Pretty excited about DIY swimming lessons...

[Beach Mama]

I just ordered the Laurie Lawrence Teach your Baby to swim DVD! We have been going to the pool to get Izzy familiarised, and I can't justify the price of lessons for familiarisation at her age for a 20 min lesson. So this DVD is all about teaching your baby safety and familiarisation in the water from a young age and it only cost $17.50, plus it's from a well known person!! Whoo hoo can't wait for it to arrive!! Got it from the Huggies book club and of course had to get her a book too, Possum Magic is on it's way!

[Shellbelle]

Sounds awesome Tan! Angus goes to lessons but it is so hard to justify the cost I know. But I find it so hard to find the time to get in the pool with him to teach him myself! I am normally cooking dinner when everyone is swimming cause there is only shade in the late afternoon.

Good on you!! Can't wait to hear how you and Izzy go!

Hey, nice belly pic by the way!! I am so jealous!!!

[Trish]

Good on you for getting Izzy familiarised with water.

As for the money justification. Easy. Baby dead in the pool vs baby floating in the pool. That's good enough justification for me

Tehya has been going swimming lessons since she was 10 months old and is now a great little swimmer. Well worth my money.

[Beach Mama]

Very true Trish which is why I want to do something but when I saw what they do for those 20 mins and saw the DVD clip online that made my decision easy to do it myself with her, at least until she is older and they actually start teaching rather than just playing singing games and splashing to get them used to it - that I can do!

[Trish]

Diff places teach diff things Tan. The one that my kids go to do a swim survival class first up. So to pass and begin her swimming lessons Tehya has to be able to fall in the pool, fully clothed, nappy, shoes, the whole lot, get onto her back and float unaided for 15 mintues.

Once she passed those classes she begun swimming lessons. I have never gotten into the pool with her. The swim survival classes are 1 on 1 and $15 for 15 minutes. Now she does a swim lesson for 30 minutes and it cost me $10.

And yes you are right, you can do exactly what that class is teaching, it's when you are going that step further that you need someone to do it or help you do it.

[Beach Mama]

WOW!! Float unaided for 15 mins! I don't think I could do that and I'm a fish! Once she is a bit older and bubby number 2# is here I will definately be looking into further lessons for her.

[Trish]

I know, its pretty amazing seeing these little babies do this too.

Good on you hun. More babies in Australia should be taught how to swim given the rate of drowning accidents.

[Enchanted]

How exciting hun

We finished our last swimming lesson today, we're not going back next term because they teach the same thing until 12 months so we are going to do it ourselves! You will have to let me know what the DVD is like, I'm thinking of getting it to (well I have been thinking about it since you first showed me it )

[Spring Angel]

Tan: what an awesome idea, it makes sense to start young.

Trish where does Tehya go for her lessons, is it close to the area? What age can they start? Sounds like a fantastic set-up.

[mib]

Personally , i worry about parents teaching the kids to swim. I am sure that you have her best interest at heart , and i am not having a go at you.

Friends of mine lost their daughter last year to drowning , and it is by far the most horrific experince of their life and also our life. Hannah had ben to swiming lesson in the past .

Please check out the website they have set up to promote awareness of water safety and drowning.

Hannah's Foundation

[Beach Mama]

Your poor friends - that would be absolutely horrific to go through. :hugs:
I will be putting her into classes when she is a little bit older but as I mentioned right now when its all about water familiarisation, instead of just taking her to the pool and playing I have this option of doing lessons with her myself.
Thanks for sharing though and I agree that water safety and lessons are integral to our very water based culture here in Australia which is why I want to start this now.

[slyder]

Good on you Tan.

Having her familiar and comfortable in water over the coming years will greatly assist her in learning to swim. I'm a swimming teacher (as a side job) and the difference in kids who have grown up with water, and those that haven't is very big.

[mbear]

If you have the patience, time and pool to do it in, then go for it - i commend you. I have been taking my girls to swimming lessons since each of them was 6 months old....so nearly 4 years now . Every Monday morning, off we trot to swimming - and yes, like you i worry about the cost. But for me swimming is an integral part of any aussie kid growing up....

More babies in Australia should be taught how to swim given the rate of drowning accidents.

- it should be affordable too.........

[mib]

I am so sorry to hijack your thread !

We are very lucky that we are able to afford to send our child to swimming lessons. But it is quite expensive !
One suggestion is that swimming lessons are govt. subsidised (much like childcare).

I think Water familarisation is so vital. and good on you for taking that 1st step.

(i will get off my soap box now)

[Beach Mama]

Not hijacking at all, they are expensive but I will be happy to pay for them when she is older like I said and will actually learn to swim but I didn't know they were subsidised????? Im in Victoria and have never heard of that - especially as I am a school teacher and when our kids at school can't afford the lessons there isn't alot we can do. Could you forward me any info you can find about it please?

[mib]

Sorry , it is not currenlty subsidised . It is proposal being floated.

[LuluHB]

Good on you Tan. I've been taking Izzy to classes for the last couple of months now and its amazing the difference in her - she's gone from just flopping in the water to actually kicking her little legs and will now swim underwater back to the surface without being held, reach for the pool edge etc. I don't for a second think she could save herself at this point but its such a great headstart. If I had my own pool, I'd probably have done a few classes to see what they teach, and then just continue with it at home until she gets to the next stage because its all repetitive now until she's 18 months old. I think our lifestyle is such that water familiarisation and competent swimming skills are something all parents must give to their kids, so tragedies like Mib's story are never heard of again.

[mako]

Good on you Tan for doing this for your dd.
I have to say that it is very important for all children to be taught to swim as you know.

I'm a swimming teacher and have to say that the lessons we do are repetitive because that is how we as humans learn.

Slyder Its such a rewarding job don't you think? I just love seeing the kiddies progressing and the smiles on their little faces are just priceless.

Spring We start babies at 6 months. Our baby class cater for bubs aged 6 months to 2 years and then go up from there based on ability.