I personally feel like you can start teaching basic swimming concepts at home starting from infancy to age 3. 3 years old I think is the perfect time to introduce traditional swimming lessons.
Do you guys teach your own children, or use an outside company (YMCA, local program, etc..)? What age did you start your child in swimming lessons?
My kids didn't "learn to swim" until 3, in traditional lessons. But they all have been in water pretty much since they were born, so they are very comfortable and respect the water- which I think is much more important than learning strokes and competing a young age.
Floaties and life vests have their place in learning to swim. We boat a lot, and realized with our oldest that swimming in a vest was much harder for her than swimming without, because she had never worn one other than on the boat. So from then on, we taught all of our girls how to jump off the bow, swim around to the back, and climb up unassisted at around 2 years while wearing a vest. Learning how to properly wear vests and use them is a good thing to teach early as well, if that's a situation your kids will ever be in.
My kids didn't "learn to swim" until 3, in traditional lessons. But they all have been in water pretty much since they were born, so they are very comfortable and respect the water- which I think is much more important than learning strokes and competing a young age.
Floaties and life vests have their place in learning to swim. We boat a lot, and realized with our oldest that swimming in a vest was much harder for her than swimming without, because she had never worn one other than on the boat. So from then on, we taught all of our girls how to jump off the bow, swim around to the back, and climb up unassisted at around 2 years while wearing a vest. Learning how to properly wear vests and use them is a good thing to teach early as well, if that's a situation your kids will ever be in.
