This post was made possible in collaboration with FINS Swimming and NH Photography. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Miraclelising as a Modern Mom. I am sharing my honest opinion and my experience with swimming with both of my kids. To hear my story, along with some great tips on when to start swim lessons and pool safety, read on.

What’s the Right Age to Start Swimming?

It’s still Summer time, and the water can be a lot of fun, but if your kiddo can’t swim it can be a little frightening as a parent. I knew right away that swim lesson were a MUST for Brynn, who just turned 3, this Summer. I also made it a priority to teach Brynn (3) and Bryce (8) about pool safety. With Brynn, I started Mommy-and-Me swim classes at 24 months old last Summer at FINS. Click here, to read more about our experience.

After doing my research, I found out that experts say that when a child is around six months old, he is ready for “Mommy and Me” swim lessons, but whether your child will adapt to one of these classes will depend on his development, personality, and how comfortable he is around the water. FINS starts babies at 6 months in the Baby FINS program.

As for Brynn, at 24 months old, she had no previous water experience other than bath time before our lessons at FINS. But she has a fearless and free-spirited character, so she jumped right in. Brynnie loved it!

We did take a year’s break from swimming and here’s why.

I wanted Brynn to learn how to swim without me in class. Brynn has a mind of her own, and she felt like she didn’t have to do what the coach asked her to do, because “Mommy was there to save her.” Not quite the case, Sweetie.

This Summer I felt like she was finally ready, and we started swimming 2x a week at FINS in the “Angel FINS” class with Coach Jonathan. He has been amazing at making her feel comfortable in the water, challenging her, and communicating her progress with me.

One thing I’ve learned from being a mom and a teacher, is that every child learns at a different rate and age. And that is perfectly okay! You know your child best, and giving swim lessons a try when you think your child is ready, is what’s best for your child.

What if Your Child is Scared of the Water?

From personal experience, I think introducing your child to the water at a young age is ideal for helping them feel comfortable.  However, I understand that not everyone can start taking their kids to a pool as infants or toddlers.   If your child has a fear of water, I think the best way for kids to slowly acclimate to water is by seeing other kids enjoying it…BUT don’t forget to also have them in a consistent, positive learning experience, either with you or a trained instructor.

If you have been following me a while, you probably remember me sharing my story with Bryce.

Bryce is an athlete by nature, but swimming has not been a sport that has been easy for him. I put Bryce in swim lessons at 4 1/2 and felt like at that age, he already had so much fear of the water. His day 1 was not like Brynn’s day 1 by any means. He was a lot more reluctant to the water. I was explained by Liam, one of the owners at FINS, that children tend to have a fear of water around age 5-6, which makes sense as to why it was so hard on him those past Summers. Bryce learned how to swim last Summer thanks to FINS’ wonderful instructors.

Is Brynn scared of the water? Not at all. She loves it! But that too, can be scary as a parent. They need to know the importance of pool safety rules.

What Pool Safety Rules Should Kids Know?

“Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of death among children under the age of 14 years,” according to the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance. Did you know that “97% of people are unable to identify a swimmer in danger? Drowning is not always someone splashing to get your attention, it can be a regular swimmer who has sudden chest pain, or a child quietly trying to keep from going under water,” according the the American Red Cross. When I read this, my heart stopped.

I love that FINS teaches children about water safety at the end of every swim lesson, and they get rewarded with tickets for it, that they can exchange for prices, just like Chuck E. Cheese! Bryce helps Brynn come up with a swim safety rules like the ones I am sharing below:

• No running by the pool. Walking is best!
• No drinking the pool water. This may seem obvious, but toddlers do not know this, and may want to try it.
• No diving in shallow water.
• Know your limits.  Teach kids to know their limits when it comes to water. If your child is not a strong swimmer, maybe set a height rule (ex. 3ft)
• Always swim with a parent or adult supervision.

Summer is a great time to have fun at the pool but safety and teaching your kids

HOW to swim should ALWAYS be your first priority! I can’t wait to share Brynn’s progress with you!

Thank you for following along our swim lessons journey!

Check out my Instagram story highlights under “SWIM” for videos.

We will be sharing more!