Waterbabies swimming classes

Dublinhurler

Just wondering if anyone has taken there little one to waterbabies swimming classes.

Any info greatly appreciated.

lazygal

I haven't brought mine to them but I think they are a bit overpriced. We just bring ours to a baby and toddler open pool session and it doesn't matter if we miss a week as we pay as we go. I can't really see the point of these things.

LegacyUser

I've done them. They're ok, but really it depends on how keen you are about swimming. Myself and the OH are good swimmers, and I'm actually not all that bothered about whether my little one can "swim" by age 4 or not. She'll have classes as time goes on and will learn. We are both very comfortable in the water, and we've found that she's happy enough when in a pool. I found a lot of the parents there were weak or non-swimmers and were therefore hugely eager for their kids to get into it as early as possible. However many of them were then stressing because their 7 month old was screaming for a couple of weeks running when they got into the pool - which seemed a bit over the top to me.

I'm not criticising Waterbabies themselves here because they run a good organisation (if somewhat pricey) and the ethos behind it is progressive in a country that simply doesn't seem to do much about swimming skills (despite being surrounded by water). Their classes are good and they are very well organised. I just don't know how much value there is to bringing very small babies into a class environment, you might be better off to just find a local baby and toddler group in a nearby swimming pool, or even just bring them to a pool yourself. Waterbabies themselves recommend ways to get babies used to water, letting them splash around at bath times and pouring water on them in the bath etc - it's not all confined to being in the pool once a week.

My take on it was that the children's allowance for 2 months would pay for one term of classes for our little one, and then I'd see after that. As it turns out, I don't think it's really worth it at this stage for us, but I know other people still do it and like it, so I guess it's really down to your own personal preference and how much spare cash you have.

moving_home

I do local swimming classes with my 6 month old which are just under half the price of Waterbabies. So obviously I can't comment on Waterbabies specifically but I do think there is value in doing at least 1 term of structured swim classes even just to get an idea of what you should be doing with baby yourself. We've been doing classes since my daughter was 3 months and I think it's brilliant. There is definitely pride in watching her close her eyes and hold her breath when she feels herself falling and watching her learn to hold onto the side of pool and how to climb out. Swimming is a life skill imo.

iguana

I've never been to waterbabies, or other local baby swimming lessons, because I think they are really overpriced. My son was nearly 2.5 the first time I took him to a pool, which I felt quite guilty about but he took to it in minutes and loves being in the water. He can't swim unaided yet but he is happy and confident in the water, in both calm water and in waves, and has even happily gone down a huge waterslide by himself when we were on holidays at his insistence. As far as I'm concerned swimming will come in time, what matters now is that he has a positive association with water. Tbh, I know quite a lot of toddlers who have been having lessons from early on and many of them can't swim unaided either. I'd recommend just going to a pool during toddler times. If possible the first few times go with 2 adults to a baby, if for no other reason than it will make it easier to get dry and dressed after, but also because if you are nervous yourself, having a second adult will help diffuse your own tension.

pwurple

Went to one, and thought they were way too expensive for a few minutes of sing songs. The nivana-esque photoshoot is a nice picture, but it's 250 or 300 for that photo alone I think. Ouch

We go to the cuidiu baby sessions swimming which are loads of fun.

We go swimming at least once a week with our two (although it's been every day for the last two weeks with the flippen weather!), since they were ~6 weeks old.
We put our 4 year old into 'proper' swimming lessons when she turned 3. It's great. She got her little certificate there for a 10m swim test recently. Delighted. Now I need to put some real effort into teaching her to cycle her bike though!

bovril

We go to the water babies lessons. I signed up our baby mainly because I wouldn't have been confident at first bringing my baby to the pool on my own. Also I learned to swim in my late 20s and I absolutely love it now. Swimming is my main form of exercise weekly and I wanted my baby to at least not be afraid of water like I was. Yes the lessons are very expensive but personally I find them great. I love seeing the progression and the price makes me go every week as if it was pay as you go I'd probably find an excuse not to go every week. Our local pool which I swim in is a council pool and is quite cold. I've brought our baby a few times when our water babies lessons are not on and the baby only lasts 15 minutes with a wet suit on because it's cold. The pools where lessons are on are usually heated. Just my 2c.

