Are kids not getting swimming lessons like they used to?

[Mutt]

every time i look at the news there's another drowning in a pool or lake. i think it's gotta be that kids aren't getting the Red Cross swimming lessons that 90% of kids did when I was a kid. so you've got lots of kids and young adults who can't swim well enough.

only kids i knew who didn't know how to swim were a few Italian ones.

[uno]

nah, seems like people do that stuff less and less.

[Deej]

My friend takes her daughter a couple times a week. Shes 5-7.

Apparently she gets private and group lessons.

[Barefootsies]

Maybe they should get a swimming game on XBOX or Wii.

Seems today's generation do a lot of the shit we used to growing up. It's really kind of weird. I guess when you have 200+ channels to pick from (versus 3-5), XBOX, Playstation, internet FaceSpace and all the rest. People get sucked in and simply forget to go outside and play.

*shrug*

[PornMD]

That thing called "parenting" is a thing of the past.

[Paul Markham]

Our daughter was going to swimming lessons when she was 3, now 8 and can swim.

Czechs have a very active attitude towards kids doing things. She's been to 2 summer camps this summer already and off to a local one next week. Living rough for a week in the forest and she loved it.

[ry0t]

I read in the news that most college freshman don't know who rodney king is and the majority can't write in cursive.

[baddog]

Both my kids could swim before they could walk.

[baddog]

Originally Posted by ry0t

I read in the news that most college freshman don't know who rodney king is and the majority can't write in cursive.

Schools in Indiana do not teach cursive. Not sure about here.

[onwebcam]

My grandfather was a firefighter who taught swimming on the side.. You know how he taught me? Tossed me off the boat and said "you better make it back to shore."

[Mutt]

Originally Posted by baddog

Schools in Indiana do not teach cursive. Not sure about here.

what? they only teach them how to print?

[baddog]

Originally Posted by Mutt

what? they only teach them how to print?

I was surprised too.

[MikeSmoke]

Where I grew up, the town gave swimming lessons at the lake every summer, and just about every kid in town went.
Don't know whether that sort of thing happens anymore - I know that most of the sports stuff we did when I was a kid, has been replaced by video games and skateboard parks.

But I live in an area where many (I first said "most" but I'm not sure if that's true) houses have pools. And there are literally dozens and dozens of swimming schools - and swimming instructors who will come to your house. So most of the kids around here swim, with or without lessons.
Our daughter is 2 - we threw her into the pool last summer to get used to it, and again this year (with the appropriate flotation devices and adult bodyguards) - and she's already doing the "kick and paddle" and "float on my back" stuff. We can't get her out of the pool even when she's shivering and we want to quit
We'll manage to keep her out of the pool tomorrow, but only because we've promised her that we're going to the beach tomorrow - and since we don't have waves or sand in our backyard, she's willing to sacrifice the pool for a day

[RK]

Originally Posted by Mutt

what? they only teach them how to print?

In this day and age, cursive is pretty much useless. Much better to be a fast typer.
Swimming, OTOH, is far more useful.

[RK]

Originally Posted by onwebcam

My grandfather was a firefighter who taught swimming on the side.. You know how he taught me? Tossed me off the boat and said "you better make it back to shore."

That's dumb. One could never learn proper technique, for saving yourself or somebody else, from such "lessons."

[onwebcam]

Originally Posted by RK

That's dumb. One could never learn proper technique, for saving yourself or somebody else, from such "lessons."

That wasn't how he taught other kids.. It worked btw.. But I'm like a fish out of water anyway..

[Emil]

Originally Posted by baddog

Schools in Indiana do not teach cursive. Not sure about here.

And whats the point of knowing how to write cursive? I remember that I thought it was bullshit to learn in school and I still think it's bullshit. I have not used it once!

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Emil

And whats the point of knowing how to write cursive? I remember that I thought it was bullshit to learn in school and I still think it's bullshit. I have not used it once!

Schooling is about picking up the skills to learn. Not packing you with knowledge like a hard drive. Well it should be.

As for teaching kids to swim or other sports. Would health and safety rules and litigation have anything to do with the lack of it today? I know in the UK it's made schools very wary. As the kids get fatter and fatter.

