There’s no denying it. Children who begin swimming lessons early have a natural advantage over kids who start at age 4, 5, 6, or 7. Even a child who starts with Parent & Me classes at or before age 1 will be more at ease and more familiar with holding their breath and balancing their bodies against the pressure of the water as they progress in swimming than a two-year-old who is completely new to lessons. But for many parents, Parent & Me swim classes weren’t on their radar when their child was an infant or young toddler. This is especially true for parents who themselves didn’t learn to swim until they started school, or never learned at all.
At Nashville Swim Academy, we often hear parents say they wished they’d put their child in swim classes much earlier, but they didn’t realize it was an option, much less an advantage. And that’s okay! Learning to swim is a progression for everyone. The important part isn’t when a child began swim lessons. It’s that they’re learning to swim now, and they’re making progress. A parent should never feel as though they’ve missed their chance. We have beginner swim lessons for children as young as four months in our Parent & Me classes, and as old as 11 in our Skill Builder classes. If you’ve enrolled your child anywhere along the way, you have completed the necessary first step in this amazing process—way to go!
Why Does Starting Swim Lessons Early Make a Difference?
Unlike land-based activities, swimming requires buoyancy and balance against the water’s pressure. Kids need to feel comfortable bobbing in the water without holding onto the edge of the pool or standing in the shallow end. They need to learn to float, hold their breath, and propel themselves forward on their backs and tummies while moving their arms and legs. If you think about it, it’s a lot to process and put together.
Starting early gives children more time to get familiar with the sensation of the water, how to dunk underwater, how to hold their breath, and how to move in the water. In parent and infant swim lessons, that happens with the added reassurance of being held by someone they already trust. Younger children accept the feeling of the water more readily when they’re splashing about and being supported. With older beginners, we find they want to feel a greater sense of control and instinctively look for it by holding onto the edge of the pool or trying to plant their feet.
In a 2022 pilot study, researchers compared infants who participated in a 10-week baby swimming program with a control group, assessing their motor and cognitive development. The infants who participated in swim as babies showed improvements in gross, fine, and overall motor skills. Researchers also observed promising improvements in areas of executive function, particularly the infants’ ability to inhibit responses and shift their attention or responses. This aligns with what we see in our classes. Children who have spent time in our Parent & Me swim lessons are more comfortable, confident, and relaxed when they move into independent lessons.
And while we find that older kids who are new to swimming may be more reticent at the beginning, they do get there. Step by step, they become more trusting of themselves and of the environment. As their skills develop, their confidence grows. Before you know it, they’re gliding with balance on their tummies, swimming from their instructor’s arms to the island and feeling pretty good about themselves. It’s great to see the skills coming together and energy shift from uncertainty to eagerness to learn more.
What if My Child Is Already Four, Five, or Even Older?
This is where parental guilt can creep in. A parent watching their five-year-old hold on to the side of the pool a little more tightly than expected while a younger child seems perfectly happy and at ease could easily think, “I should have started this sooner.”
Don’t feel guilty. Instead, focus on the peace of mind you gain once your child is learning to swim.
At NSA, our entry level for beginner swimmers ages 7 to 11 is Skill Builder 7-11s. Our instructors are highly trained and accustomed to working with older kids who aren’t naturally comfortable in the pool at first. They move at a slower pace with the older beginners, reassuring them as they progress and encouraging them if they feel overwhelmed. Positive reinforcement is the foundation of our philosophy, and we find that goes a long way in helping kids develop a lifelong love of the water, whether they started swimming in Nashville at four months or four years.
The Best Time to Begin Swim Lessons in Nashville Is Whenever You Can
If you have a baby or toddler, starting now gives them an early opportunity to become comfortable and confident in the water. If your child is older, start now anyway. We’ll meet them where they are and help them move forward at an appropriate pace for their stage in the process.
Our state-of-the-art swimming pool in Nashville is designed specifically for swim instruction, with water maintained at 88°F. When kids feel warm and comfortable, they can focus on learning instead of shivering through a lesson.
Among swimming pools in Nashville, TN, ours is a place built around families and helping kids learn. From Parent & Me through more advanced levels, every class is designed to help children develop skills, confidence, and a positive relationship with the water.