Traditional swimming lessons vs. ISR

Laurenldlw9 · June 2014

So for anyone who has experience with ISR swimming method I need your help!! I just started my little girl in them yesterday, she will be three in July and it was really hard to watch!!! She cried the whole time as the instructor just kept dunking her underwater. I totally understand there is a method to the madness and that her crying is better than an accidental drowning in our backyard but I'm just wondering if traditional swim lessons are better? My husband couldn't even watch, he said he can't go back I'll have to take her. I just want to know if anyone else has experience and can guide me if we should stick it out or try something else. TIA!!!

Emerald27 · June 2014

That's a tough decision. You need to decide what works best for you and your family.

What kind of access to water does DD regularly have (I.e. Do you have an in-ground pool at home, will you be spending a lot of time traveling this summer in places with pools or at the beach)?

It is my very limited understanding that ISR can be pretty traumatic for children, and some children don't like water at all after the class (correct me if I'm wrong), but that some do just fine. Some parents choose to do it if there is a nearby danger, like an in-ground pool, or because they want to be as sure as they can that their toddler will be as safe as possible around water.

It's not for me. DS will learn to swim with traditional lessons, and we will be hyper-vigilant with him around water and always emphasize water safety rules.

slsl509 · June 2014

I don't like to question other parents' decisions for the kids for the most part but I gotta step in here and say there is a lot of controversy behind ISR and I think it's seems very cruel and would never, ever do that to my children.

3 year olds should be blowing bubbles and wearing lifejackets, not being forced underwater. That makes me shudder. I wouldn't want to see someone do that to my dog, let alone my child.

Granted there are strange exceptions (a child unlocking a door and wandering out in the night) but keeping your kids under close watch and instructing them (when old enough) never to approach water without you nearby is my plan to avoiding a drowning tragedy.

Laurenldlw9 · June 2014

We just moved into a home his last year with an in-ground pool, and she is totally fearless about going into it. We have two older children that learned to swim from us around age 5 but they were never around pools very much so there wasn't that immediate danger. My in-laws also just built a pool so even though we are getting a safety gate put in, I don't think they are. I'm stressed about this decision...

lrobi13 · June 2014

I taught swim lessons for 8 years while in high school and college. We NEVER dunked kids as a method. We taught them safety skills but our goal was to encourage fun and safe water play and never induce fear.

The only time a child went underwater is at the end of class. All kids "jumped" off the side of the pool to an instructor. If we had a sense that the child was ready we would catch them underwater instead of above.

We stressed "throw, don't go" is they ever say anyone in danger and always discussed pool rules and how they were never to go near the pool without an adult watching/permission.

I would hate her to have a fear of the pool bc of the method but all children react differently.

Laurenldlw9 · June 2014

@lrobi13‌ can I ask at what age you found was teachable? I'm just worried it will take a long time to teach her at not quite 3 and then we will go all summer with her not knowing how to swim and don't want an accident.

Emerald27 · June 2014

Laurenldlw9 said:
We just moved into a home his last year with an in-ground pool, and she is totally fearless about going into it. We have two older children that learned to swim from us around age 5 but they were never around pools very much so there wasn't that immediate danger. My in-laws also just built a pool so even though we are getting a safety gate put in, I don't think they are. I'm stressed about this decision...

IMHO, if my inlaws did not have a fence/locked childproof gate around their pool, no matter what kind of safety training LO had, I would not let LO play at their house and would feel really uncomfortable even visiting. Especially with 2 older kids to keep an eye on.

lrobi13 · June 2014

Laurenldlw9 said:

@lrobi13‌ can I ask at what age you found was teachable? I'm just worried it will take a long time to teach her at not quite 3 and then we will go all summer with her not knowing how to swim and don't want an accident.

I taught 6 months - adult.

6 months - 3 years was with the parents in the water with the child.

At 3 years many of the kids were teachable to some point. I had a few three years olds that had no problem kicking the length of the pool and back with some swim aids. Sometimes a kid would come back the next year and be completely afraid so we had to start at square one.

We spent tons of time creating boundaries for the kids because I would take each kids on a few one on one spins so I found that almost all of the kids could listen and follow instructions to stay on the wall while they waited their turn. We always had lifeguards on duty to back me up.

Glas43 · June 2014

I used to work as a lifeguard and had my WSI(water safety instructor) for teaching swimming leassons and im not a fan of that method i prefer the more traditional.

