Do you know how to swim?

[charlie,nj]

I do, my uncle taught me how to swim by throwing me in a deep dark lake over and over until I was able to swim (far, far) away from him.

My wife doesn’t she sinks like a rock.

My 10 year old son inherited my wife’s inability to swim. He has had numerous swimming lessons over the years, but he still sinks like a rock. A few of the instructors even commented that they never saw a person sink that fast.

My 5 year old son gets in the water and swims like a fish. No lessons. (move over Mr. Lipid)

Do you swim? Do your kids swim? How did you learn? How did they learn? Is there any hope for my son?

(Dan I said swim not swing, keep your stories to yourself);)

[glo]

I swim, my dad threw me in the ocean when I was three months old...took lessons as a kid too. I love swimmimg....My oldest is a fish, she loves swimming and learned through lessons. The twins started lessons last year, and all doing lessons this summer.

[supercarrie]

I know how to swim. My parents put me in lessons at the local swim school when I was 5. My dad made sure of it - he never learned how to swim, and it was important to him to make sure his kids learned how. He is just now learning, although it is hard for him.

My mom learned when her dad threw her in a lake. My brother learned through taking lessons, and my sister is taking lessons now at the same swim school where I took lessons - it seems like most of our town's residents all learned at the same school over the years, which is neat. :)

[bfeller]

Yes, I know how to swim. My mom made me take lessons because she was so afraid of the water. She didn't want us to have the same fear. I remember those early summer mornings and jumping into that cold water.

BUT, I can't float. I sink. I must keep moving an arm or leg to stay afloat.

[ShuisFan584]

Well I can swim, or at least keep myself afloat. It's not like I took lessons and know like 50 different types of swimming styles (or whatever you call them), but I'm decent. I learned how to swim when I was about 4. I would always go in the pool with my swimmies, but one day I decided I didn't want to use them anymore, so my grandmother helped me learn how to swim.

[Catzeyes]

I swim like a fish. I can backfloat for hours. My grandfather taught me when I was very little in Lake Michigan. My son swims very well also. My husband worries me, he gets tired when swimming.

[debster812]

I'm like a fish, been swimming since I could remember (about 4YO) competitively from age 10 all the way through college. Coached a couple of age group and high school teams. I also taught the State Police Academy Cadets their water safety certification 2 summers when I was in college.

My DS is just learning, and is a little leery, so we are going nice a slow with him.

DH can swim, not super well, but fine for playing around.

Charlie, is your son thin and wiry? Muscle mass is heavier and denser than fat, so if you are VERY thin, or VERY muscular you are a 'sinker' and have to work harder to swim and stay afloat. There is hope, it will just be harder for him, than someone like me, who can float literally for hours.

PM or email me if you need some tips or ideas

[SuiteDisney]

We all swim, which is a good thing since we have a pool. :) Rachel could live in the water, she swims like a fish!

[Goofyposter]

Yup!.....I've dun sum ocean relays.....Swim'in is great fun! :)....I prefer the lake...'cause yer kan just relax! :)

[Debi]

Yep - I've been swimming since age 6. My brother taught me how to doggy paddle, but I learned how to "really" swim after taking a summer of swim lessons.

[nativetxn]

I can swim, my son and dh can swim, everyone in my extended family can swim. I don't know how I learned, I can't remember <i>not</i> knowing how to swim.

I remember when I learned to float on my back, though, I was 7 years old and my first stepfather taught me to do that :) I could swim but I couldn't float until then. I never had any "lessons" to learn to swim.

[Saffron]

Yup, I can swim. :D My mother taught me how when I was in second grade, because we had a pool and she is scared to death of water. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to help me if I were in trouble, so she sat in the water and taught me how. :D

From 7th grade through 12th grade, we had to take swimming in school. I hated that, but that's where I learned how to dive. :)

[Princess Michelle]

I can't swim :( I feel like a dodo head because I can't seem to get the hang of it. It looks so easy but I just can't do it!

