Swimming lessons for my kids - Thoughts and recommendations please (1 Viewer)

Currently debating this....

Taking the kids (4 years and 18 months) to Disney in September.  In preparation for this and a future pool install, looking into swimming lessons.  I've been in contact (via recommendation from a friend) with a local ISR certified instructor.  She teaches both at the Y and at her home.  These are 1 on 1 lessons.

Very expensive (or maybe it's not).  $120/week per child for 6 weeks (6 ten minute lessons per week) plus a $105 registration fee per child (paid to ISR).  That's a total of $1650.

Now, I know that's a small price to pay to make sure my kids are safe in the water, but I've never had a professional lesson and my parents taught me and my siblings just fine.

For those that did get lessons for their kids, would you do it again if you had it all to do over?

For those that didn't, do you wish you had?

Thanks!

My kids were not that young when we started.   Our summer day care included lessons.  I think she started around 3-4.

We did pay for an 8 week (30 minutes) at a facility when she was around 9/10 because we moved camps when she was 6.

That seems young to me personally but I would totally get lessons again

Local community pool.  It was no more than $30 per session and each session was about 7 weeks with 1 or 2 times per week.  Did maybe 2 sessions per year.  Smaller town just outside Madison, WI.

belljr said:

My kids were not that young when we started.   Our summer day care included lessons.  I think she started around 3-4.

We did pay for an 8 week (30 minutes) at a facility when she was around 9/10 because we moved camps when she was 6.

That seems young to me personally but I would totally get lessons again

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Just realized my post read like they were 4 months and 18 months.  They are 4 years and 18 months.  Corrected.

Don't you have a community pool to go to? That's the best solution IMO.

[scooter] said:

Don't you have a community pool to go to? That's the best solution IMO.

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Ehhh, I have no idea.  We have a few YMCAs locally, but I don't know about community pools.

And are you suggesting this so as to teach them myself?

A HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS PER KID, PER WEEK??!? PLUS REGISTRATION FEE????

sweet christ that's a swindling

we pay $45 total for 8 weeks at the YMCA. they're doing just fine with it.

No kids but took lessons as a youngster.  Glad I did.

Sounds expensive.  I'd look for a cheaper instructor.

mr. furley said:

A HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS PER KID, PER WEEK??!? PLUS REGISTRATION FEE????

sweet christ that's a swindling

we pay $45 total for 8 weeks at the YMCA. they're doing just fine with it.

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Good, so it's not just me that thinks that.  It's 1 on 1 lessons, if that matters.

mr. furley said:

A HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS PER KID, PER WEEK??!? PLUS REGISTRATION FEE????

sweet christ that's a swindling

we pay $45 total for 8 weeks at the YMCA. they're doing just fine with it.

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serious question - are you a member of that YMCA

doowain said:

Good, so it's not just me that thinks that.  It's 1 on 1 lessons, if that matters.

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Yes that does matter.   Groups and personal lessons here varied by price.

Also being a Y member vs non member mattered.

I would definitely get lessons but shop around

As others have suggested check a local recreation office. We pay like $30 for 8 weeks. At those ages you'll be in the pool with them doing stupid stuff like kicking and blowing bubbles. It's more about getting them used to the water. They're not doing laps of butterfly

10 minutes lesson?   thats ridiculous also

belljr said:

10 minutes lesson?   thats ridiculous also

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I kind of thought that too.

Their reasoning being that their "research shows that's the most effective amount of time to learn at that age".

mr. furley said:

A HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS PER KID, PER WEEK??!? PLUS REGISTRATION FEE????

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This

strykerpks said:

As others have suggested check a local recreation office. We pay like $30 for 8 weeks. At those ages you'll be in the pool with them doing stupid stuff like kicking and blowing bubbles. It's more about getting them used to the water. They're not doing laps of butterfly

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Also since it's a community class it's a nice way to meet some hot moms. YMMV though

All three of my teenagers are above average swimmers. No lessons necessary. Simply bring them to the pool or beach and it happens on its own. If I had plans to add a pool at my home...even less reason to pay for lessons. 

doowain said:

Very expensive (or maybe it's not).  $120/week per child for 6 weeks (6 ten minute lessons per week) plus a $105 registration fee per child (paid to ISR).  That's a total of $1650.

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Highly recommend lessons. But this price structure seems ridiculous. First, what exactly are they doing in a 10 minute lesson? That seems dumb. Both my kids took lessons at various times from beginner to a little longer. Lessons were always like 30 to 60 minutes and I can't imagine they were remotely close to this price. Part will depend on class size, etc.

