Anyone have an early swimmer?

[Marmee]

I mean swimming strokes by 4-5yrs? What lessons did you do. & when did you start? Private, group, mommy & me then individual? Or did you teach yourself? Did you do that infant survival lessons? I was swimming in competitively by 4 but my girls have not followed my footsteps. DD3 & 4 actively hated swim lessons until 4yr & DD1 likes it, but she was uncoordinated until 8ish. Well DD4 is crazy. She's 16mo & loves going under water, tries to swim & float on her own in the bath tub & pool. She can float in a pool & we never even "taught" her. It's really kind of scary because has no fear at all. I feel like I need her to learn as quick as possible just in case. What'd you do if your kid was born part fish?

[savan]

My 5 year old can do the backstroke, freestyle, butterfly (though still struggles a bit to fly her arms), and the legs of the breaststroke. She's been in private weekly lessons since she was 2.

[mommytutu]

DD1 is on swim team and is 5 years old. We did once a week lessons from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2. Now she is swimming every stroke. They all aren't perfect but she freestyle with side breathing very well.

[jr009j]

We have DD in small group lessons at one of the chain kiddie pools. At 2, they stop doing the mommy & me classes and its 3 kids with one instructor. The other 2 kids in DD's class, who are both older than DD but neither are yet 3, are able to swim several feet independently. They work on breathing, floating, water safety, jumping in, kicking, and arms. It looks like they start working on strokes in the next age group. The mommy and me class was completely worthless for DD, as it made her more nervous. With the instructor, she's a little fish.

We will probably put her in group lessons at our country club at 3, but that will be more for social reasons. The kids in the group lessons don't appear to progress as quickly.

[irishbride2]

DD is almost 4.5 and does free style fairly well.

She has been in swim lessons year round (once or twice a week depending on the time of year) since she was 2.5

[bunch]

Dd's BFF, who turned 3 in June, can swim independently. She's been crazy gross motor since birth (9 mo walker). I'm optimistic that dd1 will keep her head above water by the end of lessons (we're on day 2 of 10) thanks to her very aggressive private swim teacher.

[karinothing]

I am just signing in to listen. DS will be 3 in October and loves to swim. He jumps in with no fear and constantly asks me to go away so he can swim by himself. He tries so hard to paddle but just sinks, poor dude. We are in group swim lessons now, and they are okay but don't really seem to be teaching much. I think we are going to do private lessons next year since I think he will get farther with them.

[oliviapope]

My oldest swam fully (as in passed his swim test for the slides by swimming all the way across the gym pool) at 2. My middle one was swimming underwater and across the pool at 22 months. We did private lessons for both of them because their skills were far above the classes for their ages. They both do strokes, dive, etc...

The swim classes helped me to see how to reinforce and what to look for as they progressed. I would go with it if she is interested!

[arch01]

Consistent private lessons are worth it IMO. I've had kids as young as 3 swimming recognizable freestyle.

DS tries but he's not quite there yet. He hates being on his back, but I'm reasonably certain he'll be swimming by his 3rd birthday. We have had him in the pool very regularly since he was a NB, which helps.

[erbear]

My DD1 can swim strokes at 5. She wasn't an early swimmer, but she loved the water. When she was 3.5, we went to the beach for a few weeks and she went swimming every day. By the end of the trip, she could swim without help. So we didn't really do anything but put her in the pool - she got a little braver every time.

[quickstepstar]

I would put her in some private lessons. None of my kids were early swimmers though At least around us, all of mommy and me classes are all about getting used to the water. The first actual teaching class starts at 2.5, and it is also about teaching kids to swim. Only at 4.5 they can start actual stroke classes, so I think private lessons might be the best suited for her. (i think I would be very concerned about the no fear part, and put her in classes ASAP.)