All swimming experts recommend starting children young, and these days, many parents do! The reason is that learning to swim must always start by getting used to water and learning to relax. The younger a child is, the easier the familiarisation will be.
We run specialised Toddler & Pre-school classes in SW19 designed specifically for this age group.
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Between 0 to 3 years of age, you can help boost your child’s water confidence by doing fun and safe activities during bath-time or in a swimming pool. Family sessions and ‘Parent & Child’ swimming classes are excellent ways to build confidence.
Introducing your child to water early has many advantages, which are well documented on my other blogs. But swimming is far more than just surviving an accidental fall.
There are different stages that a child has to go through before becoming a competent swimmer. After building water confidence, the next stage is teaching basic technique.
The length of time varies, but a pre-schooler who is already water-confident can take at least 5 to 6 terms of group lessons to get truly comfortable. A child who has done baby and toddler lessons consistently might only need 2 to 3 terms to master the fundamentals.
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Trawling Social Media and YouTube for “prodigy” toddlers won’t offer a realistic picture. The fact is, the vast majority of 3-year-olds cannot swim independently for a considerable distance without support.
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No. Most schools, including ours, begin focusing on structured technique for children between ages 3 to 4. If your child is new to the water, private 1:1 lessons or crash courses are the fastest way to build confidence.
Not sure if they are ready? Start with our Parent & Child classes to build confidence together.