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  | Mookey   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 03 January 2007
 Location: New Zealand
 Points: 127
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Topic: Swimming lessons? Posted: 02 February 2008 at 8:52am
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   At what age did you take your little one to swimming lessons?  Did you go to your local pools or a specialised swimming school?  How much did you pay for the lessons?  How often did you go, etc?  Thanks!
 Edited by Mookey
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  | mylilmosaic   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 14 June 2007
 Location: New Zealand
 Points: 1348
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 9:05am | 
 
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   Hi mookey, my son went to a babies water confidence when he was about the same age as yours.  But he started swimming lessons on a regular basis from about three years. 
 If I can remember right they were about $10 per lesson, so about $80 odd for a term.  We used to go throughout the year to Learn to Swim which in most cities are held at the local pools.  Eg. I was in Hamilton and they are held at Te Rapa Waterworld.  I also think now there are lots of private swimming schools around.
 
 I would highly recommend swimming lessons as I felt my son was not learning the swim well enough at school, and because we spend time in the summer at the beach I wanted him to be able to swim strongly.
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  | cheekymonkeysmum   Groupie
 
   
   
 Joined: 09 January 2008
 Location: Birkdale, Auckland
 Points: 49
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 9:08am | 
 
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   Most places take them @ 6 months when they can hold their head up properly.
 I haven't taken Hayley to a lesson yet but have made enquiries (also use to work at the centre where i want to take her and know the people who run...very good when i have questions). They said i can take her at 5mths.
 cost depends on who runs it - private or public
 classws are about 1/2 hour once a week for about a 6-8 week period (private i'm not sure)and most public are run though school terms)
 You need to ring around at all the pools in your area to find the one you want and also visit so you know what the pool and facilities are like (this is a biggy)
 If i find out more info i'll let you know.
 Good luck
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  | MummyFreckle   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 08 February 2007
 Location: Auckland
 Points: 4120
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 9:09am | 
 
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   Hi Mookey - we have just started Ollie with swimming lessons, and he is just 3months. But most places wont take them until they are 6months. We are going to Hilton Brown as they have lots of locations across Auckland and it works best for us. He is certainly one of the smaller babies there, but we wanted to get him started really early. 
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  | Nikki   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 02 October 2003
 Location: West Auckland
 Points: 2279
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 9:50am | 
 
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   Jake starts next weekend.  I think they said from about 6 months.  Its not really recommended you take babies under 6 months into public pools because of the bugs potentially present and their immune systems being so immature.
We're going to the swim school at West Wave pools.  Its $110 for ther term (once a week for 8 or so weeks).
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     DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs)
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  | Mama2two   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Whangaparaoa
 Points: 2835
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 10:03am | 
 
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   I take Samantha to Hilton Brown in Albany and they are fantastic.  You can take them from 3 months (we have a wee one in our class and he is sooooo cute  ).
 They usually go for around 25-30 minutes but you can take them out earlier if they get cold or sick of it.
 Lessons are $58 a month for a weekly lesson and they go all year round as the pool is heated.
 From memory Sam was around 4.5-5 months when we started and she has loved it right from the first lesson    Oh, and you can go to their website and print off a free coupon to have a free trial lesson to make sure the facilities etc are what you are looking for    | 
 
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  | caitlynsmygirl   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 8777
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 11:30am | 
 
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   I took Caitlyn from about 6 months, my sister is special needs and goes to swimming lessons and the teacher has a mainstream class as well so C went there.
I think it was about $10 a lesson , cant really remember
 
 Im so glad i did it tho, Caitlyn is the best 5 year old swimmer i know, shes so confident, ie she can dive down 8 feet deep pools and can do forwards and backwards flips in the water (shes very proud about this!)
 
 these days its a very important tool to have i think
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  | Kazzle   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Porirua
 Points: 3830
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 11:58am | 
 
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   i havent taken Rhiannon to swimming lessons, but i do take her swimming, and she will hold onto a flutter board and kick her feet (as long as we are holding her), she will let me dunk her a couple of times, and has just learnt to blow bubbles under water....I did look at swimming lessons, but one pool never got back to me, and the other pool charged too much for a 20min lesson, so didnt bother.
 I think swimming lessons are great though, and the more water wise we all are i think the less drownings we will have
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  | Mum2ET   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 30 August 2007
 Location: Whangaparaoa
 Points: 3850
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 1:13pm | 
 
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   Ella starts her lessons in a couple of weeks time. I started taking her to the pool by myself around 4 months. We are going to the local leisure centre, costs $80 for the term and we will go once a week for 1/2 hr. I have been told that the classes are limited to only 5 babies (plus their parent) | 
 
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     Mum to
Ella (5) and Tom (2)
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  | Ariana   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 14 April 2007
 Location: New Zealand
 Points: 233
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 02 February 2008 at 6:56pm | 
 
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   Hi Mookey, 
 I used to go swimming with my kids when they were little babies, but last year i enrolled Victoria (3years) into lessons through our daycare.  it costs me $10 per week, and they swim in the school term.
 As we live by the beach (Tauranga) I wanted her to be confident near water, but also to be old enough that the lessons were meaningful.  Also I am a teacher and I agree that schools don't teach kids how to swim like they used to... it comes down to lack of experience and skills within the staff.  So for that reason I thought it would be beneficial for her to have lessons, and when Alecia is the same age I will do the same with her.
 
 Good luck
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     Ariana
 Mum to Minardi, Victoria, Alecia and William.
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