[ottopottomouse]

Swimming in a pool is a lot different to being an idiot and falling in a deep sided disused quarry that is very deep and cold.

[james_clickmemedia]

our are in swimming lessons. Twice a week for 30 mins. They should all be able to swim 50m unaided by the end of Oct / Nov.

[gmr324]

My grandfather was a firefighter who taught swimming on the side.. You know how he taught me? Tossed me off the boat and said "you better make it back to shore."

Wow, that's really old school! I bet you didn't have any swimmie floaties on either.

[amateurbfs]

I had an aunt with a pool when I was a kid, pretty sure I learned there via arm floaties lol

[selena]

Originally Posted by baddog

Schools in Indiana do not teach cursive. Not sure about here.

That's not true in my part of Indiana. Don't know about the rest of it.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by Mutt

what? they only teach them how to print?

Spending too much time teaching them about sex, gays , learning Spanish and acting like parents and less like teachers.

[fatfoo]

A drowning is caused by inability to swim. A person could be swimming far from shore with little strength left. That person will drown.

[Spunky]

I still remember the days when I was a kid and having to take cold showers before jumping in the pool in the pissing rain.a must know for any child growing up

[Yngwie]

Originally Posted by fatfoo

A drowning is caused by inability to swim. A person could be swimming far from shore with little strength left. That person will drown.

should throw this bot in the ocean and watch it drown. stupid fucking bot. haha

[spunky99]

parents made us taking swimming lessons every year cuz we have a cabin in pt roberts and guess they didnt want us drowning when we went to the beach..

but they did let us play with lawn darts..

[L-Pink]

My nieces could swim around the same time they were starting to walk.


.

[Rochard]

You would be stunned at how many people can't swim. When I went through Marine Corps boot camp, when it came to the swimming part.... Some people just sunk like rocks. The drill instructors had huge hooks to pull them out with. It was stunning really.

[Raf1]

I think it's just more in the news than it was years ago, but I guess it would be easy enough to check statistics on the matter

[Jman]

Some parents are to preoccupied with their self centered life or to bitch about their neighbors, country or president then pay attention to their kids and their needs

Makes one wonder if they're should be a special license given to become a parent.

[spazlabz]

I do not recommend this technique but it is a true story. When I was a young lad (about 5) growing up in Salina Kansas we used to go to a 'lake' called Lake Bennington... it was a glorified mud puddle really. My mom took me out in the middle on the lake in a canoe because I had been whining about not being able to swim.

she tossed me over the side of the canoe into the water, down I went, I freaked out and my head popped above the water, she grabbed my arms and I kicked the shit out of my legs trying to get back in the boat. Note: I stopped whining immediately as self preservation became much more important.

she talked to me a few minutes, explained moving my arms and within a half hour I was swimming my ass off and now I love water. I love being in the water....


I think I would have preferred lessons with water wings or bogie boards or something!

[The Heron]

I know locally the HS pool was almost closed due to funding cuts to education. Had to pass a 'recreation milage' and then hope that the board would use the funds for the pool. Pretty fucking stupid, cut football it's not like the kids win at that anyways.

[_Richard_]

not a parent, but do the ones who are follow the teaching lessons etc that their kids get in school?

[kristin]

I make my kids take swim lessons. My youngest doesn't like it too much.

Too bad for him. I don't care if he doesn't continue swim lessons once he has learned to swim well enough, but until then, suck it up big boy - you are taking swim lessons.

[Tom_PM]

Originally Posted by spazlabz

I do not recommend this technique but it is a true story. When I was a young lad (about 5) growing up in Salina Kansas we used to go to a 'lake' called Lake Bennington... it was a glorified mud puddle really. My mom took me out in the middle on the lake in a canoe because I had been whining about not being able to swim.

she tossed me over the side of the canoe into the water, down I went, I freaked out and my head popped above the water, she grabbed my arms and I kicked the shit out of my legs trying to get back in the boat. Note: I stopped whining immediately as self preservation became much more important.

she talked to me a few minutes, explained moving my arms and within a half hour I was swimming my ass off and now I love water. I love being in the water....


I think I would have preferred lessons with water wings or bogie boards or something!

