Everyone knows? Somewhat of a sweeping statement - and incorrect. I don't know that, nor do I agree with it. I believe that may have been the accepted 'best way' a long long time ago.

Teaching an infant to swim starts in shallow water, I believe and from what I've read and been told.

And he or she is held on the surface of the water on the arms.

Yes. Its a false argument. I can't remember what its called, but its an appeal to an invisible authority - a circular reasoning of sorts that lets me out of having to actually prove the truth or effectiveness of something I am advocating.

Its also called a joke. I say something outrageous as if I'm serious, sort of a self-deprecating thing thrown out there to break the icy mood of the conversation. You could also call it being silly.

This is actually one of those stories you hear the old timers tell about how rough things were when they were a kid. It'll often be in the same conversation where they tell you they had to walk 20 miles to school everyday, uphill both ways. If there were much truth to it, there wouldn't be many around who know how to swim or there just wouldn't be as many around period.

There. Feel all better now? You caught me saying something that isn't true. Thank you Captain Obvious.

I suspected there was a possibility of it not being serious, but you can never be sure in forums, especially when you are dealing with someone who tends to have very hardline/extreme (black/white) viewpoints on things.

This is an issue with trying to communicate purely with text - we don't get to interpret body language which is usually the hint we need to know when someone is joking. I find that one of the few useful places to use emoticons/smilies is to drop a hint for people that one is joking when communicating with text, if it is not immediately apparent.

Hey Ras..
Ready for this? when I heard you quote this I began to question you..seriously..so it did throw me off, why? my ex..he adamantly believed this kind of training for swimming works. He is an idiot ( Big-Time ) which is why I dumped him. He really had an odd way of looking at life and how it presents situational factors. I could never figure the guy out..but he did believe that just throwing the kid in deep water would work..idiot..gee I am not being to nice today...

Sherri

Thank you.

That's good info!