Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

When to stop swimming lessons

30 replies

JocastaNu · 12/05/2021 09:30

DS is 8 and has been going to swimming lessons for 3 years.

He has poor coordination in general so it's been a slooooow process.

Just wondering when others have stopped swimming lessons for their DC?

DS hates swimming, but he's still not confident in deep water. He can swim about 15 metres without stopping.

His lessons have changed from the old Stage system to a colour coded system which seems to focus on distance.

I'm just wondering how long I should keep him going?

OP posts:

idontlikealdi · 12/05/2021 09:36

Difficult one - I wouldn't stop until confident in deep water, and 15m really isn't very far.

Mine had just gone into stage 8 at the beginning of lockdown and have decided not to go back. they are very confident swimmers and can swim 200m+ and are going to do Rookie Lifeguard instead.

btchymcbtchfce · 12/05/2021 09:39

We carried on through all the stages as they enjoyed it but if not then I think stage 4 or 5 is a good stopping point.

GaraMedouar · 12/05/2021 09:45

All my kids had moved up into the length swimming. My boys carried on for ages, teens. My daughter didn’t enjoy it and she stopped at lockdown , age 8 nearly 9.
So she can swim probably 200m or so , front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.
(I just wanted to be confident that if she fell in a river/off a boat she’d be ok. )
My kids knew it was a non negotiable skill.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General sports

Mybigbed · 12/05/2021 09:45

Things like scouts and guides ask if they can swim 50m in light clothing so I’d keep going until he can do that other wise it might limit him in terms of water activities he can do in the future and obviously in terms of safety.

They are expected to be able to swim 25m by the time they leave school too so that’s the bare minimum I’d stop at.

NativityDreaming · 12/05/2021 09:47

It’s a life skill that could save their life one day so I wouldn’t stop until they are proficient.

Stompythedinosaur · 12/05/2021 09:47

Personally I'd keep going until they were confident in the water. Being able to swim 25m is often a barrier to doing other activities - my dc are going on a summer camp this year (age 8 and 10) where you have to be able to swim 25m to go.

morningteacup · 12/05/2021 09:48

Would individual lessons be a possibility?

TokyoSushi · 12/05/2021 09:50

Mine kept going until I felt confident that they would be safe in the water.

I didn't need them to be able to do butterfly or anything like that, just to be able to swim and keep themselves out of danger if necessary.

Triffid1 · 12/05/2021 09:50

It is a life skill really so ideally, he should be confident enough to swim a full length, preferably two, to jump in and to not be concerned if he can't touch the bottom. A child or adult can choose not to swim, that's fine. But they need to be prepared for accidents etc.

I've told DD, who hates swimming, she has to complete stage 3 and then can stop. She's still struggling with Stage 1. Lockdown has NOT been her friend.

WildGeese · 12/05/2021 09:56

DS always hated swimming lessons. He was going to our local council pool every week for about 4 years and making very little progress. The class sizes were quite big so there was a lot of standing around getting cold, and very little feedback from the teachers to help him improve. We switched to lessons in a smaller, warmer private pool. He had two 1:1 lessons and then moved to a group of 4. It’s more expensive, but he has made so much progress and he now loves swimming, so I see the council lessons as having been a false economy really.

Gazelda · 12/05/2021 10:05

My DD didn't enjoy lessons. I told her that she could stop once she'd achieved level 7 as that seems to be the minimum standard required if she wants to do sailing clubs, or similar activities. I figured this must indicate a pretty safe standard.

NickyHeath · 12/05/2021 10:09

Two of my DC (12 and 9) have finished the stages, but we live by the sea & do a lot of water based stuff, so they have to keep swimming - they can choose between stage 8, surf lifesaving & club swimming. They’ve both chosen stage 8.

I think if we were less active in water, & it was just about safety in an accidental drowning situation, I would say swimming 50m with clothing on & some minutes of treading water would be my goal.

cptartapp · 12/05/2021 10:12

DS1 stopped about 8 when he broke his arm. He was a very competent swimmer so it seemed a natural end. Had just completed his mile badge.
DS2 then wanted to stop. I said he could when he completed his mile badge too. He applied and did it within the month. He was seven so also very competent,
They already did other activities so we called it a day.

