Swimming lesson disaster

[shoulditbethishard1]

4 year old twins have been having swimming lessons for a few weeks now, they’re getting on really well and enjoying it. There are 3 of them to 1 teacher and the class is 30 minutes long.

it started off so well, both of them were kicking their legs and not just doggy paddle but on their front.

the other child in the class (who wasn’t mine) was a bit clingy today and didn’t participate as they normally do. All fine it happens. It meant that my twins were left a bit more to their own devices, but they were having fun. One of my twins was spinning around on the spot, and laughing.

The teacher got hold of her woggle and told her to stop spinning. She didn’t immediately listen but then teacher was very firm with her and told her to listen and stop spinning.

I could see what was going to happen, my DD immediately got upset (she’s very sensitive) and started crying, her twin sister then cried as a result of her sister crying. The other child in the class, already not quite their usual self, also started crying 😱

the teacher then spent then next 15 minutes just walking up and down the pool with 3 screaming 4 year olds clinging to her.

I didn’t intervene to start with, my DH was just telling me not to make eye contact with them 😂

in the end I did go to the side as no one was getting anything out of the lesson.

I totally supported the teacher, they should listen, especially in a pool where there are so many dangers, but I do wonder whether afterwards they thought they could have drawn their attention by distraction rather than good old fashioned shouting.

but it got me wondering, does this thing happen with 4 year olds? Does your 4 year old have issues with swimming lessons? Do they get inconsolably upset when being told off by someone that they really don’t know well?

just to be clear this isn’t a rant about the teacher just more of a “what would your child have done”

Just a thought but do you think the other child being upset unsettled them a bit, so when they got told off it tipped them off into being upset more easily than it usually would have?

It sounds like the teacher was being firm about listening & water safety, I think you did the right thing backing them up really, its probably hard for a teacher who doesnt yet know them well to judge how stern to be. I'd say most 4 year olds wouldn't burst into tears at being told off by a grown up but then again not too abnormal either if that makes sense? Maybe 10% of children would be super upset, 20% not care at all and the rest all somewhere in the middle?!

I think that if they are going to get inconsolably upset when being told off for mucking about (which is dangerous in a swimming situation), then maybe they aren't yet mature enough for swimming lessons.

.... or the teacher isn't best suited to teaching little ones.

or both.

I wouldn't jump to them not being ready for lessons, surely these kind of situations are just all part of normal life lessons for children, and they will learn to listen next time?

Agree @WestOfWestminster . I'd give it another go or more but if becoming inconsolable becomes a pattern it would show they aren't ready yet.

Do they do nursery or anything OP?

@shoulditbethishard1

i really wouldn't worry about it. They're still very young. A few tears doesn't make them 'not ready' for something, it just means they're being 4 & all these things will teach them something. It's just life.🤷🏻‍♀️

The teacher didn't handle the situation brilliantly, but it's an opportunity for them to learn too. Swimming teachers are hard to recruit & retain, so they're not always going to be best suited to every age group.

obviously before the next lesson remind them to listen but don't make a big deal of it or make it somewhere they don't want to go!

Yes they go to nursery for 30 hours per week, they are both confident and have never had any issues with new settings such as nursery, but DT1 is very steady, great temperament and isn’t often told off or put on a time out, so when something like this comes along she is very sensitive - school say the same, she is amazing 98% of the time but as soon as you tell her she shouldn’t be doing something she gets unbelievably upset.

her twin sister on the other hand is totally the opposite, she will do anything and everything that she isn’t supposed to do, and will push every boundary. They couldn’t be more different in temperament.

Thank you, I think this too! Although I did support the teacher I thought that maybe they could have handled it better but we all have bad days. They are normally fab with the lessons.

When my son was 6 and waiting for his lesson to start a girl got into the pool ready for lesson. Teacher came around corner and told her off for getting in pool without permission of teacher. She started crying. But she never did it again!

Haha these sound like my two! different characters… sometimes a bit of a break can help but it’s really not unusual on the slightest for occasional emotional overload at this age