I used to visit Salina every summer as a kid, since my mother and her family is from there. Have an aunt there still, she used to live on one of the cobblestone streets. We used to go to Coronado heights and picnic and I do remember a public pool we'd hit up too. If you could avoid burning your feet on the street and dodge the hailstorms, it was a nice pool.

My family always had a pool, and we lived mostly on the ocean. So not learning to swim was simply not an option.

I was shocked by the news story recently were 6 teens drowned by stepping off a sandbar and not one person out of the dozens there could swim except one passerby who saved 1 person. Really sad.

Learn to swim!

[Choker]

Going to the YMCA is considered nerdy now. Was sorta when I was growing up but in many small towns that's all there was to do. Had my grandaughter in the pool since she was 3 months old. She's 5 months now and already is kicking good. hopefully bu the times shes 2 she can stay afloat on her own

[kristin]

Originally Posted by Choker

Going to the YMCA is considered nerdy now. Was sorta when I was growing up but in many small towns that's all there was to do. Had my grandaughter in the pool since she was 3 months old. She's 5 months now and already is kicking good. hopefully bu the times shes 2 she can stay afloat on her own

I take my kids to the YMCA and that's where I work out and also volunteer as a soccer coach. Personally I like giving back to the Y and the community over paying for LA Fitness.

[Sharky]

I taught swimming lessons through High School. Idiot parents are a pain to deal with, and make it more difficult for there children to learn.

My kids know how to swim, but not every little stroke like I did when I was younger. My daughter (10) is starting to take more interest in it, and I'll be putting her in more advanced swim lessons soon.

[american pervert]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Schooling is about picking up the skills to learn. Not packing you with knowledge like a hard drive. Well it should be.

As for teaching kids to swim or other sports. Would health and safety rules and litigation have anything to do with the lack of it today? I know in the UK it's made schools very wary. As the kids get fatter and fatter.

my highschool had a pool and every freshman had to take swimming class. at that point I was already swimming with the town team for 5 years so swim class was a walk in the park.

was also varsity co-captain sr. year.

[pornguy]

My son starts swimming again next week and also Karate.

[Vendzilla]

I grew up around the corner from an Olympic in door swimming pool, spent half my summers in that pool as a kid, my daughter grew up in the city of Shasta Lake, 365 miles of shore line in that lake, that's where I taught her how to swim. When she went thru boot, they had a lot of people that sank.

[spazlabz]

Originally Posted by PR_Tom

I used to visit Salina every summer as a kid, since my mother and her family is from there. Have an aunt there still, she used to live on one of the cobblestone streets. We used to go to Coronado heights and picnic and I do remember a public pool we'd hit up too. If you could avoid burning your feet on the street and dodge the hailstorms, it was a nice pool.

My family always had a pool, and we lived mostly on the ocean. So not learning to swim was simply not an option.

I was shocked by the news story recently were 6 teens drowned by stepping off a sandbar and not one person out of the dozens there could swim except one passerby who saved 1 person. Really sad.

Learn to swim!

small world the pool I remember in in Salina was the Saline County municipal pool right by the bicentennial center. I used to walk for miles to go to that pool in the summer heh heh. I remember the cobblestone streets well. The last time I was in Salina was back in 1980 when we moved to Illinois. I have had a love of rural towns ever since... but I hear Salina is huge now

[spazlabz]

Originally Posted by american pervert

my highschool had a pool and every freshman had to take swimming class.

My HS had a pool too and all freshmen had to go through that type of class too... I loved it except for their insistence that everyone wear swim trunks provided by the school. They had a belief that one size fit all speedos were more than sufficient.... it was torture for this hwt wrestler but the girls looked exceptionally hot.... saw my very first insane cameltoe and sah-weet nipple slip because of the one piece suits the girls wore....

ok I gotta go for a few minutes!

[Jaeger]

who the fuck cares if kids learn to swim my god... who the fuck cares about kids full stop in this biz. bah. /grumpy

[Agent 488]

Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?

[DirtyDanza]

blame the democrats on why kids can't swim now a days

[Naughty]

Originally Posted by Jaeger

who the fuck cares if kids learn to swim my god... who the fuck cares about kids full stop in this biz. bah. /grumpy

Pardon me?