Swimming Lessons with Grommets and Ear Tubes

Your child has just had grommets put in, and somewhere on the drive home you realise nobody mentioned Saturday morning swimming lessons. Then come the other two questions: do we need ear plugs, and how long do we wait?

Most kids with grommets get back to normal pool swimming. There is still an "it depends" in it, which is why the instruction that matters most is the one on your own surgeon's paperwork.

What grommets are and why they go in

A grommet, also called a ventilation tube or tympanostomy tube, is a tube placed through the eardrum, smaller than a grain of rice. It lets air into the middle ear and trapped fluid drain out, which is why they are offered to children with repeated middle ear infections or glue ear affecting their hearing.

The trade-off is that the eardrum, normally a sealed barrier, now has a deliberate opening in it. That is why water becomes a talking point. Grommets are not permanent: most work their way out as the eardrum heals over, often within a year.

Why the advice on ear protection has changed

Parents who had grommets themselves often remember strict rules: no swimming, no hair washing without plugs, no getting the head wet at all. International guidelines have moved: the leading ENT guidance now says clinicians should not routinely push water precautions for children with tubes. Australian practice has not moved as far. Surveys of Australian ear surgeons find most still advise some restriction for pool swimming, and surgeons in the northern states are more cautious again. The relaxed advice is real, but it is not the default here yet.

The reasoning is practical. Water does not pass easily through a tube that small at the surface of a pool, and chlorinated water is less likely to carry the bugs that cause trouble. Weighed against that is a child sitting out of lessons for months and losing water confidence. None of this makes ear protection wrong: the question has moved from "always" to "depends on the child, the water and the surgeon", and some kids do keep getting discharge after every swim.

Where surgeons still get cautious

The relaxed advice applies to a specific scenario: a child swimming near the surface in a clean, chlorinated learn-to-swim pool. A few situations prompt more caution.

• Depth and diving. Pressure rises as a child goes deeper, and pressure is what pushes water through a grommet. Many surgeons set a depth limit or ask families to skip diving while tubes are in.
• Full head submersion. Repeated dunking is more likely to force water in than swimming along with the face in.
• Dams, rivers and warm untreated water. Non-chlorinated water can carry bacteria a pool would not, and surgeons are warier of dams, rivers and warm still water than of the ocean. See our guide on river, dam and lake safety for families.

Bath water is a separate question rather than a stricter one. Soapy water has a lower surface tension, so it slips through a small opening more readily, but many surgeons who ask for care in the pool are relaxed about the bath, and others take the opposite view. Ask what yours wants for shampoo and hair washing.

Ask about each at your follow-up: a blanket "swimming is fine" often means pool swimming and nothing more.

Ear plugs, headbands, and keeping them in

If your surgeon recommends protection, you have three broad options. Silicone putty plugs are the cheap starting point: roll a small blob and seat it over the opening of the canal rather than jamming it in. They are fiddly, and small children love pulling them out. Pre-moulded reusable plugs in a soft flanged shape come in child sizes and fit more consistently. Custom moulded plugs, made by an audiologist from an impression of the ear, seal best, but cost more and small ears grow.

Whatever you use, a neoprene swim headband over the top is the piece most parents wish they had bought first. It holds the plugs in and survives a wriggly toddler better than plugs alone. Let your child wear it at home first so it does not become a wrestling match on the pool deck. A swim cap over the top can help hold a headband in place, though a cap on its own does not keep water out of the ears.

When to get back in the pool

There is no universal number of days. Some surgeons clear swimming within days, others prefer a couple of weeks so the ear settles and any post-operative discharge clears.

Ask a clear question before you leave the clinic: when can we swim, at what depth, with or without plugs, and does that change for the bath or the beach? Write the answer down.

What to tell the swim school

Swim schools handle grommets constantly. Tell the office and the teacher three things: that your child has grommets, whether they wear plugs or a headband, and whether there is any restriction on diving or deep water. The same conversation suits hearing aids and cochlear implants.

A good teacher will adapt without making a fuss, holding your child back from bottom retrieval games while keeping them involved in everything else. Compare programs in our directory of swim schools or browse swim schools near you and ask how they handle it.

Signs something is not right

Grommets can get blocked or the ear can become infected, and swimming sometimes gets the blame when a head cold is doing the work. Watch for discharge, particularly if it is cloudy, smelly or persistent, along with ear pain, fever, a child suddenly not hearing you, or dizziness. Any of those means a GP visit rather than pushing on with the next lesson. Our guide on ear infections and swimming explains the difference between outer and middle ear infections.

Keeping water confidence going through a break

If you do sit out for a while, keep the pool feeling familiar. Come and watch the lesson anyway, so the chlorine smell and the noise stay ordinary, and ask about a hold or a make-up lesson rather than withdrawing. At home, keep the bath fun within whatever limits your surgeon has set: blowing bubbles and floating toys keep water friendly without submersion. Kids lose confidence faster than they lose skills.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child swim with grommets in?

Most children with grommets can swim in a chlorinated pool. International guidelines no longer recommend routine ear plugs for surface swimming, but most Australian ear surgeons still advise some form of protection or restriction, and advice varies from surgeon to surgeon. Follow your own ENT's instruction, and ask specifically about depth, diving and untreated water.

How long after grommet surgery can my child go back to swimming lessons?

There is no single waiting period. Some surgeons clear swimming within days, others prefer a week or two while the ear settles. Ask your surgeon before you leave the clinic, then tell your swim school when you expect to be back.

Do kids with grommets need ear plugs for swimming?

It depends on your surgeon. International guidance no longer recommends routine plugs for surface pool swimming, but most Australian surgeons still advise some protection, particularly for diving, bath water or untreated water like dams and rivers. If your child gets discharge after swimming, plugs and a neoprene headband are worth trying, guided by your GP or ENT.

What is the best way to keep ear plugs in a toddler?

A neoprene swim headband worn over the plugs is the trick most parents land on, because it holds them in through wriggling and jumping. Custom moulded plugs stay put better than off-the-shelf ones, and practising with the headband at home first makes it feel normal.

Can a child with grommets swim in the ocean, a dam or a river?

This is where advice varies most. It is genuinely split on ocean swimming, and surgeons are generally warier of dams, rivers and warm still water, which can carry bacteria a chlorinated pool would not. Diving is where caution is most consistent, whatever the water. Ask your child's ENT about each setting rather than assuming one answer covers them all.