DD's swimming lesson didn't go so well. Have I misunderstood Stage 1?

[Eastie77]

DD (just turned 5) had her first swimming lesson today, a Stage 1 class. I spoke with the leisure centre before booking and explained that she is a non-swimmer who is nervous in water and was told that is fine - Stage 1 is the right level for her. There were 4 other children so a nice small size. At the start of the lesson the teacher told everyone to get in. All 4 children turned around and slid in. DD sat on the side, very scared, and wouldn't get in. The teacher clicked her fingers and said "come on, in you get". When DD didn't comply the teacher carried on teaching the other 4 and I spent the best part of 40mins coaxing DD to get in. I managed to get her kind of halfway down the stairs leading into the pool and just before the lesson ended she finally stood up and let go of the side. Meanwhile the class continued with the other kids using Doodle's, going underwater etc. The teacher did not acknowledge DD during this time except on one occasions when she looked over and said "You need to get in the pool".

So firstly: in no way did I expect the teacher to devote time to just helping DD when she had 4 other pupils but am I BU in expecting a little bit more encouragement from her?

Secondly, it feels as if I need to get DD confident in the water otherwise these classes are not going to work so I'm looking at a booking a couple of private lessons to help with that. But I'm wondering if I've misunderstood Stage 1 since the kids in the class today were already able to jump/slide in, float on their bag with the Doodle and dive under water to pick up objects. I understand they may have already had a few lessons but wondering if in fact I should bother continuing until she overcomes her fear of water? It doesn't feel as if this 'Stage 1' class is geared up to help her with that.

The brusque teacher today announced it is her final week and a new teacher is starting next week so I will also try and see if DD gets more help with him/her.

In Wales on holiday 2 weeks ago she took a day to feel confident enough to walk into the pool but then did so.

If she took a day when you were with her, I still think it was unreasonable to expect her to get in happily with someone else tbh. I wouldn't force her, though.

I’m afraid that with her level of not wanting to get in the water she was never going to manage in a group class. I think you need to go back and really explain to the leisure centre that ‘nervous’ in the water means she won’t actually get in and see what they suggest.

Our local swimming teacher is in the pool, life guard by the side and no arm bands or play allowed. Parents are on the pool side but not encouraged to interact. There was a post on here a short while ago where parents were locked out of the poolside.

I thought there would be more regulation to ensure standards, it would seem not. However I agree with Rainbow that your DD is not confident enough and you need a different approach.

Ok, but now I'm a bit confused. I spoke with a friend whose son did Stage 1 at the same leisure centre last year. She said the first lesson was based around the kids getting wet: toes in the water, splashing water on the face etc. There were 3 kids including her DS who were scared to get in. She said there were definitely two teachers: one focused on the kids who got in the pool and the other with the kids who were scared. The latter helped the kids with more splashing games etc. My friends DS was still anxious and she was then allowed in with him in one corner of the pool.

When I described DD's first lesson with kids using Doodles and being expected to go underwater and pick up items she said that sounded like lesson 4 or 5 of her son's classes. I have also checked the lesson plan online and class 1 outlines what she describes. All of which makes me think I have actually joined midway through Stage 1 although the swim coordinater said it was the start of the Autumn course. I'm not disagreeing that DD is very anxious and probably not ready but when I speak to the leisure centre I will mention this. I now think the 2nd teacher should have come over to help. There were also 2 lifeguards present so the 2nd teacher would not have been endangering any children if she did a bit of 1-1 with DD. She instead spent the lesson sitting on a bench smiling sympathetically at us.

With the swimming scheme my DSes follow, at our council swimming pool, your experience sounds unusual. We have Ducklings classes before Stage 1, and these (Ducklings) classes are aimed at total beginners, some children have never been in the water before. They are mainly for toddlers but there is no age limit on them, my DS2 has autism & was in these until 6 years old. In these classes there is a teacher on the side & one in the water, and we had anything from 1-8 children per lesson. Stage 1 is their first swimming hat (red) & is a bit more about actual swimming & strokes rather than water confidence etc, at least at our pool.

Did your DD actually start at Lesson 1 of Stage 1?

If it’s a rolling course there is no ‘lesson one’

I taught swimming for ten years.

Both teachers you had were shite.

The helper should have been ‘helping’ dd and you should have been encouraged to leave the pool side as you were actually a hazard.

Some kids need to be shown how to get in the water safely. It takes s couple of mins at the beginning of each class.

The main outcome before moving to stage 2 is unaided travel, it was 5 meters when I was last in.

OP if you want to Pm I can give you some pointers and what you need to be looking for or even asking the swimming coordinator that’s in charge of the teachers

Is this ASA stage 1? If that’s the case you have been put into the wrong class. She should go to ducklings first. Look at the ASA website. To be honest if the child won’t go into the pool, then swimming lessons are a waste of money. I have one in stage 2 and one just started at ducklings 1 so fairly up to date view of this. All the children I have seen going to ducklings can get into the water themselves. They teach things slightly above just getting into the water. Like blowing bubbles etc.

