Swimming lessons?

keg · August 2012

Have any of you done swimming lessons with a child that was less than excited about the idea? DH would like DDs (3.5 years) to have some basic lessons, and while I have one that I think will do fine, the other isn't a fan. She likes hanging out in the pool with her puddle jumper, but hates getting her face wet (which makes washing hair a lot of fun and she hates the shower). Does anyone have any success stories or should I expect this to be as painful as I'm expecting? :-)

julie1408 · August 2012

My DD is 4 and we have done swim lessons on and off for the last few summers. This summer she was still unwilling and uncomfortable putting her face in the water. I took her to the pool a few times earlier this summer to work on it with her. I taught lessons for 10 years so I was determined to get her doing it on her own. Nope!

It took the right instructor. She was very experienced, been teaching for years. Has her own kids so she was perfect at being loving and firm at the same time. In 3 lessons she had her going under the water on her own, and now she is at ease in the water.

I would suggest going with a swim school that has a good reputation and then requesting the most experienced teacher there (usually also the most requested). Good luck!

roxy_jj · August 2012

We started DD with swimming lessons when she was 2. I'll be honest, she really didn't like it for a long time. We debated about taking her out of swim lessons until she was a little older. In the end, we kept her in because it's so important that she learns how to swim. It wasn't until about 6 months ago (when she was around 4.5) that she realized that it wasn't so scary and is actually pretty fun. Now she loves it and it's crazy how much she has improved, she's a pretty good swimmer now.

With your DD, I would make sure she doesn't have a teacher that makes her do things she isn't comfortable with, that could only make her nervousness in the water worse. My DD's instructors were really patient with her and let her take baby steps.

KathrynMD · August 2012

We took group swimming lessons over the spring and DD was pretty indifferent about it - only put her face in once or twice (over an 8 week session), never kicked but didn't cry or scream either. What has made a tremendous difference though is swimming 2x a week w/ her preschool class. She's like a fish now - and will swim underwater w/o hesitation, can't wait to show me how she puts her face underwater, she wants to practice swimming in the bathtub constantly. DH and I have not been involved with this at all and while her teachers and lifeguards supervise at the pool, this has all happened without any kind of adult intervention or direction, the kids who weren't such great or confident swimmers saw how much fun the good swimmers were having and so they caught on!

neverblushed · August 2012

Yes, but you would never know it by how well they swim today.

Both of my kids did not like getting their faces wet and were nervous about swim lessons. But they like the pool, and we spend a ton of time in the pool and at the beach as a family, so swimming lessons were a necessity for them.

I waited until age 4 to do swim lessons. If you have a YMCA near you, they have a pretty good program for ages 3-6. The Y where we did swimming had a level for kids who were scared to enter the water themselves. They learn the regular preschool swim skills, but the parent gets in the water with the child.

At the Y, you can try the regular beginner preschool level (it's called Pike I) and if your child is too scared to do the lessons, they'll switch you to Pike and Parent. The instructors did not force kids to put their faces in the water in Pike I, but they encouraged it. I also like the Y because water safety is emphasized.

Both my kids were able to take the regular Pike I lessons, even though they were both afraid to put their faces in the water. DD was fine. DS cried through his entire first lesson, but he stuck it out and did everything the instructor told him to do. (Note: I needed a valium by the end of the lesson, but my son was fine.) After the first week, he was less anxious each time.

If you can find a place where they could be in different lessons (like, different days of the week or back to back on the same day) it might make things easier on the DD who is more anxious about the water.

A year of maturity can make a big difference with fears, though. So, if you try lessons at 3.5 and it doesn't work for your nervous DD, wait several months and try again.

GL!

Quiksilver620 · August 2012

DD loves the pool and being in the water, but she wouldn't go with the lifeguard for a swim eval so we couldn't sign her up for lessons this summer

Angela814 · August 2012

Annalise hates getting her face wet. She does fine in swimming lessons. IME, they didn't push her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with at the beginning levels. She's been in lessons for about 3 years now, and she will put her face in the water and do bobs, although she still doesn't really like it. I think learning to swim is important, and I don't think a child has to be able to put their face in the water to swim. I dislike going under water too, but I can still swim all the basic strokes.

ETA: All our swimming lessons have been through the Y too. Charlotte is currently in lessons (mommy & me) right now too.

keg · August 2012

Thanks all for your insights! We're not doing the Y, but we have a Swim School close by that does a ton of classes for all ages. I'll use my contacts to see if there are particular teachers I should request. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's a good experience for all!

Littlejen22 · August 2012

My 3.5yo is joining DS in his lessons and it is fairly useless. I would recommend at this age working with her on blowing bubbles in water and then sticking her head in the water, if she will do that she will be so much more ready. And next year I would sign her up either way bc it is a skill she does need to know.

brewcitybride · August 2012

It shouldn't be painful at all, because if your child doesn't want to go in the water, or put their face in the water, then you should not push it, and wait another year. I taught swimming lessons to 3-4 year olds for many years, and the kids whose parents pushed them (not literally

to swim before they were ready were the kids who were traumatized and it took them a few more summers to be ready for lessons. It's ok if your 3 or 4 year old isn't ready - you can still go to the lessons and participate and talk about water safety, which is really the most important part about lessons at this age anyway. Good luck!

Spenjamins · August 2012

We started at 5. Prior to their lessons we focused on having fun in the water and not pushing it. Just getting them to be comfortable in the water and happy.

4 months ago we started private lessons 2x/week. They are like seals now. No tears, motivated and happy.

2x/week has made a huge difference. They are totally in to it and are starting to work on freestyle arms! Swimming on the weekends to let them continue to play and have fun without pressure is also great since they are all business during lessons.

ridesbuttons · August 2012

I consider swimming to be a necessary life skill so while I've got one kid (5) who loves the water/no fear and another who is afraid of the water (doesn't like water on his face, etc.)(3.5) they both attend swimming lessons. Sorry if you don't like it, kid.

Fact is, they both do better in swim lessons with an instructor than with mom or dad. Best to be out of sight, IME.

jlw2505 · August 2012

My older DD didn't like it at first. I had done a w/parent class when she was around 18 months and she cried every week. She was having a lot of ear infections at the time so we thought that was related and ended up stopping and then started again when she was 3 and could go without us. We go to a great swim school and the classes at that age are 1 teacher per 3 kids. Since my DD had such a hard time at first (would cry for about half the class) they ended up having one of the managers come over and work with her each class at the start until she was comfy. Took a few weeks and then she was fine. For the first few new sessions, she would go through this as it was always a new teacher but the manager would come over the 1st week and once she felt comfy with the teacher, she was fine and loves it and is actually a great swimmer and in the highest level for her age group. Key is to really trust the place you are taking lessons and trust in their method. If you show that you are nervous or uneasy or anything, she will pick up on that. At our swim school, they sometimes have parents sit at the other end of the room or in the parent viewing area so they are away from the kids which works with a lot of the kids to get them in.

VTbride05 · August 2012

I read this article recently that I thought I would share: https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/teach-your-child-to-swim/

DS started swimming lessons when he was 18 months. He also hated to get his face/hair wet. The lessons helped him to feel more comfortable. We have also been part of lessons the last two summers. They helped a TON. This year we signed up with friends and the little bit of peer pressure was great for both kids.

GL!

Want a personalized experience?

Swimming lessons?

Re: Swimming lessons?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards