Asked to leave poolside during 3-yr olds swimming lesson

If you think they need more lifeguards or teachers then do raise that, and don’t take your kid back till the ratio is one you are happy with - but that’s a separate issue to parents on the side of the pool.

I used to teach as I said above and parents on the pool side are a distraction. You might be a lifeguard but most aren’t and the last thing you need is parents faffing around near the water - they are more likely to cause an accident than prevent it. Accidents apart, little kids have little attention spans and if their parents are there they will automatically interact with them rather than swim, so progress really slows down.

I'm a swimming teacher , I teach ducklings aged 3-5. I have 8 in a class . I never turn my back. We have a 0.80m pool. I teach them to put their foot down and do alot of movement in the water before progressing to swimming. It's brilliant some of the stuff they end up doing independently. We also have a lifeguard. Parents are on poolside

At age 3 I wouldn’t Use lessons - bring him to the pool yourself and get him used to getting in and out , getting used to the water and how it feels , he’ll learn how to float and put his head under water by himself

Then you get him lessons and when he’s 5-7 and you’ll be less worried about him wandering off etc

I think it's fairly standard where parents are not in the water for a lesson (i.e. beyond toddler swimming lessons) that parents are expected to be in the viewing area. The ratio also sounds fairly average to me. In my experience most parents are glued to a phone during swimming lessons so would not be much use as extra lifeguards!

At the swim school my kids went to the had several teens in the water with kids, probably a ratio of 1:3 and parents sat at poolside, there was no balcony area.

The lifeguard thing is an issue, but seriously, parents at swim lessons - a disaster. Kid are waving at/watching their parents instead of listening, full on tantrums if they are having 'one of those days' where they want to cling to mum. No way.

I’ve been to a few different pools with my 3 kids for lessons. No parents are allowed nearby to interact with their kids. The same with the dance and tumbling classes they attend. When a parents at hand, the child (especially the younger ones) will look to their parents rather than the coaches. They’re paying less attention, not listening or focusing on the coach. They’re far less independent as the second they’re even the slightest bit out of their comfort zone with trying something new, instead of listening to the coach and giving it a crack they’re whinging to their parents that they don’t want to do it. I think you’re being a bit OTT in thinking your child is going to immediately drown in fairly shallow water just because they’ve slipped when the coaches back is turned for a few seconds. If your child slips then surely he’ll just stand back up, even newborn babies have a diving reflex so he’ll hold his breath. If he does need help that’s what the lifeguard is for

Standard. Happened to me, child’s waistband fell off 1st lesson and instructor’s back to her. She turned round but not until I’d nearly had a heart attack behind glass upstairs. We lived to tell tale. You’ve got to trust people. It’ll be ok.

It's not just about the ratio as such - I'd be happier with two adults to ten children than one to five. The key thing is there can be someone watching over the others while one focuses on developing a single swimmer.

During covid I wasn’t allowed in the building but had to deliver my dc pool ready to the front door then wait sitting on the pavement outside the back door for the dc to be ejected, wet in their swimming costume and towel.

Well, technically parents were supposed to “wait in the car” and “change in the car” but that conveniently forgot about all the people without cars, sitting in the dark street by their back fire door, in the rain, and the dc going home in their wet swimming costume and hoodie towel, on foot or on the bus or both. Also conveniently forgetting about people with more than one DC, who not only have to wait outside with the first, still wet child whilst the second has their lesson, but cannot be at the front door delivering one child to their lesson and simultaneously at the back door collecting a wet child. Big building and a back entrance never designed to be used in an under-lit side alley. It’s no wonder I drank too much in the pandemic is it really.

We can sit pool side, but sometimes think it would be easier (for my son in particular) if I wasn't in view anyway. He bloody hates swimming lessons, but I have no concerns about his safety while he is there. I imagine most pools, where there is a separate area, would ask parents would wait there.

That ratio wouldn't be acceptable to me for a three year old. My daughter is six, and her lessons have a teacher and an assistant for six pupils. The assistants main role is to keep an eye on the children while they're waiting for their turn so the teacher can focus on the child who's demonstrating a skill/practicing/whatever.

3 is far too young for that..ysnbu.

Eek. That's a poor ratio

The lifeguard will get to your child a lot quicker than you will. It’s just something to get used to for you, but it’s totally normal.

I taught swimming to little kids as a teen and parents who strayed onto the poolside were a distraction to the kids.

That’s normal. Parents need to stay in the viewing area.

There are safety protocols in place - lifeguard etc. If your own anxiety means you don’t trust that then ok, take him out of swimming lessons but YABVU by expecting to stay on the side

The policy seems normal - but you need to have a class setup that you trust. How many children are there in the class? The teacher needs eyes on them all at once. If this isn’t happening it’s not safe.

I understand that they don’t want parents at the poolside as kids generally learn better when they’re not around. But I would never let a 3yo go to a swimming lesson with just one teacher. What she’s doing is negligent and plain dangerous! How many are in the group?

My kids have been at swimming lessons from 4yo. They have 4 teachers to 10 kids!

I'd query the ratio of staff to child for that age group. I've witnessed a child being resuscitated at a swimming pool and it's not something I'd ever want to see again. Things can go wrong very quickly.

Yeah watching from a balcony is normal. It was balcony in our old pool, then in current one watching from reception area, which is glass windows to the pool, but unlike a balcony you wouldn't be able to shout down (although I suppose in an emergency you could bang on the window). You'd have to go through a corridor and then changing rooms to get to the pool itself.

During covid parents weren't even allowed in reception and had to stand in the car park peering through the windows to the pool (which looked quite funny to see a row of parents in the rain pressed up against the glass!) So a balcony is actually pretty good!

Yanbu. Age 3 is very very young. I’ve always been poolside even during covid neasures.

Maybe find a different class?