One thing that’s good to teach your child as they grow up is the ability to swim. This isn’t so that they’re able to show off when they’re at high school pool parties—this is to keep them safe. They’re going to be exposed to large bodies of water often, and you’re going to want them to be prepared in those moments. Knowing how to swim is a very practical skill to know, but when is your child old enough to start swimming?
Getting the Feel Of It
There’s a major difference between when they’re allowed to start swimming and when they’re allowed to dip their toes into the water, both literally and figuratively. If we’re talking about the latter, then you can even start to introduce a six-month old baby to getting their feet wet in a pool. In addition, there are services out there that offer specialized swim lessons for babies, that ease into it very nicely.
The Real Thing
However, if you want to talk about the real thing—actual swimming—it’ll be a few years before they’re actually ready. When they’re three or four, that’s when you can start to allow them to really go for it. However, even this should be carefully monitored by either a swim instructor or a parent. It’s not recommended that you allow them into a public pool with many others, because that’s dangerous for kids of all ages.