Sebastian has been swimming with Turtle Tots since he was just 3 months old and now at the age of 3 years he has just started a Toddler Level 6 class.
Swimming with children is mostly fun, with the occasional few weeks of water wobbles thrown in for good measure which Sebby had at the beginning of the year. Thankfully he is well over that now and enjoys swimming more than ever.
Over the last month I have really noticed a change at our swimming lessons. Sebastian is happy to try anything in the water, including the Teddy Bear float that he previously disliked with a passion, has started blowing bubbles in the water as he swims and is using his hands to paddle as well as kick.
What is most impressive is that he now seems determined to swim by himself without any floatation aids and can get himself to the side of the pool from around 2.5 metres away.
Sebastian’s swimming teacher has started pushing the whole class a lot harder now that they are that bit older. I have to admit I was expecting a kick back from Sebastian but he is doing so well and come September will be swimming in a class without parents in the water.
We have also been swimming with Isaac and Eliza and Sebby was keen to have shorts like Isaac, but as he isn’t fully potty trained just yet, I was reluctant to move away from the neoprene nappies he wears. Thankfully Splashabout have the solution – the Happy Nappy Board Shorts which incorporate a full Happy Nappy for leak-free swimming.
The Happy Nappy Board Shorts will be perfect for our upcoming holiday too as they also have a UPF 50+ sun protection factor.
I cannot believe we only have a year left of Sebby swimming with Turtle Tots and they are fully confident that he will be able to independently swim 10m by the time he leaves next summer. At his current rate of progression I am sure he will manage that.
Do your children have swimming lessons?
I love that you have pictures of him learning. Both my boys went swimming with me from around 3 weeks old and then had weekly lessons till they were around 7. They are both water babies, but I have no pictures due to them not being allowed in the pool
I am lucky that we swim in a private pool so I am allowed to take pictures, I have to be careful with other children in them though
Aw lovely photos, great he’s turned into a wee water baby – great pictures too!!!
I use to do this when I was a kid. Ok true story here, I couldn’t swim till I was 15 – I just could never be confident in the water, I would scream my head off. My primary school friend did this class and it taught her how to swim so my parents thought I should do this, i don’t remember to much but I do remember getting into the water and realising I couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool so I screamed the place down and stubbornly refused to EVER go back in. I was a nervous child in the pool (still am in some aspect). Looking back on it they should have never put me in the deep end when I’m so short (I’m 4ft 10 now – I was shorter as a child so you can imagine) and it would have been nice to have some fun float and someone actually in the pool with you to guide.
Sorry I went off on one, I’m sure your kid experience was never like mine. It look like he was having a blast. xx
You must be so proud and so content that you have given your boy the ability to be confident in the water.
I am really awful and have no confidence at all when it comes to swimming and my Daughter who is nearly four is the same.
I am very keen to install lessons this year. Maybe for us both!
He is doing amazingly well, being confident in water is a skill everyone should have and frm as young an age as possible x
Wow he is doing so well! Thanks for the swimming short recommendation! I really want my little one to start swimming but ive been just too lazy to book classes for him! I should get around now!
My 4 year old goes to swimming lessons and has a great time. My toddler doesn’t yet, and this needs to change
I have swimming lessons when I was younger and really enjoyed them! I think its so important to have them x
BB has only been having swimming lessons for a few months but is flying through the levels. I can’t wait for JB to start his lessons but it won’t be for another year yet as we can’t quite afford them x
My kids have all been swimming since 3 months, with regular weekly lessons. Turtle Tots looks like a lot more fun though! Love all the floats and it sounds like Sebby has made good progress – that’s my main frustration now that the kids are older, they don’t seem to be progressing so well as the classes are so big and we don’t go in with them for the individual attention. Looking forward to the day when they are all confident swimmers so we can really get into enjoying water parks together!
I took my others out of swimming at public pools for that reason – just too many in a class. Isaac has just turned 8 now and has been swimming in smaller classes at a private swimming school and is moving to competitive swimming after the summer holidays
This is fab. Well done. Eva had some when we were in Australia but I can’t seem to get her in any which I’m so annoyed about since we’ve been back x
Turtle Tots sounds like it has been amazing for you and those swim nappies sound just the job. Sebby is growing up so fast, I don’t know where the time is going. He will be a confident swimmer in no time.
Awww he always looks so happy!!! Really need to get Bugs in the pool more, I had to stop his lessons but have him down for one on one lessons but there is a waiting list 🙁