Teach Tots to Swim Young (pic heavy)

[santaman2000]

Carson and his parents at swimming lessons on base the week before his second birthday (parents and tots division)

Stephen teaching him to float in a life jacket

Playing Hot Potato with another student team

Water version of the Hokey Pokey

Learning to swimming and out of the hoop (sometimes over, sometimes under)

Learning to crawl in and out of the pool

Switched to mom for a partner this day (my daughter, Nikole)

Poolside after the last lesson

And elsewhere in the pool, big brother James swimming laps

To the left of where James is swimming laps is a 12 foot diving pool. Most mornings we were there, either the Special Forces (from the 7th SF group) or the Pararescue (from the 16th AF Special Ops Wing) were there training in water survival or SCUBA.

 

[Bowlander]

Its good to start them young. So many kids don't get the chance.

My little lads school take all the kids - reception to year 6, every week. We take him regularly to the local pool as well. He can't swim without a noodle or arm bands yet but is getting there.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I taught my daughter to swim, when she was three. She loved it and still does. It is so important to learn to swim, 1 for safety, and 2 for confidence.

 

[santaman2000]

And lets not forget just for the fun of it.

 

[crosslandkelly]

And lets not forget just for the fun of it.

Of course, that's the best of it.

 

[santaman2000]

Do they still have the wave pool at the Link Center in Swindon?

 

[Bowlander]

There are so many other activities where being able to swim helps - canoeing, surfing, fishing (if you fall in lots like me!).

 

[Lou]

This is SO important for children! I did not learn to swim until a relatively late age as my parents could not swim and never took me swimming, however, although I was scared of the water, I finally learnt to swim at school when the rest of the class were doing life saving

My two daughters both taught themselves to swim by the age of 8, they have never had a lesson but swim every day in the summer in an open air pool.

 

[Toddy]

I so agree, it's a marvellous skill and very much worth teaching early

My babies were in the water at six weeks old (as soon as the cord had dropped and healed and I was fit for it) and both swim well now. I think they had so much fun just playing though, but I found it reassuring that all the seaside and lochside holidays weren't much of a concern water wise with them. One in particular had a dreadful propensity to get soaked regardless of where we were I'm told it's an inherited trait

atb,
M

 

[Tengu]

I hated swimming lessons at school, I can swim but haven't been for donkeys years.

Its the Oasis, Santaman, not the Link. I haven't ben there in ages but its still there, looking a little 70s shabby but I assume they still have the wave machine.

 

[santaman2000]

Thanks Tengu. I haven't been there since the mid 80s so my memory's a bit fuzzy. It was still looking god then.

Unfortunately we don't get swimming lessons at school. I had them when I was a kid (about 8 or so?) but didn't really learn there. I finally learned when I was about 10 or 11 just playing on the river all Sumer with my cousins. We were in the water somewhere (pool, creek, river, lake) every day from mid March until early October up until I enlisted at 19.

 

[Niels]

We never got them on school either. I was sent to swimming lessons. There are 3 basic diplomas here, I have 2 of them. After that there's rescue swimming which I didn't follow either. Nevertheless I swim all the time in summer and I'm a good swimmer.

 

[mousey]

Definatley good to learn to swim, I learnt at a young age, and had sports at school which consisted of swimming. My children have gone to lessons early, the eldest still isn't good on his own the middle is perhaps a bit too confident and the yougest is just about to start but already keen. Living near the coast I feel it is very important to be able to swim, N.E. scotland means the waters a bit cold but it doesn't seem to stop the local nutters jumping off the rocks! If my kids turn out to be the next generation of local nutters I'd be happier if they can swim!