The thing is, you can just take your DD to the pool yourself to get her confident enough to enter the pool. That wouldn’t cost as much as a lesson!

Is this ASA stage 1? If that’s the case you have been put into the wrong class.
Not necessarily, the way our school does it beginners of school age start at stage 1, only preschoolers do ducklings badges. I was told the top ducklings badge requires more than stage 1 does.

Over 3’s aren’t allowed to start with Ducklings where my DD’s go, they have to start with stage 1. It’s a rolling course so no ‘first class’ as it were. People move on when they’re ready and new starters join as a space becomes available.

Btw op the foam aids are called noodles not doodles (they’re shoes!)

They're usually called "prelude to 10 minutes whining because I wanted the pink one" where DD1 is concerned....

I have one son who recently did stage 1 and one son currently in stage 1. The lessons are very much in the water, swimming with noodles, putting heads under the water, jumping in etc. If a child doesn’t want to get into the water the teacher couldn’t really do much with them.

I would take her yourself until she is really confident getting in and out herself and getting her face wet.

An as above there isn’t really a lesson 1. Children move up when they have passed each requirement of the stage and then another child joins the group in their space. My son in stage two has been there for more than the number of lessons because he hasn’t passed all of the requirements yet.

No idea why I was calling them Doodles

Ok, we are going to the pool on Wednesday for a play around with our neighbour and her DD. DD is very keen. The leisure centre will not refund the class money so I may as well still go on Sundays aa she can at least play in the main pool which opens straight after the lesson finishes.

Thanks for the offer of advice via PMs, I will message posters when I get a chance.

Oh and the swimming coordinater had "no idea" what Ducklings referred to and there are no classes in our immediate area (I am now looking for 3 year old DS). We live in central London.

There probably are more than one award schemes out there? DC's gymnastics school, for example, doesn't do the british gymnastics award. But I believe the majority does?

At my children's swim school, DC1 started when she was in reception and went into ducklings. DC2 is preschool but 4yo. She's now starting with ducklings.

This is what ASA ducklings is. Your leisure centre probably doesn't follow it.
www.swimming.org/learntoswim/asa-duckling-awards/

And this is the stage 1-7. You can have a look at what each stage means.

www.swimming.org/learntoswim/asa-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/

Just wondering if at age 5 your child has had any experience of being in the pool before as if this was her first experience especially without you or dad I’m not surprised it was all too much for her.
There are classes for young babies now to introduce them to the pool.
Maybe see how she gets on with the new teacher and if she’s still nervous a few sessions with you or 1.1 to build up her confidence.

Terrible teacher. Give the next one a try and hopefully s/he'll be better trained to deal with nervous beginners. In the mean time, take her for a few fun sessions yourself. Stay in the teaching pool and make it fun- take a pool toy/ ball. No pressure on her. Maybe some messing about in the bath too.
DS2 was terrified at first. He had this vile teacher who used to splash him in the face. I just took him out of the class and found someone lovely and gentle.
PS Adam Peaty was terrified of water when he started. Look at him now!

My daughter is 4 and has just started stage 1- but she has been going for a year and done duckling 1,2 and 3 first.

You need to just give her lots of positive encouragement for next week and stick with it. This does tend to happen with older kids who have not had much water experience. They are scared. 5yo is on the older size to start swimming lessons, to be brutally honest you should have done it sooner. so it will take time for her to overcome her nerves so don’t expect quick results but she will get there. Keep going!

Sounds like they thought not confident meant would actually get in the pool but shy and slightly fear full of getting face wet/splashed. Ducklings here is for toddlers so she would be too old for that but by the sounds of it is what she needs.

Both my older too started straight into stage one asa awards lessons, they are free running lessons so they are al different abilities from first lesson to nearly ready for stage 2. Instructor out side of the water but encouraging. They wouldn’t do much more than a “come on just try your toes a little” for a child who wouldn’t get in.

It sounds like there are a few different schemes out there. For my DC Stage 1 consisted of getting in/out of the water safely, blowing bubbles, floating and travelling on front and back using a float. So really just water confidence.

Also the teachers are in the pool, giving 1-to-1 support as each child swims in turn (multiple teachers).

DC2 was very nervous and was basically carried through the water for the first few lessons.

Sympathies OP - I can imagine a child having exactly this experience in my son's stage 1 class. The leisure centre run the classes on a rolling basis and so new kids start whenever a space opens up (there is no 'lesson 1'), and for kids of school age stage 1 is the starting point regardless of past experience. DS's teacher is also pretty brusque, although more in a wordless solemn way than anything aggressive or whatever.

I have no problems, because DS was just gone six when he started, had been splashing about vigorously in the pool with me for a year or so prior, was desperately keen to start, and just all round robust and enthusiastic and ready for it. He responded really well to the 'get in and get on with it' approach. Just a year earlier, although it would still have been the 'right' stage for him, I know he wouldn't have been able to handle it and would have done one lesson, hated it, and been totally put off for the foreseeable future.

Definitely recommend some more time just playing in the pool with you.