My favorite lessons we had were from the "gator swim club" or something like that. They were a little bit pricier than lessons from the public pool or Y, but they were also more effective. They limited it to like 4 kids per instructor so they had more 1 on 1 attention. It was also a program designed to go from beginner to competitive swimming. Neither of my kids got into competitive swimming but it did give them more than just learning to float and such. 

This sounds like 1:1 instructor cost. My 3 kids went to a local swim training facility where its like 10 kids at a time and much less expensive.

doowain said:

[scooter] said:

Don't you have a community pool to go to? That's the best solution IMO.

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Ehhh, I have no idea.  We have a few YMCAs locally, but I don't know about community pools.

And are you suggesting this so as to teach them myself?

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Every Y offers swim lessons. Even if they required membership for lessons (which they probably won't), it'll cost you less than private instruction.

That's 1 hour of instruction per week.  For $120?  That's insane. 

Most kids lessons/camps/etc. average about $10-15/hr for things.  Surely there is a local class/pool where you can pay 10% of that amount.  Private lessons are not needed for swimming. 

belljr said:

serious question - are you a member of that YMCA

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no

We had our daughter go through swim lessons when she was about 4 years old.  We went to a community pool for two sessions of lessons.  Each session was one lesson each week for 6 weeks.   Water safety is important and I would definitely do it again.  Getting her comfortable in the water through those lessons allowed her to spend more time in the water with her friends and that is where she really learned to swim as well as jump/dive in the water.  By age 7 she was a fish.

Get the kids lessons at a reasonable price.  But dont be a sucker and pay a ton of money.  

We did group lessons last year when daughter was 3.  Total waste of time and $, mostly because kiddo was more interested in all the other kids and they similarly weren’t focused.  About a month ago we decided to try again with a 1-on-1 instructor ($100/week, three 20 minute sessions per week).  In that short time she’s now swimming free style, back stroke, frog style, and knows to flip on her back and float if panic/struggles set in.  Worth every penny, IMO

forget the price

10 MINUTE LESSONS???

it will take far longer to prep an 18 month old to go, drive there and drive back. SIX DAYS PER WEEK.

this is just all kinds of terrible.

take your kids to the Y. you''ll go once a week, save a ton and the net result will be the same. they're too young to be on their own at a waterpark anyways so it's not like they have to be high-level swimmers when you go.. just able to splash in the water without panicking.

I'm with everyone else here.  Get the swim lessons but tell the expensive lady to eff off.  Do group lessons at the Y and you're getting at least 90% off the expensive lady.

I forget the cost but when we moved to our new house with pool we took both our kids to swim lessons at a swim school. Each went for like 2 plus years and progressed from level to level. At least it seemed that long, can't remember exactly. These were group classes that met for 30 minutes a week. There was also open unlimited free swim time but we never really took advantage as we already had our own pool.

This was the place.

https://www.goldmedalswimschool.com

$20 per kid for 3 week sessions 5 days per week for an hour at the community pool. 

If my wife came to me with this private instructor suggestion I'd probably trick her into going outside then lock her out for the day. Maybe 2. 

mr. furley said:

forget the price

10 MINUTE LESSONS???

it will take far longer to prep an 18 month old to go, drive there and drive back. SIX DAYS PER WEEK.

this is just all kinds of terrible.

take your kids to the Y. you''ll go once a week, save a ton and the net result will be the same. they're too young to be on their own at a waterpark anyways so it's not like they have to be high-level swimmers when you go.. just able to splash in the water without panicking.

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This. Do the group thing at the Y. And take them back the next couple years too

That is a crazy price and time frame.  Check out the neighborhood or community pools nearby.  Talk to the life guards.   Most of them are high school and college kids who are happy to earn a few dollars on the side giving lessons to kids.  It will be a much more reasonable price. 

We didn't do any formal lessons with our 2 boys, at least not initially.  We have a pool in our neighborhood, and spent a good bit of time there when the kids were toddlers.  My wife and I guided them through the basics.  Our neighborhood has a swim team that our kids participated on when they reached school age.  The team was coached by older kids in the neighborhood, high school swim team members/lifeguards who also lived in the neighborhood.  Being on that swim team effectively served as lessons as they learned different strokes and such.  One of my son's is now helping to coach the team and is planning to be a lifeguard at the pool this summer.  This worked out great.

"Seems cheap"

-- @Otis

Also, that's one of the benefits of growing up in Florida.

Everyone has a pool. Everyone knows how to swim. No one takes lessons. The ability to swim rate of 2 year olds in Florida has to be >98%.  

However you do it -- yourself in a pool, yourself at a Y, classes, etc. -- teach your kids to swim. It's a great and important (and crucial, IMHO) life skill.

