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Splash On: How Long Will it Take My Child to Learn to Swim?

For most parents, learning to swim is an essential skill. And we all grapple with the same questions: when should we start and how long will it take for them to be good swimmers?

Over the past 35 years of teaching children to swim, we’ve found that it’s best if a child gets into organized and well-structured weekly swimming lessons for most of the year. This consistency and dedication will, over five years for the vast majority of children, get them to the point where they’re comfortable and safe in most water situations.

If around ages eight to 10 they decide to focus on another sport or activity then at least they are decent swimmers and can go back to swimming at any point later in life. Should they decide to become a lifeguard or take up scuba diving as teens, the base they’ve set will serve them well.

At first glance, five years of swimming lessons may seem like a very long time but consider this: If a child takes a 30-minute swimming lesson once a week during the school year from ages three to eight, that totals 100 hours of structured lessons. The average student will have spent more than 200 hours in school by Halloween!

“…it’s best if a child gets into organized and well-structured weekly swimming lessons for most of the year.”

 

John Finan of Finan Swim School

 

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