How old for your child to really LIKE the pool?

DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello all!

I am planning to bring my daughter for her 2nd birthday in February and I'm hoping that it will be nice enough at least one day to hit up the pool. When we went last August she was 6 months and we barely made it to the pool and she really didn't seem to enjoy (or really know what was going on) while in the pool...
As summer turns the corner this year I will hopefully see her really like the water and swimming (she loves bathtime and my sister has a pool), so I know I'll be able to gauge how much she will like it when we go...

But I really wanted to hear some feedback about people taking their little ones in the pool and at what age did they really seem to LIKE/LOVE it!

Thanks!!
 
DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
My daughter was six months and LOVED it. It was super hot so we weren't there for more than 15 minutes because we didn't want her in direct sun too long. But she was laughing the whole time.
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I guess she did like it at 6 months, but I want to spend more than 15 mins in the pool. lol
I guess I just want her to want to go to the pool and I suppose that HRHPrincessAriel is right in that each child is different and will like different things at different stages.
 
B

buseegal

Active Member
one thing you might want tom look for is a way for her to swim year round. my older daughter lost her love of swimming at about your daughter's age when did not remember from the summer before and the next time we went. younger one went year round and never hit that stage
 
popcenturylover

popcenturylover

Well-Known Member
Our youngest DD was 8months old on her 1st trip to WDW. We stayed at POP & she LOVED the little fountains in the kiddie pool. Of course, we didn't swim for long periods of time. We went back & stayed at AOA when she was just shy of 4 & we had to swim in all of the pools & play at the splash pad. She really enjoyed that stay! Here we are 2 years & 2 stays later & she can't wait to go back & spend time in the pools with her 2 year old nephew!
 
RememberWhen

RememberWhen

Well-Known Member
In September our 2yo loved the little kiddie splash pool at Boardwalk. He was not into the big pool, though he really wanted to try the slide. We didn't let him. But maybe in a few years.
 
Tinkerfan4ever

Tinkerfan4ever

Well-Known Member
My DD who is now 8 HATED water when she was around 2 years old. Like kicked and screamed and cried every time we gave her a bath or washed her face. She was just over 2 and we took a June trip to Disney. It was HOT and we needed a pool day. Of course DD2 didn't want to go in, but she was so hot that I carried her in and held her for a while. It helped her cool down and then she saw her big sister jumping off the edge into the pool. I brought her over there and she tried it.... and wouldn't stop! She was jumping, playing and having fun. The girl who hated water cried when we went back to the room. She has loved the pools and baths ever since!
 
HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
It all depends on the kid and fears they might be experiencing at that age. In general...my older one was more inclined to panic over the pool, while my younger one was very calm. I remember pool time during our 2011 trip... DD8 had just turned 5 and went into all out meltdown over her pool fears. Meanwhile, DD4...then about 2.5...was loving the pool. So, I wouldn't put an age on this one :)
 
DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tinkerfan4ever said:
My DD who is now 8 HATED water when she was around 2 years old. Like kicked and screamed and cried every time we gave her a bath or washed her face. She was just over 2 and we took a June trip to Disney. It was HOT and we needed a pool day. Of course DD2 didn't want to go in, but she was so hot that I carried her in and held her for a while. It helped her cool down and then she saw her big sister jumping off the edge into the pool. I brought her over there and she tried it.... and wouldn't stop! She was jumping, playing and having fun. The girl who hated water cried when we went back to the room. She has loved the pools and baths ever since!
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Thanks for sharing that story. It's so true that everyone is different lol :)
 
boilerpicc

boilerpicc

Well-Known Member
Our daughter has always been OK with the pool, but she loved the kiddie splash areas starting around 2. She was perfectly content to play in those the whole time, which was not the greatest for the adults since we wanted to be in the pool. One thing to know is that we have never had a problem with bringing any kind of floaty in the pool at any Disney resort. I know some places only allow Coast Guard approved flotation devices (no blow up ones), but the lifeguards at the resorts have always let us use a blow up ring in the pool for our daughter. I think that helped her enjoy the pool more since it gave her some independence.
 
KordovaJD

KordovaJD

Well-Known Member
My 10 month old loved the little wet deck in the kids area of the pool at the POLY. And my 3 yo daughter, who hates getting her face and hair wet, went nuts on the little kids slides. They have free the life jackets available too.

What I will say about the life jackets is that when my daughter fell into some deep water wearing it, it actually caused more problems than it saved because it was too big on her and wouldn't let her stand back up or roll over. So, be aware of that.
 
DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
KordovaJD said:
My 10 month old loved the little wet deck in the kids area of the pool at the POLY. And my 3 yo daughter, who hates getting her face and hair wet, went nuts on the little kids slides. They have free the life jackets available too.

What I will say about the life jackets is that when my daughter fell into some deep water wearing it, it actually caused more problems than it saved because it was too big on her and wouldn't let her stand back up or roll over. So, be aware of that.
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Thanks for the warning. Definitely not something I would have thought about. Thanks for the heads up!
 
Squigglove

Squigglove

Active Member
We don't have a home pool, we don't even have a bathtub just a stand-in shower.
I started taking my baby to a local child's theme park at 11mos old. We did the lazy river and the areas where there are slides and spouts and sprinklers. He liked it last summer (11-13mos), but this year he likes it even more!! He's 21mos now, we're going to Disney for his 2nd Birthday this year in August. He doesn't take well to too much sun or humidity but he loves the water. His preference is definitely moving water (sprinklers, etc.) over still water (pools).
 
DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Squigglove said:
We don't have a home pool, we don't even have a bathtub just a stand-in shower.
I started taking my baby to a local child's theme park at 11mos old. We did the lazy river and the areas where there are slides and spouts and sprinklers. He liked it last summer (11-13mos), but this year he likes it even more!! He's 21mos now, we're going to Disney for his 2nd Birthday this year in August. He doesn't take well to too much sun or humidity but he loves the water. His preference is definitely moving water (sprinklers, etc.) over still water (pools).
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it. We got season passes to a local water park too. I hope she loves it. She loves the bath and her little baby pool, but it's nice to hear how other babies respond to the pools! I hope you have a wonderful time in August and happy 2nd birthday to your son!
 

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