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. 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.

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!

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)

 

[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.