Swimming Lessons - Washington,DC

It is definitely worth the money. To me, swimming is a necessary skill. two weeks doesn't really do much of anything, especially if they have been away from it for a while. Give them as much as you can.

One session is not going to do it. They should probably be in swim lessons year round for a few years to become safe, confident swimmers. If the lessons you're looking at are more then you would like to spend, look into the YMCA or local high school pools.

Yes, absolutely worth the money to put them in lessons twice. They won't learn to swim in just one session, so the more opportunities you give them to get comfortable in the water, the better.

Hi! You don't say how many days/hours these lessons are but it sounds like they are two week sessions so I am assuming they are daily for the two weeks. It really isn't enough. Beyond learning the basics they need to be proficient enough that should their be some kind of accident that they know what to do to save themselves. Swimming isn't fun if remembering how to do a stroke is necessary. Let them learn enough to be sure of themselves. And remember, each child learns at their own pace so one may "get it" right away while another struggles. Mostly, let them have fun!!

One session is not enough to be proficient in the water. It takes awhile to learn to be a good swimmer, and two weeks is just not enough time. I say do more than one session.

Absolutely! I think it's better safe than sorry when it comes to the water. My kids are going until they can safely swim and understand the importance of knowing the dangers of bodies of water. They used to only take a few weeks worth in the summer times but we realized, by the next summer, they had forgot a lot of their skills. So this time, we found a year round indoor swim school and we will keep paying till they really get it. We also have a pool so I can't risk it.

Well, I'm in South Florida and the #1 cause of death for children under the age of 5 here is drowning! I do swim lessons from April - October with both of mine (18 months and almost 6) and then do a set of winter lessons in an indoor pool in Jan/Feb with the baby so he doesn't become afraid.

Yes, it is worth every cent! C.

Holy...expensive! Its only $44 per session here. But guess that could be because we are in different states.

I just had this conversation with my dad the other day as I signed my girls up for their second class. My parents put us in swim class and although I do remember going for more than one class, I believe we had to pass levels I don't remember it going beyond just learning to be able to sufficiently learning to swim. We didn't become experts or anything but we did learn how to stroke and swim on our own.

That is when I will stop....when I know my kids can properly swim on their own. (Meaning no doggie paddling or the like)

Hi, Mom:
My friend in Bath, PA, does swimming lessons for students all the time. She has been a world swimmer. Teaches in her back yard pool. I think she charges $45.00/hr. Don't hold me to it. I think the charge given to you is over the top. Have you tried any place or person to shop around?
Good luck
D..

I would say, yes, more lessons, only if you don't have a pool at home. When we moved to AZ, my kids were 3.5 and 6 mo. We got them lessons immediately since we bought a home with an inground pool. So after lessons, we would practice with them every day in our own pool. They became excellent swimmers very fast. So if you don't have a pool to practice in daily, I would suggest the extra lessons. Good luck!

I, personally, am a huge proponent of swim lessons.
My kids were both "water babies" from the time they were infants. I had them in the water all the time. That said, the goal doesn't have to be the Olympics, although my son won medals on his swim team.
The goal is water safety. The goal is knowing what to do if they get in over their heads. The goal is not having a fear of water or panicking, which actually is one of the biggest causes of drowning.
Being "comfortable" in the water is not the same thing as knowing water safety.
I live near the ocean, rivers, and lakes. Many times we've been near the water with other families who won't let their kids near the water because they don't know how to swim. To me, that's frightening. Kids are attracted to water or they're terrified of it.

The price for the lessons seems high, but you could check into public pools that have swim lessons. Many do, especially in the summer months.

Like I said, my kids started as babies and they are strong swimmers. It was all from a safety standpoint.

I wouldn't think one session is enough, but that's just my personal opinion.
Safety is first, but water exercise is so good for all us. Not just kids.

Best wishes.

I agree with Christine...once they have "learned" at 4 and 6, they are far from done. I've had my daughter in and out of lessons since she was that age, and she's 13 now. Unless you live in a climate that allows swimming year round, they are continuously getting reacquainted with the water and with water safety in general.

By the time my daughter was 11, though, I just signed her up for a couple one-on-one sessions with a swim teacher in the spring. As she became a more confident swimmer it turned less into a lesson and more into perfecting her stroke. (she's not on swim teams either though)

Typically, kids who are OK with one level of lessons will go into a more advanced class the next time. I would ask where their level of ability puts them and enroll them in that level.

As many as possible, as it's definitely a skill to build on. I keep my daughter in lessons year round, but I am in a warm weather area where a lot of people that we visit have pools (so need to be safe). Even so, everyone needs to learn to swim, and it's impossible to be too strong of a swimmer.

id say if u can afford it do another lesson.. is there a publis pool around by u that u can bring the kids to if u cant afford both and u can give them some lessons... i feel like the more often they are in the water the better it is and faster they learn.. i was really lucky my parents have a built in pool in the yard thats older than i am.. i was in the pool every single day of summer and swimming on my own by the time i was 3 .. my bday is septmeber and if u ask my dad he swares that i was learning to walk talk and swim all at the same time.. so to me its really about being consistant with it .. if they go to their lesson and then dont really ever swim after that they may not be as comfortable in the water

If you can afford to do both I would do it.
All of my kids had swim lessons, off and on between the ages of 4 and 8, and my oldest daughter did swim team for two years, when she was 6 and 7. To this day she is the most BEAUTIFUL swimmer! She does all the different strokes with ease and dives and glides through the water with barely a splash. I think it's worth it, I wish I could swim like that :)

Yes, I think they will need more than one session. The first session is usually just getting them used to the breath control. The second session will get them actually swimming. My kids have been swimming since age 1 but I usually have them do a session of swim lessons each summer in order to refresh their memories and work on stroke refinement. I don't think I am raising future Olympians either but I do want them to be able to do more than splash around in the shallow end. I know it is expensive but for safety sake, I think its worth the money in the long run.