Swimming teacher, 'booby barbie' and boys v girls.......

[SimplyRedHead]

My DD1 (6) goes to swimming lessons and has a great male teacher who is very strict but loved by all the kids. He is no nonsense but lots of fun and she loves the lessons. He has nicknames for the kids and the strokes and seems to enjoy bantering with them. He also teaches my DD2 (3) and is brilliant with her.

She came out of the pool yesterday laughing about his latest 'thing'. Apparently he has a 'booby Barbie' (booby as in booby prize - not busty!) which he will present to whichever BOY is the worst swimmer each week. They have to take the booby barbie home and bring it back the following week.

I'm fairly sure he's joking although he did have a Barbie with him during the lesson. This makes me very uncomfortable for lots of reasons but mostly:

1. singling out a child for their lack of skill
2. belittling a child infront of peers
3. telling the boys that if they are 'rubbish' their punishment is to have a 'girls' toy
4. separating the boys and girls

For me it tells the boys that 'girls' toys are embarrassing and suitable for a punishment. Any boys who like Barbie are therefore weedy or 'not good'. It also associates girls with being not good at something.

There is no 'forfeit' for the worst girl.

Like I said, he is brilliant in so many ways and both my girls love him. He hasn't actually given the doll to anyone and I'm 99.9% sure he wouldn't.

I would like to raise it with him but the lesson handovers are complete chaos so it's not something I could casually raise with him - I'd have to email or make a real effort to grab him and take him to one side.

Am I being over sensitive. I'm sure I'll get some
'he's a knob' replies but I really don't think he is. This is just very badly thought through.

I don't want to ruin the good relationship we have. What should I do?

We had something similar when I played junior football years ago. There was a prize for 'best' performance and one for 'worst' performance.

No one received the prize more than once, every week it was a different child who received the prize. The worst performance trophy wasn't given to who ever wasn't as good as football as the others but to the child who wasn't listening/messing about etc.

It was a bit of fun and didn't do anyone any harm. Hope that makes sense posting on a phone in a hurry

I think this sounds like a crap sexist idea. I wouldn't want my kid taught by someone who thinks like that

It's a crap idea and full of the sentiment that being made to appear girly is a punishment. That's before we get anywhere near the issue of singling out a 6 year old child in this manner.

I would email the centre and ask the instructor to drop this ludicrous practice.

It's a bizarre idea but swimming is such a critical skill, it can be hard to find lessons/places combined with an instructor your kids like. For this reason, I would not say anything and let your kids continue to learn to swim.

What else are they learning, though, Idespair?

Not a good idea, but probably if he is usually a good teacher he might have had an off moment.