to really HATE this about being a parent?

[BobMarley]

Swimming lessons. I HATE it. I hate the changing rooms. I hate sitting in a hot, damp swimming pool. And I find it really dull to watch. And it takes years before they get the hang of it.

AIBU?

Yeah, they're grim. Is there a section of the pool that you and your baby can go in while the lesson is happening? It makes the changing part even worse but it helps pass the time!

I tried not doing lessons for a while, but then I realised that my children weren't learning anything at all - just fooling around with their feet on the bottom. (clearly I'm a crap teacher, lots of other parents seem to manage this). Then I had another baby and wasn't allowed to take all 3 in, so, back to lessons. And ds1 has done loads for his swimming teacher that he refused to do for me. Still can't swim though.

Another few months and ds2 can be doing lessons too - 3 lots of lessons a week, what joy. Although then, I shall be in the realm of "take a book, problem solved". Looking forward to that!

I don't do lessons, just take DC every week and at nearly 3 he can just about swim. I guess if its something you enjoy (and I love swimming) it can be lots of fun. Its the football I'm dreading.

YANBU the experience is horrid but it might save their lives. I once asked a GP friend what I should do about swimming lessons when ds had a verruca. The said she'd never heard of a child die from a verruca; they could more easily drown. Before you all flame me I got one of those plastic sock things - obviously the parents of the little sod who passed it on didn't.

I hate taking my lot to the doctors. Last time DD1 2.5 years old blew raspberrys at the doctor and refused to be exmained for a chesty cough!

Cant wait to take her to the dentist!

onceamai there's very little evidence to suggest that verruca socks are actually effective.

YANBU - BUT I hate taking my lot swimming with me much more than I hate them having lessons - trying to get myself dry and changed without ending up with soggy knickers on the skanky floor is impossible when you're trying to do the same thing for three grumpy children moaning that they didn't want to get out yet and they're cold, etc etc....

I didn't do weekly swimming lessons with my son when he was 4 (standard starting age where we lived), because he really didn't want to, and I had a small baby and couldn't face committing to something pointless every week for years - I'd seen him in a school group swimming lesson, and he just larked around with his friends, did sword fighting with the woggles, virtually ignored all the instructions, then 'swam' across the pool with his feet on the floor.

So we ignored swimming for 2 years. Then, age 6, I booked private lessons with a tutor. Straight in the big pool so no feet cheating, no playing around, solid instruction for 30 mins rather than daydreaming at the side waiting his turn. He could swim the length of the pool on his back within 6 lessons, and on his front within 10. Around the age, funnily enough, that the weekly swimmers managed it too.

In just 10 lessons, he'd learnt 3 strokes (not the proper crawl with breathing underarm, had to doggy paddle for breaths), could swim underwater through a hoop, pick up underwater objects, float on his back and front like a starfish - all sorts of things.

I just did the same thing with my daughter this summer, aged 6.5, although she was even quicker - swimming about 10 metres by the end of the 2nd lesson.

So although I firmly agree that swimming is an essential life skill that's best to acquire as a child, it doesn't mean months or years of turning up at the municipal pool at 4.45pm on a Tuesday (aren't the time slots always desperately inconvenient for feeding younger siblings?). Simply leave it a year or so until they have sufficient muscle development to bring their head out of the water and hold it their for breathing (usually age 5 minimum; before this they can swim well underwater, then put their feet down to breathe), enough coordination to quickly grasp the strokes, and enough brain development to grasp 'As soon as you've got your length/Level 3/whatever certificate, you can stop the lessons' (if they're not that keen).

Then book private lessons at a time convenient for you - a course of 10 will be ample.

Job done.

Ha! You're not in Canada where all the boys play ice hockey and you have to get them ready with 3 tons of gear by 6 am, only to sit in a freezing cold rink for hours.

Why can't you read a book with a 4 month old? Its not as if you have to play chess with them or hide and seek!

