Swimming Lessons - now or later?

[Smoke Jaguar]

I would risk the colds (you'll find he won't get any more than if he doesn't go swimming) - swimming is super important now to learn if you're in any way going to be near water during his childhood and teen years. The sooner the better. After about 6 months they start to lose the dive reflex - it is infinitely harder to get a child to put their head under water and feel nice about it if you don't get him/her doing it by 12 months (I'm being really generous with time frames here, because often parents don't like to hear that they've left it too late). It's primarily about safety and confidence in water. By 18 months, my kids have known how to turn around and swim back to an edge in a pool. It makes swim time fun, and also gives me a few moments more peace of mind.