To think it is okay for DS (8) to stop swimming lessons now?

Oh that's great then. Why don't you have a chat to the swimming instructor and see what they say in terms of stopping the lessons, they are probably the best ones placed to give advice

I think you're absolutely fine to stop. There's so much pressure on parents these days for kids to have all these activities. You said you're both trying to work full time, and something has to give. You've offered the option with his other activities and he can safely swim.

I’ve cut to the end from the OP- soz! 🤣 DS2, 8, was not great as a swimmer. We were going to Oz to see family so thought it’d be good if he could at least save himself in a pool. Cost us £50 per 1m, we reckoned.🤣 1:1 tutoring.

Back in Oz, I had mum-friends who’s 3 year kids could swim the length of their backyard pool. Mine absolute couldn’t have swum ours!

Anyway, all good in Oz on our holiday, but what swung it was 2 years later, getting a villa with a pool in Mallorca. Boys always supervised, of course, but that was where they nailed ‘how to swim’.

An aside, I hate how swimming immediately becomes competitive. Child likes swimming? Squad! Faster, faster, faster! No ‘Just enjoy’.

£360 a year per child, for years and years doesnt sound cheap to me at all!

I'm astounded that so many people continue shelling out for swimming lessons long after the child can swim. The RNLI and others promote floating to save your life if in danger in water, NOT swimming. So the only life-skill kids need is floating. There is no plausible reason kids NEED to know how to swim butterfly, or do perfect front crawl technique etc unless they plan to swim competitively.

But the swimming lesson industry has done a brilliant job of persuading middle class parents they have to spend a fortune on swimming lessons for years and years. Taking your kids swimming and letting them enjoy the water is so much more beneficial for their confidence. My kids are all teens who swim regularly and confidently in the sea and pool having had only the bare minimum of lessons. They don't have perfect technique but it has no adverse effect on them.

Not everywhere. Our council lessons are cheap and if you're not too fussy on times you can sign up straight away. Maybe a slightly longer wait if you want a specific time or teacher but even then we've never waited long. We pay just over £30 a month which covers 50 swimming lessons a year plus unlimited leisure swimming.

Yes. Fair that it's a fail because floating is a key survival skill which can save your life when you get swept out to sea and have no energy left to swim.

They do, it's part of the primary curriculum. However it's a very small amount to cover the basics, as like with brushing teeth and teaching about appropriate relationships, and many other things, schools can't fully take over parents responsibilities.

I would have said no at age 8, but now knowing if he’s that good I’d say ok yes you could stop.

They should be free as it’s part of the curriculum.

If he enjoys it I wouldn't stop. Quite a few parents at our dcs school have after school nannies to ferry them to clubs, it could be just a student a few nights a week, so you could consider that? It's hard work doing the ferrying but for us we see it as a limited period, as they will be able to travel independently by public transport at secondary age.

My DS(8) has nearly finished stage 6 but hes going to keep going until he passes stage 7 at least. I'd like him to do more by his age I could already dive and swim much further than he can.

Well, no. Food is a necessity, but that's not free!

Floating is an essential skill because if you're stuck, swimming might not help you, and you will wear yourself out so that's why he would fail those standards which makes perfect sense

They still need to be paid for by parents.

Not in our area.

Just turned 8 year old dd is just going into stage 6. No way in hell is she stopping anytime soon. Il review on a yearly basis.

Swimming is an important skill, I think also though its being realistic in terms of survival skills as a pool is nothing like being in danger. Swimming is freezing temperatures, being disoriented, in your clothes etc. That's not to say kids shouldn't be having lessons.

Like others, I think it depends on your definition of 'swim well'.

I do agree that you need to cut down so that you and your dh can actually get your jobs done, and I think he should have input into which it is he cuts out.

Personally, I'd be encouraging him to keep swimming up over most other things. If he's only doing one session a week, I'm going to presume he's not swimming for a club. Being a strong swimmer gives so much access to other things as a teen, from social swims with friends, to all sorts of boating activities.

Council lessons always have extremely long waiting lists, so therefore disadvantaged children are more likely to not learn to swim

They do at school