Clymene · 12/05/2021 10:13

I would keep going until he's confident but would definitely switch provider if he's in a big group class. I found with my uncoordinated child, he did much better with intensive courses every day over half term with max 2 children meant he made much more progress.

edwinbear · 12/05/2021 10:15

Mine are slightly different as they both swim well. DS (11) remained in lessons until he started competitive swimming with his school squad, which coincided with him finishing the 'levels' at swim school. DD (9) I will take the same approach.

However, I'd persist with your DS until he can confidently swim 25m. I appreciate it's a slog, but apart from being a life skill, being a confident swimmer opens so many opportunities for them. Being able to go on banana boat rides in the sea on holiday, inflatable parties in the pool, scuba diving, learning to surf/sail/windsurf/canoe/white water rafting etc etc and all the other water based activities they may want to have a go at at some point in their lives. Being comfortable on and around the water gives them access to so many fun activates other than ploughing up and down a pool.

spiderlight · 12/05/2021 10:18

Mine was at the very end of stage 6 and the leisure centre changed hands, and his new teacher was absolutely useless. He was disheartened and making no progress, and we had a battle over going every week, so we called it a day. He's a confident swimmer and enjoyed going with his friends pre-lockdown but has no interest in competitive swimming or related sports, so I don't really care that he's not ticked the level 7 box.

ethelredonagoodday · 12/05/2021 10:19

My eldest stopped when her lessons consisted of spending an hour swimming lengths with different strokes. Basically she got to the top group at the swimming club and didn't want to go into competitions and training squad. I think she was 10? Swimming is a life skill and also great for fitness, so I was keen to keep her going as long as possible. But she's a really strong swimmer now, so I'm happy at that.

TeenMinusTests · 12/05/2021 10:20

My DC have poor coordination and swimming really helped with that.

I feel you need to keep going until they are OK in deep water and can swim at least 50m if not 100m confidently, plus tread water for a couple of minutes. ie until they would have a chance of keeping themselves safe if they fell off a boat on a lake or whatever.

It isn't about style, it is about stamina and not panicking.

Totallyrandomname · 12/05/2021 10:23

Mine are 4 and 7. Hey both like lessons but I’m planning to go until they can safely swim a decent distance. Like others have said it feels different to other types of activity because it’s a safety thing as well as a hobby/club.

Having said that if he really dislikes swimming maybe you could take some breaks in lessons. Do some swimming for fun at the local pool for a few months then go back to lessons. Or make sure you do fun swimming as well as lessons.

My son hated his first lessons because of the teacher because she wasn’t very reassuring and he really need that. We changed lessons and he likes them so much more. Is there a specific issue that might be helped by changing the lessons (different teacher, different time of day etc).

Totallyrandomname · 12/05/2021 10:24

Possibly you could look at a few individual lessons to get his swimming improved but do fewer lessons?

emmathedilemma · 12/05/2021 10:28

Do you go swimming as a family outside of lessons? I think general "playing" in the water can really help with the confidence thing. A week between sessions with no practice in between is a long time when you're trying to learn a new skill, particularly when it doesn't come naturally!

Londono · 12/05/2021 10:29

Many people stop lessons far too soon IMO but I know how excruciatingly slow progress can be. I added in crash courses in the holidays as well as swimming lessons when I felt they needed a bit of a push to get up to the next stage and that often worked well as they go every day instead of just half an hour once a week. Or, if you can afford it, finding lessons where the class size is smaller. It is the one activity that is compulsory for my DC. Also bear in mind that with the various lockdowns many children are struggling with swimming and it will take time to get them back on track.

Ginandplatonic · 12/05/2021 10:34

Mine really struggled in group lessons - went for years and watched people come into the group and move up out of the group while he didn’t progress. Eventually I got him 1:1 lessons and he improved quickly if that’s an option for you. Still hated it, but progressed enough to be safe by about 11 so I then let him stop.

Original poster

JocastaNu · 12/05/2021 11:58

Thanks all. I guess around 50m seems like a good aim.

He used to have lessons in a small group at a private pool which he enjoyed but sadly they ended and anything similar here (rural area so choices are few) has long waiting lists so we're currently using the council lessons.

OP posts:

TeenMinusTests · 12/05/2021 12:46

When they are y6/y7/scouts/DofE they might want to do raft building / canoeing etc. Being 'water confident' is helpful for that kind of thing.

Flip

1 2