Hi all. I have an 8 month old baby boy and my husband is adamant about getting him into a swim class asap. I would love to hear any advice for a scared mom. Also, can anyone recommend a reputable school in the sherman oaks area. Thanks.
I want to thank everyone for their support and advice. I am continually amazed at how supportive and insightful you moms are. I took my son today to the Australian swim school. My husband was in the water with him while I watched. I gotta say it was a little uneasy for me at first to watch him cry for about 10 minutes. But by the end, he was so happy that he didn't want to come out. I'm glad we perservered and are definitely going to continue with the classes. Thanks again.
Try the Australian Swim School on Tampa in Tarzana www.australianswimschool.com. It's "parent and me" until age 3. I've been doing it for 3 months with my now almost-9 month old and she (and I) love it.
I have a 6 month old and we just took our first swimming class yesterday at the Westside YMCA. It was awesome! You hold your baby the entire time, dance around and sing, etc. Don't be scared! My baby didn't cry at all!
Go for it. "Swimming" at this age is really about developing confidence in the water, and that includes you. If you are fearful, get in the water with your baby! The instructors will help you build both your and his confidence.
We started lessons at six months, although now I regret not having started them sooner. There is a school in our area that actually wants kids before they turn three months, as that apparently is when they lose their innate ability to swim. Unfortunately, I had not found that school in time, so we started at the standard six months.
Anyway, our baby loves his lessons and it is tons of fun for the parent in the water, and anyone else watching (take the camera or video camera!).
We live in Australia, so I can't recommend anywhere in the Valley, but when you look at the schools, just get an idea of things like their policies on sickness and cleanliness, and trust your gut. Have fun!
Do it. You won't regret it. I was scared and my husband was pushing it. We all had the time of our lives.
Hi R.,
We took our son to the Australian Swim school on Tampa in Tarzana (another mother mentioned it also). It's a really nice place to start. They have classes during the week and weekends. It has group classes for the young children. For children your son's age the parent's actually go in the water with them so there is nothing to worry about! A lot of Dads do the classes with the babies on the weekends.
At 8 months your son cannot really learn to swim. The classes just get him used to the water. When they are 3 or 4 they can start learning how to "save themselves" if they fall in. My son took the classes there at 3 and 4 years old. He was afraid to put his head under but he did learn how to get to the side of the pool and pull himself out. He also learned never to go swimming alone and not to run around the pool. He is turning 6 in 2 weeks. This past summer he finally learned how to swim and get over his fears of putting his head under.
I don't think you have anything to worry about since your son cannot go in the pool alone at this age. Try it out. He may love it or he may hate it and you'll have to wait until he's older.
I hope this helps!
If you don’t feel comfortable with doing something with your baby, don’t do it. You have very strong innate feelings and hormones as a mother now, and they are designed to protect your baby from harm. Always remember to listen to your inner voice. As far as swimming, I grew up near the beach and had a swimming/diving/ lifeguard certified mother, and she didn’t start formal swim lessons with me until I was pre-school age. However, before formal lessons she took me swimming frequently and made swimming a fun, playtime, experience. (I learned how to swim quickly and spent most summers in the ocean bodysurfing.) Today, there are different opinions, but most say real swimming capability, arm strokes, kicking, doesn’t begin until around 3 1/2 years of age, prior to this age it is good to take them in the water with you and have fun! I started formal lessons with my daughter at age 3 3/4 at the beginning of last summer, and after two months she was swimming 6 feet underwater by herself. (They catch on quick : ) There are also many parents who say they like to start swim lessons around 18 months. Look into and check it out for yourself, and make the best decision for you and your precious baby. I’m sure some of the swim schools will let you watch a few lessons and ask questions. (remember it is a business) A very good kids swim school in Valley Village is: Jim Herrick Swim School http://www.jimherrickswimschool.com/index.htm Also, music, singing, and Mommy and Me classes are invaluable at this age! Have fun with your baby : )
I don't think it's too young if he has an interest (does he love playing in the bath water?). I started my son at seven months (I've heard that most places don't like to start them before six months because they swallow too much water) at the local YMCA and he loves it. For months now he can blow bubbles and goes underwater with no problem. I wanted to make sure if he ever fell in he'd know what to do and not panic but it has worked too well. He can't swim yet (he's 19 months) without support but he loves water and has no fear of it so if you're around a pool or the ocean he'll just run right in without pause. My dad took him to the beach and when they were leaving he bent down to tie his shoes, looked up and my son was making a beeline for the water. He had to RUN to get to him in time. There's no harm in trying and if he doesn't like it stop and try again in a couple of months.
R.,
my opinion is to get your baby in the water as soon as possible, especially if you have a pool at home. We made that mistake with our first daughter, we waited until she accidently fell in the deep end of our pool to start lessons, by that time she had already established fear.... We go to the Australian swim school, not the best but it has a Mommy and Me program for the little ones.
Good luck and there is nothing to fear, it's not likely for an accident to happen during swim lessons, especially in the shallow end of the pool. Most babies love water, yours might enjoy it.
The westside Jewish Community Center has a great program started by Lenny Kryzelburg, the olympic swimmer. The entire focus is water safety and they are very experienced with kids. Good luck
hi R.! Oh I remember this! Its not fun... But I just wanted to tell to try and hang in there! Your doing a great job! And this will pass... Someone told me to try different postions, but this didn't help me. I also heard from some other moms that their little ones had broken skin on their nipples! Ouch.... But they kept on nursing! So I thought, if they can do it, I can!! And u can too!! Good luck!
We enrolled our daughter in swim classes at the YMCA when she was just about 6 months. It's been great. Does she know how to swim yet? Nope, but she is not afraid of the water! I think it's a great idea to get them in the water now while they are young. The swim classes at this age are parent/guardian and baby, so one of you will always be in the pool with your son.
I think this is a great idea! Your local Y offers mommy & me type classes. If you are willing to come over the hill, the westside jewish community center has a very warm pool and it's indoors (Y pool was not so warm). Both programs really focused on getting the children comfortable in the pool. Both programs offered suggestions and helped the parents gain comfort without forcing anyone to do anything they were not comfortable with. My son is now 4 and LOVES the pool. good luck and enjoy!
I just had to respond bc I am also R. R.(my username is diff) and I got on here looking for swimming lesson options for my daughter, who is almost 8 months old. WEIRD! Lol
