October 2014 Moms
Laurenldlw9
member
Traditional swimming lessons vs. ISR
Laurenldlw9
member
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!!!
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Re: Traditional swimming lessons vs. ISR
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not for us.
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!!!!!
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.
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018