[Amy]

Nope, I can't swim - I'm terrified of water. I tried taking lessons when I was 19 or 20, but the first time I had to stick my head under water I freaked and never went back. :( There was no way I was going to let my 2 DS's grow up like me, so they started swim lessons when they were babies, and now they're both great swimmers. Sure wish I knew how to swim; it looks like so much fun! But I just can't get over that fear of the water.......

[Ranatra]

I learned early how to swim. My parents had a cottage at the lake and we spent most of our summers there.

When my oldest son was 6 months old, I took him to the YMCA for infant swimming lessons. He did great and he loved it!!
By the end of the 8 week session, he was swimming underwater.
When he was 2 1/2 and I was 9 months pregnant with his brother, I used to sit on the edge of our local pool and toss quarters into the water. He would swim down and retrieve them over and over again. He loved it! The people were amazed at his ability.
When I had my other 2 children, I taught them myself, having learned how to do it from my first one. They are all fantastic swimmers.

[binny]

Yep I learned how to swim like you did lol my brothers took me out and made me swim back. Same with Ice skating took me to the middle of a frozen pond and left me there! :eek:

My kids all love to swim but Kate is the biggest fish shes just like me would rather be in,on, or near the water than just about anywhere else.

[helenabear]

Yep I swim... I think I learned when I was around 4 or 5.

[newmousecateer]

Nope. Can't swim. :( :( I hate the water if it is above my chest. Have always been afraid of it.

I was proud of myself though, a few months ago we went with DS, DIL, DGS and DGD to a water park hotel in the Wisconsin Dells. I went on the tube slide, body slides, lazy river, more body slides, more tube slides. I was to proud of myslef. I was one waterlogged grandma, but the grandkids thought I was cool for going on eveything. (They would stand at the bottom and laugh at me LOL) :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[SDAngel101]

i LOVE to swim, just as much as i love to lay out and tan hehe. And thats ALOT!! One thing i am scared to do is surf... have allways wanted to learn, but too scared to go out and try!!

[kylara]

Nope can't say that I swim. I was one of sink like a stone people when I was a kid and since that happened more than once, I developed a real fear of water over my head. I can now float and dog paddle but still can not stand to get my head under water.

[meeshi]

I can swim. Not like a pro or anything but I don't sink. I like to float! My kids love to swim, dive, jump, flip, give me heart attacks! :)

[browneyes]

Yep. I had to teach myself. My sweet oldest brother told me to jump in the deep end of the pool, he'd be there to save me if I started drowning. I jumped in, he took off running the other way. I saved myself to spite him.:p I love to swim. Backstroke is what I prefer. And I'm an excellent floater, too.:)

[Beauty]

Yep I can swim....my best friend's family put in a pool when we were in 5th grade so it was either learn how to swim myself or get thrown in by her older brothers. I actually love swimming....My mom hates water and can't swim.

[olena]

We had to learn. Mom got us all lessons on the different strokes and diving, too.

[newmousecateer]

I saved myself to spite him

LOL Shannon

I would save myself to spite my brothers too! :bounce: :bounce:

[bsnyder]

All swimmers in my family. I learned at a very young age, as did all 3 of my kids.

DD started on a local swim team when she was six and just finished her third season of competitive swimming. She's not one of the top swimmers, but she loves it....out of a three hour swim meet, she competes for about 4 minutes and the rest of the time she can socialize with her buddies, LOL!

[shep]

I can swim, but can't dive..:o

[Laurabearz]

I ahv always swam..... My dad said when I was little (about 6 months old or so) they kept having to fish me off the bottom of the pool..... so they taught me to swim :D

My husband can sorta swim. He was really nervous when we went to Wet N Wild (swim park for those who might have other thoughts) and saw that the Royal Flush dumped (pun intended lol) you into a 10 foot deep pool.... I mean his face turned grey, he was so nervous. But by gosh he did it (he wasnt going to let all those kids see him chicken out) I was very proud of him.