Oh and getting your baby used to water early is brilliant when it comes to baths and showers. We can give our baby a quick shower if we need to and she doesn't mind the water over her head at all. No such thing as a quick bath in our house any more as there is a tantrum if we cut it short she loves it so much.

foodaholic

My little girl has been in waterbabies since she was 3 months old. She is now 3 and 1/2 years old.

She can now swim a full length by herself without arm bands ( these arent allowed)
She can dive to the bottom of the pool to pick up toys
she is a complete fish and loves it.
I have never once pushed her to do it.

We where on holidays last year and she ran and jumped into the BIG swimming pool. She swam to the surface as she was taught and held on to the edge. For this reason alone I think waterbabies is a brilliant.

Yes its expensive Eur210 per term but its a life skill she is learning

Im currently pregnant on number two and I am most definitely putting number two into waterbabies

Plus I really enjoy doing it and she has met her best friend through it .

RentDayBlues

We did babysplash, with our first from 6 months, she's starting proper swimming lessons in September, she'll be 3. She can swim with the aid of a foam hoop, is happy under water, and is fully comfortable in the water. As someone else said, arm bands are not allowed.

Our second started at 11 weeks, she loves it and is so happy in the water. As soon as she turns three she'll move to proper swimming lessons too, until then we'll continue the baby swimming classes.

Ours were €140 for 8 classes. To me that was money incredibly well spent, at that age it's not about teaching them to swim, it's about water safety and the ability to keep afloat in the event of falling into water.

Dublinhurler

Thank you everyone for the replys. Really appreciate it.

How Strange

We did it with my son for 2 years and we really enjoyed it. It was a planned activity every week and we made sure to go as they're expensive at €20 a class. We stopped when he was 2.5 years as we had our second baby and really couldn't juggle everything. We started with my daughter but the pool in at john of gods islandbridge was out of action for weeks (which we were refunded for) and then we realised we couldn't afford it.

It's a nice thing to do with your child but it's not essential. We liked the structure of having a class every Sunday otherwise we probably wouldn't have done any swimming. They are a very professional, well run company. If a class is cancelled you'll be refunded or offered an alternative without any quibbling

Penny Dreadful

Dublinhurler wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has taken there little one to waterbabies swimming classes.

Any info greatly appreciated.

My little one (10 months old) has just finished her first term and absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed it too and we've signed up for another term this autumn/ winter.

They are expensive there is no getting away from that but I like that the class was small and the instructor we had was absolutely lovely. Also the pool was very close to our house too and so the class fitted in brilliantly with nap times and lunch times.

LegacyUser

We started our daughter in Waterbabies at four months. She's still going at 3.5!

We love it, as someone said it was a scheduled activity.
I know for certain we would not be scheduling swimming pool time regularly and consistently without a class that's paid for.

Very professionally run organisation, and we have the stunning underwater photos. Expensive yes, able to replicate to the same standard ourselves? Never. And we're both handy with a camera.

It's only "overpriced" if you're not getting the use out of it, I think Bugaboos are massively overpriced but some parents think they're amazing....
Bear in mind also you may be told it's overpriced etc by people who have other kids/babies/no time to go/don't want to get into a swimsuit.
I got a bit of that myself.

greenman09

We just finished our second term. Thought it was expensive but it's what you get from it. The things the child learns will stay with them. We went in when She was 5 weeks and to watch the development was amazing. We had the photo shoot after the first term and when you see the photos you just have to buy. It's hard not too. She has no fear of water as a result of this. You couldn't reach a child yourself the skills she learnt on this. I'd highly recommend even for one term

Dublinhurler

greenman09 wrote: »

We just finished our second term. Thought it was expensive but it's what you get from it. The things the child learns will stay with them. We went in when She was 5 weeks and to watch the development was amazing. We had the photo shoot after the first term and when you see the photos you just have to buy. It's hard not too. She has no fear of water as a result of this. You couldn't reach a child yourself the skills she learnt on this. I'd highly recommend even for one term

Hi Greenman09

Does there be many in the class? Do they do much teaching of swimming to the babies / kids? The photos I have seen look amazing.