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Post by mommylinz on Mar 14, 2012 6:45:31 GMT -6
My DD (4yr old) has been taking swimming lessons since last fall. We started at the community center and then moved to Foss because the CC was kind of a joke. Foss has been good but now we are done with level 2 for the 2nd time and they are suggesting we take it a 3rd time. They are soooo expensive I'm just not wanting to do it. We can buy a family membership to the CC center for the cost of a lesson!
So here is my thought/question, if I took my DD to the community center to swim 1-2x/wk could I teach her to swim myself? I never had formal swimming lessons, we had a pool. I don't care how she swims, I just want her to be able to get out of the pool if she falls in. I'm an expert doggy paddler myself but was one of the best swimmers in my high school. Has anyone had success with just giving your kid access to a pool and you helping them learn to swim?
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Post by lilmermaid on Mar 14, 2012 7:17:16 GMT -6
I would say yes you can have success with teaching them the basics of swimming on your own. Front float, back float, treading water and doggy paddle!
I taught swim lessons for about 12 years and swam competitively but I have them take lessons at the Y. It's just easier for me having 3 kiddos now. I will work with them this summer at the lake on the things they need to work on.
I would also take a break from lessons to allow some growth. We don't take back to back sessions so they have time to grow(physically) and process/practice what they learned. We take lessons twice a year, winter and summer.
Good Luck!
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Post by bumblebee23 on Mar 14, 2012 8:17:08 GMT -6
My boys are 8 and 10 yo. Even though I wanted to put them in swimming lessons we could just never afford it and always needed that money for something else. They have been learning to swim just from swimming in hotel pools and going to the lake. They are doing pretty good now and I don't have to worry about them anymore.
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Post by nevaehsmom327 on Mar 14, 2012 9:50:09 GMT -6
Do you know who the swim instructor was? Just curious....my sister works there.
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Post by love on Mar 14, 2012 11:57:34 GMT -6
We go to Foss and do the same as Lil. We take spring and fall off. We do winter and summer. Not trying to be rude but I feel you should have thought about the prices comparing CC before you enrolled. You knew the price going into them and knew they would need a few lessons? Is the price the reason you do not want to go back or something else? I would think you can take a session off if price is a concern. I would think if you do join the cc swim lessons they will be fine. I know by doing foss I'm getting my son great lessons. Not saying others places don't, but I FEEL they are best to my son there (please no jumping on me about this) I would look into joining the cc swim lessons. Most are inexpensive when you are a member.
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Post by fungirls on Mar 14, 2012 12:07:07 GMT -6
We have had great luck with the Shoreview Community Center swimming lessons. They are affordable and I have so far agreed with every decision they've made on whether to pass my DD's to the next level or if they need to repeat a level. So far neither of them have had to repeat a level more than once.
If Foss is good and you feel it is worth the price, maybe you want to practice with DD on your own, and then re-enroll her in the fall/winter.
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Post by dara1012 on Mar 14, 2012 12:13:34 GMT -6
We do swim lessons at the Shoreview Community Center (not sure which CC you were at). We are members but don't get a discount b/c we are not Shoreview residents. I have been very happy with them overall. We have done 4 sessions and DS is progressing really well and much more confident in his skills. We are taking a break until fall because he is not tall enough to progress to the next level even though he can do the skills, we are going to have him repeat his last level and hope by next spring he is tall enough (need to stand in the shallow end of the pool) he listens really well and is at the young end of the age range so repeating sessions is to be expected.
At the preschool level he had 1 instructor for 4 kids. At Level 1 (4-6 yr old) they had 2 instructors for 4 kids (in deeper water some of the time). We have always gone on Monday nights and had good luck with the instructors.
I personally think that learning to swim is a very important life skill. I will continue to have my son in lessons until he is proficient enough to swim well without assistance. We spend a lot of time at lakes and I want him to be safe and have fun. My brother decided his senior year in h.s. to join the swim team and swam in college after and I began to do sprint distance triathlons in my mid 20's and have done 8 of them. If my mom wouldn't have made us take swim lessons to learn proper strokes we would not have been able to pursue these opportunities when we were older without significant more effort to re-learn swimming.
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Post by supermommy on Mar 14, 2012 12:41:10 GMT -6
I don't think swim lessons are necessary at all if you know how to teach them yourself. I never had lessons and I am an excellent swimmer. Just make sure you teach them all about safety and regulations and what to do in emergency situations. It is going to be different for everyone though and if they are not progressing well without lessons then they need them, some kids need that routine and structure to learn.
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Post by sharon on Mar 14, 2012 14:21:19 GMT -6
We've done lessons, but it makes sense that you wouldn't necessarily need them. We've had great luck with St. Paul Rec - so maybe just try a neighboring town if you want lessons, but aren't having good luck in your own? Also there are Y's and J's that offer classes, so you could try one of those.
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Post by ladyandrearose on Mar 14, 2012 18:53:26 GMT -6
I've been in the same boat. We gave up lessons at a community center after a year. The communication was just very poor. We have been on hiatus since December. We have since joined a gym and I work with DD (5 yo) 2x a week for about 20 minutes at a time. She is getting stronger and more endurance, because I can just focus on her for the whole time and not 1 teacher to five students. They taught her the basics and now I'm expanding them. Two months into this trying on our own, she can now back stroke, 2 different ways for the length of the gym pool. Her doggie paddle is coming along, but her front crawl needs serious work.
I am an excellent swimmer and never had lessons. So I am trying to help DD on my own. Good luck on your quest.
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Post by sarahisis on Mar 14, 2012 21:58:17 GMT -6
Just because its expensive doesn't mean it's the best or even great... and every kid learns differently. Try a different community center after a break...or just spend time at a pool going everything that's already been taught. I never had lessons and I'm a great swimmer. I think the more time you spend in the water the more it will come naturally. I don't think they are all that necessary either.
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