Need suggestions...

[dreamn_Disney]

Check with your local YMCA. The one I worked at had free lessons once a year. This would get them started and then you could pay for lessons after the free ones. You should also look in to lessons for you. Our YMCA offered lessons geared to adults so you are not in the pool with a bunch of small children.

 

[Coconut36]

I would go with lessons. I can swim, I get how to swim but I am not a swim teacher. What the teachers can do to explain it, break it down and build a good strong foundation is for more than I can ever accomplish. Mine have been in a form of lessons since they were 12 months old.

 

[StitchFanZ]

Both of my DDs had swim lessons. Three summers in a row.

The oldest is now able to swim ok but not enough that I'd feel comfortable with her being out of my sight in a pool.

The youngest still can't swim at all.

Two different programs. 4 different teachers. And well over $500 spent.
Then they can move onto swim lessons with an instructor unless your DH has the patience of a saint. (And knows how to butterfly and breast stroke and do the dead mans float etc)

Same thing happened to us. One full year of lessons and DD was ready for swim team and DS still could not swim. We finally signed him up for private one on one lessons where he and the instructor were the only ones in the pool during his lesson. After five lessons, he was swimming across the pool on his own. Group lessons just didn't work for him.

 

[puffkin]

Definitely lessons! DS5 is an amazing swimmer now. He can dive, swim freestyle, backstroke and almost has the butterfly down. He can go at least the length of the pool in each stroke. They are working on flip turns and breast stroke now.

He is in private lessons 30 minutes once a week fall-spring (we stop when baseball season starts). He also gets to the pool a lot in the summer for rec swimming. We are hoping to do swim team next winter since he is now old enough.

We found the group lessons were a waste of time/$$ for us. My DS just did not respond well to the group setting. Plus, he was really only getting a small fraction of the instructors attention. The private lessons are so worth the money and we see tons of progress weekly. It truly is amazing. She has coached newbies through collegiate swimmers so we wanted someone to not just teach water safety and basics but to refine his strokes and stuff now that he is older. She has now deemed him 100% safe in the pool....meaning that I don't have to worry about him in the water anymore. Of course I still do because I am a mom and he is so little, but I don't feel the need to be right next to him at all times or anything like that. I can watch him from my chair at the pool and know he is fine.

 

[RDM83]

Thank you so much for all or your replies! just as I thought! I will show this thread to my DH He sometimes like to fix the leak himself instead of hiring the plumber to save some money. I tell him he CANNOT do that in this case

By the way, our YMCA has adult lessons, too. DFIL learned to swim after 60 years old by going to the Y.
Not too late for YOU to learn. What a great example that would be for the kids.

I never thought of that!!! I am going to look into that

I taught swimming, lifeguarding and coached swim teams for ten years. When it was time for my daughter to learn to swim, I figured I could teach her myself. Yeah. We lasted two weeks with both of us being miserable, and I signed her up at the Y..LOL. It's one of those things that I think is really best taught by someone else, for your hub's sanity, and your children's.

That's exactly what I am trying to avoid! I think I know what would be the outcome of that experience

Lessons for you and the kids. Do you have a YMCA near you?

I do actually, I will visit them today!

I have pretty strong feelings on this. You can never learn to swim too well and it's a skill that can be used and passed on for a lifetime. It's one of the most important childhood milestones IMO.

My mom had a pool put in when dd was 2, ds a baby. Dh and I started them swimming by hold nose, 1, 2, 3, wee, quick dunk under,with kick boards, later with torpedo diving. It was enough for them to learn a comfortable above water wade, doggie paddle. I never used arm floats.

My kids started swim lessons when they were 5. So well worth it. DD and I were in a near drowning incident river tubing 3 years ago and it was scary. As soon as we got back to the hotel, I took the kids swimming to not show fear. I really thought I was a decent swimmer, but my mind was changed quickly. I moved both kids into the advanced swim class which was 2 hours per week. Next dd did swim team, which is excellent for endurance and technique-6 hours per week plus meets. Last year we did a season pass at the local waterpark, 4 full days per week all summer plus they swim every warm weekend at my mama's. My ds can swim underwater like a fish and my dd built up stronger calves than a mule from her flip kicks. Well worth the $ for the confidence in the water.

I actually had a near drowning experience too Its was traumatizing. I don't want my kids to fear the water the way I do.
When they are in the water, I am a nervous wreck! I try not to reflect it. I want my kids to be great swimmers! I will definitely not stick to only a few lessons. Hopefully they will keep moving up!

Are you in NYC.

We are in the Queens area.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Queens has a couple of good Cityrun aquatic centers with good rates. I would check them out.

 

[cari12]

I would definitely put them in swimming lessons. My kids, DD9 and DS6, have been in the pool since they were babies (we have an outdoor pool in our townhouse complex and so they go in almost everyday in the summer) so they are strong swimmers for their age. We have had them in lessons since they were 3 years old although not constantly but a few sets per year. We would like them to take them all the way up to lifeguard level. The reasons are 2-fold:
1) if they are ever in a situation around water ie. at the lake with their friends, they have the strength and knowhow to handle themselves in the water so less likelihood of drowning
2) as a teenager/college age they can get a job at a local pool either as a lifeguard or swim instructor paying about $20 per hour which is more than double what they would get at a retail/ fast food place. More money for less hours.