I was a swimmer my entire life from a very young age myself, a lifeguard and swim instructor, as well as competitive swimmer through college. So I may be biased, but so it goes.

I'm a proponent of taking kids in the pool right away -- the earlier the better to get them accustomed to the water. Super easy to do this yourself.

You don't need to throw a baby in the pool -- though infants do have an uncanny knack of knowing to hold their breath underwater -- part of our natural bradycardic response. But even getting them used to floating, dunking their head quickly, or just being in the water while you hold them also helps in acclimation. That's actually how I did it with both my kids.

Sounds strange (almost criminal) that I dunked my kids under water as infants, I know. But you know when a kid bumps themselves into a wall or a table and there's a pause as they look at you with wide eyes for those first few seconds? And if you react by wincing or rushing to them they start crying? But sometimes if you don't react, they shrug it off?

That was my approach with getting my kids used to being underwater. Making a game about taking a breath and holding it puffing out my cheeks and laughing when you blow out all while above water (kids are great mimics). And then once they get the hang of it, take and hold a breath, then a quick dip under and back up and laugh like you did for previous repetitions. There was some surprise and blinking, but they weren't fazed. It was still a fun game full of crazy puffed-cheeked faces and laughing. 

Get them used to floating on their backs while supporting their heads and the small of their backs, keeping them above the water line -- again, the support and working within their comfort line is key. Never push it. Be playful and fun the whole time.

From this, you can graduate as they get older to getting them putting their mouths in the water and blowing bubbles, and then supported floating with periods of letting them go for short periods, telling them to kick. As the continue to grow older and gain motor skills and control, letting them hold onto the ledge and swim to you a super short distance away, increasing distance with their comfort.

Get them standing on the pool edge with toes curled over the edge and jumping directly into your arms, moving back over time as they grow proficient to the point where they are doggy-paddling to you a little distance. And again, never pushing things too fast -- the key is moving at their speed and comfort and not forcing anything.

@doowain, you can likely start doing this with both your kids, but the older one (and older kids in general) may take to the social aspect of classes with other kids their age in a more ready way.  Big fan of swim classes as well. And continuing them as long as you can. 

We did a few group classes at the Y as non member with our oldest (now 11) when he was 4-6. Got him used to the water and kinda sorta swimming- mostly not drowning- which was ok.

Most of his peers went to a private, more expensive place where they all learned how to actually swim in much less time, but for more money. We had our daughter do this- groups of 2 or 3. She was up and going in one session. Much better and more focused instruction. 

Daughters was two or three times more expensive, and that many times better in quality.

If money isn't an issue, I'd recommend the private for the oldest who will absorb it and learn to swim. Hell- if it's not an issue, I've seen tolders learn that young too for the youngest. But even a group Y class would help with the youngest.

Both kids public elementary school has swimming 1x week from 2nd-5th grade. 32-35 kids, so not focused instructuon- but really helped get them practice and more confort in the water.

I'm in NYC so prices won't equate...your private lessons sound pricey but not unreasonable to me

No brainer. 

Try the Y or group lessons first. If that doesn't work for some reason, upgrade to private lessons. 

Our oldest grew fearful of the water after the Y dunked him, so we had to go the private route. But most kids do perfectly fine. There's no reason to spend all that money unless it's necessary.

As others have said, that woman is expensive. You should be able to find less expensive private lessons if you look.

Some additional thoughts:

do you know this teacher, and/or have sparkling recommendations for her that justify the cost?

IME, a group class at the Y will get your kids more comfortable or safe in the water, and maybe eventually learning to swim. the private lessons will teach your kids to swim.

whats your goal for it?

The cost you cite seems insane.  My children each had 1:1 lessons, and we paid around $25/lesson for a 15-30 minute lesson each week for 8 weeks or so.  

We pay about $20 per kid for a 30 minute lesson once a week at a swim school that specializes in teaching little kids. I assumed that was on the expensive side but my kids really enjoy it. 

doowain said:

Currently debating this....

Taking the kids (4 years and 18 months) to Disney in September.  In preparation for this and a future pool install, looking into swimming lessons.  I've been in contact (via recommendation from a friend) with a local ISR certified instructor.  She teaches both at the Y and at her home.  These are 1 on 1 lessons.

Very expensive (or maybe it's not).  $120/week per child for 6 weeks (6 ten minute lessons per week) plus a $105 registration fee per child (paid to ISR).  That's a total of $1650.

Now, I know that's a small price to pay to make sure my kids are safe in the water, but I've never had a professional lesson and my parents taught me and my siblings just fine.

For those that did get lessons for their kids, would you do it again if you had it all to do over?

For those that didn't, do you wish you had?

Thanks!

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WHAT? That's insanely expensive. Check your local park district.