I guess it depends on the class as to how long it takes. DS is 14 months, and he can get himself in and out of the pool, and he can stick his head under the water and breathe through his nose (blowing bubbles) and can float quite easily on his own for ages.
For his birthday, we were at Center Parcs, and he was in the pool for over 5 hours! He loves it, and can understand how to kick, and has just this week started using his arms. I?ve been taking him since he was tiny, and for me that has made a massive difference.
I really enjoy taking him, but because he?s so little, I go to the parent and toddler session, so I get to go in with him, which is probably more fun.
YANBU though - I am dreading doing the changing room bit when he?s more mobile!

I always liked taking them for swimming lessons, but then a) our pool was always clean and nice, and b) the lessons were brilliant and very affordable. I too learned how to do front crawl with brething properly from watching my kids being taught so am happy - and my DDs (9 and 7) have been confident swimmers from age 5.5, with 3 strokes including crawl so I found it well worth it. I've seen some horrible pools in my time, though...

I used to do swimming lessons for dd1 with a month old baby and got myself a boyfirend - anything is posible at swimming lessons

I don't care if I hate it or he hates it. He's learning to swim...end of. It's a massively important life skill to have. We live in an island, we go on holidays where there are generally swimming pools everywhere. And generally it's so wet in the UK there are giant uddlesmand deep water not far from us at any time.

I don't care if he's not of Olympic standard, but until he can float, swim and look as if he could get out of trouble I'll withstand the humidity, changing rooms, competitive parents and so will he!!

Uddlesmand??

CUNTING iPhone.

I never watched swimming lessons, we weren't allowed to. I was either in there with them when young or having a coffee and reading a book whilst they swam.
Both were OK. I'd hate to have a kid who couldn't swim so the short term hassle is worth it for being able to snorkle with them when older.

I quite like watching DS swimming as its the same pool I learnt in .

I take him on his own though as DD stays at nursery, I wouldn't go if I had to take her too.

I agree that the early lessons were more for my benefit than theirs and left it longer before starting with the second child.

Could you get together with a friend with a child in the same swim class (or befriend one) so you can take in turns to take the kids swimming on alternate weeks?

(no idea if this is practical suggestion esp with the infant as well!)

Love the smell of swimming pools!

Have reading out loud to DD. That's awful I know, but I loathe reading aloud.

At least you don't have bush-in-your-face lady at your pool. I would post the link from previous threads but I don't know how.

I hate swimming lessons too. I ended up so crabbit that I packed it in

One DC in the water, 2 bored, a gap, other DC in the water, 2 bored. Toddler trying to get into the pool, moaning, whinging, manky changing rooms etc.

I decided not having swimming lessons was more beneficial to my DC considering how vile Mummy became during the experience.

Another park hater here.

I have swings and a slide and a stupidly big paddling pool in the garden.

I do not want to go to the buggering, skanky park. "Watch me! Push Me! Catch me! You're not watching Mummy!" No because some bugger is trying to nick my handbag off the bench.

DCs can go to the park when they are old enough to go on their own.

Swimming is ok though, mainly because DH takes them.

This is why I'm so happy my DD's school has a deal with the nearby swimming pool whereby they are bussed from school to swimming pool, changed, given the lesson etc. You pick them up when it's all over, washed dried etc.
Now where is that [smug] emoticon again :o

eugh Park . Fine, nay lovely, in the summer, but cold, miserable days of trying to push winging overtired DS "higher mummy, no higher mummy, no MUCH MORE higher mummy, Mummy make it stop make it stop I want to get off", whilst simultaneously supporting DD's full weight whist she 'does monekybars' and yells for me and every other poor downtrodden bugger to watch her, all in the knowldge that it will only get worse the minute I announce it's home time. Utterly soul destroying.

Give me damp and minging swimming pool changing rooms any time. Top Tip alert: We take an extra skanky old towel and put it on the floor like a rug, and suddenly nothing feels quite as miserable.

I can handle reading a book in the swimming pool for half an hour, I love doing craft stuff, I don't mind the park if its not too cold and there's someone I know to chat to .... but I HATE organising childrens parties - I'm hoping they'll grow out of them soon, they are 6 and 8