Swimming lessons for infant

Peanut

Registered User
Does anyone know of anywhere else besides the YMCA in TST that I can take my 6 month old son for "swimming lessons" or just for fun in an indoor pool, or maybe outdoor and heated......for my benefit too!
I live on Lantau Island but would travel to a suitable pool.
Thank you
 
Swimming lesson for infant

The ESF Educational Services provides excellent swimming classes for infants. Courses are held on Saturday morning. My baby started his swimming class when he was 9 months old and now he is not afraid of the water and can splash and swim a few steps. of course with me supporting his body. What is good about the course is that the instructor also teaches the parents what to do to help babies overcome thier fear of water. it's actually like a playgroup in the water.

you can contact them at 27111280 and they have courses in quite a lot of ESF schools all over Hong Kong.
 
You can also try Multisport or if you live near Tai Po there is the White Dolphin swim school in the Japanese Int School.
 
My son started his swim lessons at ESF. He was in the 30-48 months group which does not have parents swimming with them. This is a bad idea - try asking a 3 year old who can't swim to go in the water with a complete stranger. I checked out the other courses offered by Multisports and YMCA. They insist on parents' assistance until about 5 when the kids can swim and are confident in water. I have wasted my money on the ESF course. I am better off taking him swimming in our buildings pool, but I was looking for a swim lesson so he could continue to swim during the winter months.
 
Swimming "lessons" for babies

There are heated public pools listed here:
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/LEISURE/LM/beach1/en/pool_info.html
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/LEISURE/LM/beach1/en/pool_address.html

I was lucky enough to live in housing estates that had pools. I bought a "swim diaper" and would just take my babies into the pool with me to play and splash about.

It took a few years, but they were able to hold their breaths and swim a few strokes by the time they were 3 and both fully capable of swimmning in the deep-end by the time they were 5. No formal "lessons".

Now that they are older is the time for lessons (IMHO) otherwise it seems kind of like a waste of $, unless it's really a social scene you're looking for (nothing wrong w/ that...)

I think the real trick is to NEVER dunk your child wiuthout his or her permission, and never splash water into their faces. They should always feel safe in your arms. Once the trust has built up and they enjoy the water, then things move along.
 
That is what my husband thinks, but both my nieces went to swimming lessons (in Australia) when they were very young and successfully learned to swim. My son is now 3, and when he was younger he wasn't afraid of the water but during the winter time we stopped swimming and now he loves the water but hates having any water on his head. This includes having his hair washed! Now that winter is approaching .. not sure what to do.
 
Take it easy....

Babyblue,

So, you don't live in Oz w/ easy access to a pool, and your 3 year-old isn't swimming yet. It's no big deal.

My son hated washing hair but loved messing about in the pool,. It wasn't LOGICAL, but who expects an under 5 to be logical? Just take it easy and let your son play in the pool and enjoy himself.

He will probably be able to swim at the age of 4-6. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it's only the summer my kids were 5 that they were able to swim more than a few meters alone.

Development works in stages and sometimes trying to do stuff too soon just increases the frustration level & worry level for nothing.

Like tying shoe laces. I learned to tie my laces when I was about 5 years old and I still remember it being a bit of a struggle. I've always hated untying knots, so, lazy mother at I am, I've been keeping my kids in velcro fastening shoes.

My daughter is now 7 1/2 and has begun to lobby for shoes with shoe laces. This Saturday I said, "OK, let me teach you how to tie shoe laces." I demonstrated twice, talked her through it twice & DONE. She learned it in about 3 minutes. Something that I can picture being a long & painful struggle w/ plenty of room for angst and power struggles at the age of 4 or 5.

I'm not saying that you should wait 'til your son is 7 to teach him to swim. I'm just saying that you should take the pressure off yourself and not *worry* because your 3 year-old is not yet swimming and hates to get his face wet. No problem. Just keep lettting him play without getting his face wet and he'll let you know when he's ready.

My husband didn't learn to swim until he was about 11 or 12 and went to a public swimming pool and watched other people and imitated them. He still can't float very well, but he can do the breastroke and crawl very effectively and enjoys swimming.

Life is not a race to see who can swim at the youngest age, or be the youngest uni graduate or anything.

I am not a better mother than someone whose kid at 5 1/2 can't swim as far as my son, nor am I a worse mother than those whose kids can swim 100 meters in 2 minutes. Kids are different, mothers are different. I just try to come to know andwho my kids are, and to relax and enjoy them as much as I can.
 
There are quite a few swimming schools for babies mentioned here, could someone be so kind as to give a price comparison? Which one is best value?

I'd like to enrol my baby girl in a class in Aug 2007.

Many many thanks!
 
I am surprised, as my son learnt to swim 25m straight in group lesson settings after just a few months worth of lesson when he was three and a half. No problem with all his classmates either. Harry Wright and ESF are both really good! It probably depends on how good the coach is.
 
swimming class for my 3 months old baby

any recommendations for infant of 3 months old for swimming class. just for fun and bonding only.

thanks!!
 
Not sure about where to have lessons but we just took our son swimming with us each week from the age of 8 weeks or so. He's loved water since day one without lessons. We've seen kids of his age (16 months and older) taking lessons now but they're not doing anything he can't do now just from playing with us. We'll get him lessons when he's older and ready to learn how to swim properly.
 
Kilivic,

Wonder if you managed to find sth for your baby. I have been thinking of doing sth similar but don't know how to dress and where to bring my baby boy (almost 3 months). Would love to know how it went with you and your baby.
 
We just went to the people who teach the swimming classes at our complex pool. They carved out a time for our (then) 9 MO. He has been swimming ever since then and has made big progress in terms of not being afraid of the water.
 
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