How long did it take your DC to learn how to swim?

[Noomininoo]

My 5.4yo DD1 has been going to swimming lessons for about 18 months but seems to be making very slow progress. The instructor tries hard with her but she just seems to be struggling every step of the way.

She's got her 5m (although that was mostly by thrashing wildly towards the side of the pool until she finally got there) but seems to be falling way behind all of the other children in her class when it comes to learning strokes etc. I know all children learn at a different pace but on average, how long does it normally take a child to start swimming proficiently...?

You'll hate this answer, but I think it depends on the child!

DS1 started lessons at 5 and a half, and took a year, so 6 and a half. He then flew through the next couple of levels, and then settled into a more steady pace.

DS2 was swimming by 4 years but, as his teacher said, he just seems to float. "not the sinking kind". But, he hates getting his face wet, so it's going to take a while to master crawl. I imagine he'll be stuck in the next group for ages.

Probably took my DD1 around 18months of weekly lessons to actually be able to swim confidently. At one point I honestly thought we would never be able to take the float away. She was 5 when she started the lesson and was 6 and a half before she moved up a grade. I seriously was close to tears when she came skipping back to me with her certificate as pleased as punch.

She is now nearly 8 and can swim better than me.

Just stick with it she will get there eventually.

DD2 is 3 and has been take lesson for around 6 months. I am hoping as she has started younger she may get there sooner.

Are you able to afford one on one lessons at all? My DS who is nearly 6 has been having group lessons weekly for about 9 months (there is 8 in a class with 2 teachers) TBH whilst he enjoys them i didn;t feel progress was great.
We went on a fortnight holiday over the summer and i booked him 5 private lessons with a swimming instructor - he came back being able to swim 10+m frontcrawl (with proper breathing to the side) and backstroke. The improvement was amazing.
We still have the weekly group lessons but he has moved up a couple of groups now, but i honestly think it would have taken a long time to get him where he is now just with the group lessons.
How do others in his group appear to be doing? What do his teachers think about his progress? Can they offer any suggestions? are you able to take him to the pool also for a swim?
Of course, all children are different and it may just be that he finds swimming difficult!

It also depends on your definition of swim. Going by DS and his friends, I would say about three years, of weekly 30min classes at council pool, to get to doing a whole length of each of the three main strokes properly without stopping.

With DS we sometimes took a couple of months break from lessons when it seemed he'd hit a wall/needed a break. One half-term he did a crash course 30 mins each day for a week in a smaller class.

Years. It's been v slow progress for us. But it is progress, so I'm sticking with it.

About (the worst) 3 years...(of my life!)...

He's 21 and scuba dives now, so don't give up!

P.s. I live in a country - not UK - where the final test is wearing clothes, including shoes and getting - lightly - pushed into the pool to see if they can swim back to the side....

...and climb out, obviously...

All the children in my extended family have spent their summers on an island within 5 minutes from the beach, going swimming 2 or 3 times a day, and with proper swimming lessons. And most of us have learnt to swim some time between the age of 6 and 8. Noone has got worried so this is probably par for the course.

Just found my old certificate the other day: apparently I got the 25 metre badge (the first badge you could get in my day) when I was 7. And by the time I was in my early teens I was getting badges for things like swimming 1500 metres fully clothed (in the sea).

DS1 started lessons just last month, he's had four so far (he's 5.5yo). The 'beginners' class is not about them learning to swim, just more about getting used to the water, apparently....DS1 doesn't seem to be making a huge amount of progress but he is still young, and I don't want to put pressure on him.

Agree with a PP, it just depends on the child.

DS1 was taken to lessons,and learnt to swim in 4 weeks. Poor DS2 was chucked into a Greek pool,and learnt to swim in 1 day. DS2 is the surfing,skuba-diving,water-skiing one.

DD turned 5 last month and in May when she was 4.9 got her 50m certificate. She had her 10m at 3.9 and her 25m at a little over 4 - but she really is the exception rather than the rule. She already does full front crawl and backstoke and is now learning butterfly and breast stroke - both of which she is struggling with as they require a lot more strength.

I think a child has to be developmentally ready to be able to swim. It makes very little difference whether a child starts swimming lessons at 6 months, three years old or five years old. A child who is developmentally ready will learn to swim very quickly.

Some children have the aquatic equivalent of dyslexia. My son had a year of individual swimming lessons at the age of seven and can swim 25 metres using all the main strokes. However lots of children have learnt to swim better than him at an earlier age with just group lessons. I spent an absolute fortune to ensure my son could swim because I feel its as important as being able to read.

I expect that Hersetta's dd would be swimming at national standard with amount of swimming lessons my son had. Children vary a lot in natural swimming ablity.

ds1 4 months (5-6 yo)

ds2 it will take about two years i think!!! (now 5 yo but poor coordination).

same coach, same pool, similar size groups...

It does depend on the child

I would seriously consider changing teacher or trying to get some individual lessons (with a different teacher).

It does depend on the child - I took my DS from 6 months to 'parent and baby' class ( AND I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF IT ) but he did learn to swim very quickly & confidently.

My two went to lessons from age about 3 and were probably about 5 or 6 before they could swim, about 7 ish before they were pretty competent and are still doing lessons now at age 12 and 11. though they concentrate on stroke rythm etc now rather than actually learning the 4 strokes.

Depending on their physical build it can be age 7ish before a lot of kids have the physical strength to pull their weight properly through the water.

At the end of the day if they are getting 30-40 minutes once a week (school term only) in a group of upwards of 6 kids, it is unlikely to be fast unless your child is a natural and is good at paying attention. My eldest used to like to muck about underwater and sit on the bottom of the pool so of course he heard nothing of what the instructor was telling him! We have also over the years been at a number of different classes and instructors and some are definitely better than others!

I know of kids who have stated much later (age 8 or 9) and they progressed really quickly as a) they have enough strength, b) they are kenn to learn and c) they listen.

If your child enjoys the lessons and is gaining confidence in the water then I wouldn't really worry too much about progress at that age.

....Just calculated out and think we have spent over £3000 on swimming lessons so far - gulp!

amck5700, good grief £3K! how much are your swimming lessons? I assume that must be two children doing individual. Are your children serious swimmers. My sil son swims for county and its costs her a packet in competion fees and club membership.

My son had four terms of individual at £16 a lesson and two terms of group at £52 a term. I don't think what we have spent on swimming lessons has even come to half that.

lol, individually they aren't that expensive (about 4.50) but multiply that by 2 kids and about 9 years and you are getting on for a lot of money - they had a few 1 to 2 lessons at one point as well.

They are both good swimmers - our swimming club is really competitive tho (it's based in our Nation Swim Academy) so they have been sent for trials a couple of times but not got in.

They would get in another club fairly easily if they wanted to - but they will never be medal prospects or anything - they are not really that competitive. Now on the last level of lessons so I'd like them to finish and at least it's a period of activity each week as they are not interested in football or anything.

I don't mind the money as I am not a very good swimmer and I love that they are and that they enjoy it. They are now doing canoeing and sailing and trying windsurfing. I feel much more comfortable with them doing these activities knowing that they are strong swimmers. :)

My dd1 (7) did a 5 session (one day a week) taster this summer - she got her confidence. I then signed her up for a 12 week improver course. She'll be able to swim a length by then and thats all I want her to be able to do. Now before I get too cocky - any tips on how to get her to ride a bike!

Ride a bike - take her with a friend of same age who already knows how to do it.