He wanted me to sign the girls up for swim lessons but I wouldnt do it.... OUr girls use the float suits, and just yesterday my oldest swam without that (but used the arm floats) He was amazed. Of course it helps that we have a pool. I think that is what gave Ozo the confidence to face that 10 foot deep pool.... just floundering around our pool daily has really helped him do better.

Funny thing is he is sooooooo bouyant (sp) he cant swim down and pick something up from the bottom of the pool.... and he is worried about sinking! Hardy har har.

[catsrule]

yes, but not very well. cannot go under water without goggles. very bad swimmer, more like a cat paddle.

[poohandwendy]

Yes, like a fish. Grew up with a pool and it's funny I cannot remember actually 'learning' to swim. I must have been pretty young though. I think it is really important for kids to learn basic water safety and swimming. It is much harder to overcome fear of water as an adult (or at least that is what my mother says...she never learned...even though we all tried to teach her!) I don't have a pool now, I don't like the liability aspect.

[believe]

I can swim. My parents sent me for lessons when I attempted to drown myself by going off the diving board (10 ft). My siblings left me unattended, I was sleeping at the time. When I awoke it appeared that others were 'standing' in the water. I didn't realize they where using their arms and legs to keep their head above the water.

DD#1 is taking swim lessons once a week for 5 wks. She does extremely well with her swimmies, she is able to put her face in the water and move her arms and legs to go...we just couldn't get her to be willing to remove her swimmies. I thought a third party was the best solution.

DD#2 is just now willing to get near a pool. She loves wading pools and the tub, but give her anything else and she screams.

[tiggerlover]

I swim, I learned at the YMCA when I was a kid. My DS (6) has just really learned this summer. He took lessons over the winter and when he started swimming in June he wanted the water wings, but after 3-4 days he was ready to go it alone. He has been like a fish all summer.

:bounce::wave::bounce:

[Kermit]

My mom made me take lessons every summer, so I swim pretty well. The funny thing is that I'm still terrified of water. I do swim, and I really know deep down that I'm not going to drown, but I always make it clear to everyone I'm with that I'm not the type of person you can throw in the pool.

[Beanie]

Yes, I was taught by my brother at the age of 5...I love to swim!! Now I am teaching my kids how to do it...My son, who is 5, loves it...even goes underwater now!! :) My daughter, who is 3, is still clinging to me, but is getting better each time we go in!! :)

[WDWfanatic288]

I took lessons when I was younger
I really can't do many different strokes though...lol

my mom and I taught my bro how to swim

[cotye]

I swim. I started when I was 4 yo and continued with the swimming lessons till I got to the lifeguard/teaching level. Got that and then quit after that. But I haven't swam for like 3 years. Funny, I prefer to swim in pools, but when I see a lake/ocean, I refuse to go in.... just looks 'icky' I suppose. LOL.

[iluvorlando]

We all swim. DD's are like fishes, they love to swim. I swam competitively for 7 years. I have found a decent team here in Orlando, but I don't think DD's are old enough for 2 times a week practices. I am hoping to do that, instead of some in the heat sport.

[Laurabearz]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I don't have a pool now, I don't like the liability aspect.

Tell me about it... Not only do we have a 6 foot fence around our backyard, but we also carry an extra million dollar plus rider on our home owners policy AND I insisted on getting an automatic pool cover for when we are outta town.

My husband was one of those pesky neighborhood kids who would jump the fence and swim in other peoples pools. We made sure no one could do that! ROFL

[Hnymoon@Dixie]

There are lakes & the ocean around my house so my parents said they'd feel better if I took swimming lessons so @ 5 until I was 9 we had a guy come to the house (our pool) and teach me. (2 weeks every year) It was fun! I am a great swimmer & was a lifeguard at the ocean every summer in between college years! I have a real job now & miss the tan!