Baby swimming lessons - Akl

Can anyone recommend good baby swimming lessons in Auckland?

We're in Onehunga, so Jellicoe is a couple of streets away, but at $144 a term, it seems expensive. Then theres the super-expensive place in East Tamaki which says to get the best results your baby needs to do 10 lessons in 10 days to start!! Then the YMCA pool in Panmure which is $50 a month with weekly lessons and unlimited swims. Aaagghh! Too many options!

At 5 months maybe you could just take him. Go at a time when there are lessons on and watch what they do and just get him enjoying being in the water with you.

We did the lessons one term and believe me it isn't anything technical, definitely nothing you couldn't do by yourself. It's not like it's going to actually help him swim at this stage. Save the lessons for when he's 3 and might benefit from them more.

We take ours swimming every week or fortnight and they just splash around and have lots of cuddles. When DS1 is 3.5 next summer we'll do some lessons.

Ok, good to know. So far we've just been taking him, and you're right, it's a lot easier to get him there straight after a feed when he's happy!

Mel - don't know about Lloyd Elsmore, have you tried them?

We go to the place in East Tamaki and love it. It is $12 a lesson, and, really, to go to a lot of public pools (especially because both myself and DH want to be there) it costs about the same. (I was shocked at this over the holiday period when I wanted to keep DS's water familiarity up.)

The 10 lessons in 10 days is just a suggestion -- we didn't do that - nor did most of the people in DS's group -- and it's fine.

The thing that I really like about it is that the pool is chloride and bromide free -- and it makes such a difference! Some of the public pools I went to I felt the chlorine sting my eyes even just going in -- so I wouldn't let DS put his head under the water there -- but it is great at Splash Central.

Also the pool and the pool surround is deliberately warmed to a warmer temperature for babies -- again, I was surprised how cold the other public pools are.

The advantage of starting at the age you are (around 6 months) is that they haven't learnt to be afraid of the water yet -- I've noticed the difference even with babies who start at 18 months -- they are a lot more nervous.

And I think the teachers are pretty good -- they explain their reasons for teaching things -- like back floats and returning to the side of the pool, etc. There are a lot of things I wouldn't have thought of.

You just cradle them in your arms on their back to get them comfortable on their back. although my almost 3 year old hates this and would never do it even as a baby.

When they are older they will copy you blowing bubbles.