Matthias is taking swimming class in YMCA here.I don't know if the swimming classes in YMCA in HK are similar in LA or not. Anyway, here, for 6 months to 36 months, all swimming classes are "parent and me" swimming classes, so either parent must be present and be with the child in the water. Then you know, Matthias has to skip a lesson or two (it's a Tue and Thu class for him) in a month, you know why la . . . Starting 3 years old, the child can take swimming lessons on his own.
For my experience, I think it's a very good idea to have the mommy stay with the child in the water. I don't think you would "fong sum" to leave your child with the swimming instructor. And if you sit at the poor side and if your child sees you, she/he probably would look for you and want you to either swim with her/him, or even cry to ask to leave the pool because you're not swimming with her/him. I have that experience before!! Matthias stayed with her teacher for only 5 mins, and he saw him at the glass window and then he cried for me!!! Finally the teacher asked me to go pick up my son !!!
It's good to have the kid starts swimming when she/he's little. Matthias started his since he's 13 months, and we skipped for the winter season. Even though YMCA offers heated pool, it's kinda cold when you "get up" from the warm water and while you're changing in the changing room. I don't want my son to get sick, you know! Matthias has so much fun and has learned some kind of skills (from YMCA, the safety skills for both the parent and the child) that he's not allowed to enter the pool/water area without mommy's verbal cue (like "one, two, three" then you open your arms and give the child the signal that he now can get in the water). I like how they teach the children, so that the children wouldn't jump in the pool without parent's cue.
咁啱, my hubby is doing the same thing to my son!!! But my son didn’t cry, but just didn’t pay attention to what his daddy’s doing but keep running away !! 佢成日話阿仔好心急, 唔肯 stay on the same page, 我咪又係話阿仔嘅 attention span at this stage/age係好短, 咪由得佢揭去 the next page 囉!! 唉!! 攞嚟搞 , 佢唔比阿仔turn the page, 佢一係就大叫, 一係就走人啦, 依家走咗去玩車車喇!!
davema
I also have different view with my hubby, but usually I'll be the nervous one, he'll remind me don't expect heib knows everythings, she is still small, don't want to eat, skip law....etc.