SusieBW · June 2014

lrobi13 said:

I taught 6 months - adult.
6 months - 3 years was with the parents in the water with the child.
At 3 years many of the kids were teachable to some point. I had a few three years olds that had no problem kicking the length of the pool and back with some swim aids. Sometimes a kid would come back the next year and be completely afraid so we had to start at square one.
We spent tons of time creating boundaries for the kids because I would take each kids on a few one on one spins so I found that almost all of the kids could listen and follow instructions to stay on the wall while they waited their turn. We always had lifeguards on duty to back me up.

This is exactly the way DD's swim lessons are set up now. She's been taking them on and off since a little before she turned 1. In the baby classes, they leave it up to the parents whether we wanted to dunk the kids or not, and taught us to blow in their face and then dunk them. DD loved it from the first time. She's done well and is now about to finish up the first no parents class at just under 3 years old (usually starts at 3, but kids who did well in the last level were allowed to move up before turning 3). Actually, it was with parents the first 3 weeks and without parents for the last 4 weeks. She wears a bubble, and can swim the length of the pool fine with just that, but they also give the kids a stick with floats on the ends to use under their arms. DD's favorite part of class is when they get to jump in off the starting blocks, and she jumps unassisted and swims back to the wall when she comes up. The kids all sit on the wall and wait their turn when it's that part of class, and they range from about 2.5 - 4 years old. We've also been taking her in pools and the ocean since she was a baby.

OP, Idon't know much about ISR swim classes, but from what you described, I don't think I'd like it. It sounds traumatic, and I would be really afraid that it was going to leave my kid scared of the water rather than confident in it.

No matter what kind of swim classes DD had or how good a swimmer she was, though, I wouldn't want her near a pool or anything without supervision until she's significantly older.

pnwlover12 · June 2014

ho-lee-shit! I have to admit, I didn't know what ISR was so I googled it.

Not for us.

Laurenldlw9 · June 2014

@pnwlover12‌ I know it is scary!!!

I actually researched more and found a swim school that does very light ISR skills and teaches a more traditional way and I think that will be a better fit for us. I just can't stand to go back today and put her through it again, I couldn't even sleep last night. Thanks for everyone's help!!!!!

vrj0522 · June 2014

I have a friend whose 18 month old just passed the ISR test and whose other 3 children (3, 4.5, and 6 yrs old) are all allowed to be in the swimming pool by themselves at the local rec center because they know how to swim and have passed a swimming test. It obviously has worked for her and her daughter was completely calm and fine the day that she had her ISR test. So I think it's a method that can work... however, the way to get there is what I don't like.

DS absolutely loves water and to go to the swimming pool and he is fearless of the water so I've considered ISR but I still haven't done anything about it because of the horror stories. I wouldn't want to traumatize him so I've held back. It's to the point where we need to make a decision and I still don't know what we'll do. It's definitely a hard decision.

pnwlover12 · June 2014

Laurenldlw9 said:

@pnwlover12‌ I know it is scary!!! I actually researched more and found a swim school that does very light ISR skills and teaches a more traditional way and I think that will be a better fit for us. I just can't stand to go back today and put her through it again, I couldn't even sleep last night. Thanks for everyone's help!!!!!

I get why they say it's beneficial, but I would be bawling at the pool and couldn't do it.

TheBenzMom · June 2014

I didn't know what isr was so I looked on YouTube and I would never put my baby through that. I guess everyone is different...

Starfish17 · June 2014

My kids have been in regular swim lessons since they were about 9 or 10 months. They teach the basics like blowing bubbles, but also safety skills like swimming to the side of the pool and climbing out. They do jump in and go underwater, even in the baby class we dunk them. My son now swims without a flotation aid (and has been for almost a year). I have seen a lot of kids crying at the first few lessons without using a traumatic method, so I would be concerned about what long lasting effects that would have.

pinkshades05 · June 2014

I would definitely look for a different program. DD is 2 and we started swimming lessons a month ago. The teachers are so nice and great with the kids--there are over 20+ kids in this long pool and NONE of them cry! And the teachers spend as much time as the kids need to get familiar with the water first. I'm so pleased to see DD's progress in just 4 weeks and she grins from ear to ear at every lesson. I hope you find the program that is right for you and your daughter!

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