To feel a bit embarrassed my nearly four year old is in a class with two year olds!

I think swimming lessons for toddlers are a waste of money. Just take him swimming yourself to get used to the water and then have some 1:1 lessons.

A lot of time in group lessons is wasted watching other people.

This was my DD. In the end I paid for one on one tuition and in 8 weeks she was swimming

Not many 3-4 year olds are independent swimmers even if they have done water babies etc. We put DSD to lessons at 4 and she was a competent swimmer by 5, you might find you start to see progress now he’s older. Are there any local gyms where you could take him to practise a bit more cheaply? Our leisure centre is quite expensive too but at the gym DH and I go to we can take DSD for the family sessions for £3 and it’s free for us as members.

Ah ignore me then, our council doesn't do lessons for kids that young so they start at around 4! We did take the kids swimming ourselves but not regularly as, like yours, it's expensive and £25 for a 90 min session which is jam packed and made up of slides and water amusements doesn't work for teaching. I think centre parcs and eurocamp pools was probably really useful for us as they spent hours in the pool during the holidays which gave them motivation to learn. Like others have said though I tend to think anything that comes early and has parents in with them isn't really about swimming.

Edited to say we are at crossed purposes. Our council pool is also expensive but the lessons were cheaper and more effective for actual swimming. The private lessons were lovely but more of an experience than learning to swim

Sounds like you’re an easy source of income for the coach. Switch swim school.

Take him out and put him in 1-1. This style of learning isn’t working for him

I remember when I was about 9, me and my mate were in a swimming lesson, in the kiddies pool, with children aged about 6/7!

My mum barely knew how to swim so didn't teach me. Other family and friends did though, but we just weren't as confident.
But yeah, me and my pal felt pretty embarrassed by that. But not enough to not want to continue swimming. Within a year we were up to about the same level as other kids our age. In fact by the end of primary I was a very confident swimmer and went several times a week.

So he will catch up. If he hasn't any coordination issues in general he's obviously just not such a natural or hasn't had enough practice. No point blaming yourself. It's better now that he's a bit behind than waiting till he was 9 like me. The embarrassment will be minimal on his part I'd imagine this young.

Why not take him swimming a couple times a week on top of the classes? Or even some one to one tuition if that's feasible financially.
It's very important he's able to swim to an extent. So just carry on doing what you're doing.

I would find a cheaper pool and take him myself twice a week. I taught my son to swim in a week when he was 3 at my parent's pool. One week intensive in the sun. The issue is that your child is going once a week and probably not 52 weeks a year. He is not progressing because he's not having the chance to practise

Maybe a good idea to check out other courses, he may be just at the stage where he's ready for more structured lessons. But don't discount how valuable becoming water confident is!
My DC are finished with swimming lessons now after years of lessons and water miles, but it took DD much longer to get started than DS.

DS started with leisure centre lessons, lots of water play and blowing bubbles then a private pool opened up so he started there and went straight into formal lessons. Dd was a bit younger so went straight into private lessons, it did not go well and after a few terms she was moved down to the toddler group where it was all about becoming confident and floating. She hated being in a different group initially but once she got the hang of playing and floating she went back to the older group, and progressed well through the levels from then. We did weekly pool sessions too at that time so she had plenty of practice with less pressure.

Try another type of lesson and see how he goes, even if it's just a one off 1-1 with a private instructor. He might just need a different slant on his lessons x

I don't think you should be embarrassed. But wonder if you should change lessons? My son started swimming at 4 years old and other children were similar age. Cost £40 a month - max 6 children, teacher in water. They use noodles and floats, no arm bands.

My DS is like this. He has ADHD and is unteachable when it comes to swimming. He just doesn’t listen and wants to carry on and ‘play’ in the water.

It has really made me realise how difficult classroom is ( though he manages really well at school)

now he’s embarrassed about being eldest in swim class. Says he can swim ( he can- but not great)

private lessons really helped though to push him up the skills level. Maybe try that? Then he can re enter at more appropriate age group?
its more expensive- but will be cheaper than 18 months of group classes with no progress.

Just take him swimming in his own loads. At this age he just needs to have fun and learn to go in and out of the water with ease. Once he can go underwater then the swimming part comes naturally.

Honestly there are many children who aren't capable of swimming until 6/7! I had my girls in swimming from 2 and they made very little progress until they were 7/8! My boy I didn't start lessons until he was 7 and I saved myself the wasted money. All three of my children are dyslexic and dyspraxic (although I didn't know that when they were little) and have issues with motor skills. I found it depressing when they were little and my friends kids were like little fish. If you can pay for him to do one to one lessons, it made a big difference to my children and they reached the level needed quicker than they would have in a big group lesson.

If it's a council pool and there's been no progress in years, you need to move instructor or pool.

These ones are useless.

Total waste of money and the class sounds useless.

Take a break for a few months then start lessons with a different swim school. One for 4 years+, not toddlers

Take him out and get him into a Swim England scheme, usually in a council pool.

Your money would be so much better spent on some 1:1 lessons than the courses.

£20 for you to go swimming?!?! That's like spa/leisure club access prices. You need to find a council pool.

4 is young to be swimming but it seems like your current classes aren't working for your DC. Maybe try another provider.

I’d say take him to a cheaper pool a bit further out, just the two of you to bring the cost down further. If he’s not making much progress with once a week then practicing with you in between will help. It doesn’t have to be all serious, make it fun and build the serious stuff in without him realising, using inflatable balls as floats, pool noodles as hobby horses etc

I agree. I was 12 when I learned to swim and my son, despite my efforts, was about 9 I think. I became a good swimmer and he is marvellous.

Op, don't worry about it, he is very young and will swim when he is ready.

You need to pay no relevance to any lessons you took him to before 2.5-3 years old, don’t think about them, ignore it and don’t factor it in as being “swimming lessons” they don’t add to when and how he will swim at all they are no different to going in the bath really. Good for getting him comfortable in the water but not swimming itself.

Then need to remember this is the same for most preschool classes of anything, they are all pitched at same level whether 2/3years old or almost 5yrs old. If you child is 4 and preschool still then (if in UK?) must be oldest in year, others a few weeks older would be in school now. It can be very meh for the older preschoolers continuing with preschool classes in that last year before school, that’s all it is not that your son is behind.

But as others have said, many swimming lessons will take 4 year olds into stage 1 rather than preschool lessons given many 4 year olds are in school.

Everyone develops at different rates. Lots of different factors to consider. I wouldn't worry. My two didn't start swimming lessons until they were after 3 years old and one is top 10 in the country for age group now.