DC are age 5 and 6. They started swimming lessons in august last year (2011) Progress was slow in the stage 1 (beginner) group but they were happy to go to the lessons and try all the moves. I was fine with this and they were enjoying themselves so i didn't mind paying out for the lessons.
After 6 months I had to change the day they had lessons on due to a change in my own timetable. This also meant they had a new teacher who (this may be important) actually taught them while in the water herself rather than stood by the side as previous teacher had done. All of a sudden both DC made rapid progress. they seemed to just 'get' what they needed to do and were moved up a level after 3 months.
This is when the problems started. The teacher from that lesson had no space in her level 2 group so they went on the waiting list and in the meantime were offered spaces in another (3rd) teacher's group. It wasn't at an ideal time or day for any of us but i accepted. The new teacher stood by the side of the pool and after a while DC started to lose interest in going to lessons. They also grew less confident in their abilities in the pool. I tried to reassure them and we stuck with the lessons as i thought it an important skill for DC to learn.
Eventually the got offered spaces on the 2nd teachers group 2 lessons. DC very excited about this. They start to make progress again but more importantly loved going to the lessons. But after just 3 weeks the teacher tells them she is leaving, she was only a maternity cover and the original teacher is coming back. Many tears about this and I again reassure them it will be ok and this teacher was also going to be in the pool.
It hasn't been ok though. On their second lesson with this teacher she made them jump in the deep (2 metre) end of the pool) DC were terrified and screaming but she still made them do it-twice! the following week they refused to go to the lesson. The week after i got them to go but DS spent half the lesson crying 'because he couldn't do it' Last week they didn't go because we had a party later in the evening and i thought it would be too much to do both. They didn't complain at all.
So this week's lesson (today) teacher isn't in the pool as she has a broken arm. DS spent the entire lesson crying and refusing to even try to swim. Teacher just said fine sit on the side then, which is what he did for the whole 30 mins. DD did try but she was quite obviously struggling and didnt seem to know what to do after 20 mins she was in tears as well. They both came out of the lesson saying they never want to go back.
AIBU to give in to them and just cancel the lessons? I am wasting (quite a lot of) money when they are not actually learning to swim. Or should I be forcing them to keep it up and keep my fingers crossed that the lessons will improve and DC will actually learn to swim one day?
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AIBU?
to stop wasting money on swimming lessons because my DC are clearly NEVER going to learn to swim when they hate the lessons so much
32 replies
wigglytuff · 16/11/2012 19:49
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