can imagine though we may hit same prob as you where she won't get in without me!!!

have you asked the waterbabies instructors? they put me onto really good classes.

Im in Bracknell and Bracknell leisure centre is great.

bump

Hi hatcam, there is exactly 2yrs between my two - dd1 was doing weekly adult/child lessons but now all I have been doing is taking dd1 in the pool and dd2 sits in her car seat and watches by the side of the pool (in the playpen about 6 ft from pool edge) I let dd1 splash around on her own then we practice kicking and 'digging' and she's come on leaps and bounds just by going 2/3 times a week without lessons. I'm planning on putting her back into lessons when she is 3 and can go on her own. hth

we go to one not far from Bagshot - it's a private pool and they don't use arm bands? is that close to you?

thanks ladies - major delay in replying!

collision - do Bracknell leisure centre do unaccompanied lessons for under 3, if not is the creche any good as would have to put other baby in?

myermay - Bagshot not at all far, but same question, is it unaccompanied for under 3 or is there a good creche for baby to go in?

thank you thank you

Why don't you want arm bands. My 2 had lessons as babies with armbands and are both very good swimmers.

We didn't bother with lessons at this age. Do you have a DP/DH around on a weekend? DH and DS went swimming every weekend, just for a play and some fun. Resulted in a very very confident boy in the water...started lessons with him when he was four and we've only had to pay for a short course - and he swims. We will have more, to give him proper technique and chance to get badges etc. But I reckon we've saved LOADS of money just waiting till he was that bit older.

Also because the pool was just for fun, he never was put in armbands etc, he's learnt from the word go without anything

Also another thing, it was really nice for DH who didn't have that much in-put with ds all week, to have something HE was doing; when I went with them after some time, I was amazed at all that DS could do and it was nice that it was ds/dh's achievement and nothing to do with me.

taking baby/fighting with reluctant toddler to get in without mum all sounds a bit like hard work to me! Hive it off if you can!

take her swimming quite a bit anyway - either me or husband if he's in the country, but she's been doing lessons since she was about 3 months so seems a shame to stop now just because her baby brother is coming along!

agree about the less hard work the better though....

another vote here for skipping the lessons for a while

dd(5) never had lessons as a baby/toddler but went 'swimming' with us every week from 3 months when her big brothers were having lessons - the result was a very, very confident , water-loving little girl who was perfectly happy (and ready) to start lessons without me at 4 and a half - she can now happily swim a length or our 33m pool and flings herself into the deep end with glee

formal lessons at such a young age are a bit of a waste of money imo - what's really important is boosting her confidence, keeping it fun and making swimming a regular habit

They are not a waste mimsum. Mine had them and babies are taught things you wouldn't think of like automatically returning to the side if they fall in, breathing underwater etc. It's all a lot of fun and playing but instilling safety at the same time. Also it is a really lovely close mother and baby/toddler time.
I don't regret any of the time and money I spent on lessons, when they were little or now.

Most pools don't allow more than one under 5 per adult so it's not that easy to take a baby and toddler unless both parents can go.
I used to put my dd in the creche when she was a baby during ds's lesson and take her to when he was at nursery. There are 2 years between them.

My dd Started a no armband swimming class at our local pool at three and a half. I think there is value in waiting till around four simply because there is a different dynamic when they don't have you in the pool with them. They need the self confidence and concentration to get along in these types of classes, I don't think some kids can get on in them maybe even till they are more like 5. There are a lot of kids who have joined my dd's class and then left after a session to come back a year later when they are ready. Just fill the gap with lots of fun swimming.

BTW I spent the first term sitting next to the pool, I think this is fine at most pools if you kids are little but after a while we naturally found she didn't need me there.