to feel I've wasted money on swimming lessons.

[MsColour]

DD7 had swimming lessons for 2 years. Yes, she can just about swim without any swimming aids but her technique is not good and she has lacked a lot of confidence. She spent a lot of time standing on the edge of the pool because she wouldn't jump in (which would have ticked off one of the things she needed to achieve to move to the next group up) and didn't like putting her face in the water. DS4 started lessons last year and watching him trying to learn in a group of up to 8 children with no-one correcting his technique. He still requires a lot of swimming aids.

So got to end of January and was due to renew their lessons but money was tight. So thought about it and decided that paying £5 each a week for them to swim across the pool 5-6 times in half an hour just wasn't worth it. Plus they were always missing lessons due to coughs, parties etc. I decided not to renew but instead I would make a point of always taking them on my weekends and extra in the holidays(they go to their dad EOW) which would work out cheaper and would be more quality family time. The pool I take them to is never to busy and also gets all the floats out for them to use. The children can be in the water for longer so we can have some time to practice their swimming technique and some time to play.

About a month in and I already feel the children's swimming and confidence is improving. DD's technique is much better just when she puts her mind to it and has been happier about putting her face in the water. She will quite happily jump in as she's doing it on her own terms, not just because someone else has told her to. DS is generally swimming horizontally not vertically like he was in his swimming lessons and is also much more confident in the water.

So AIBU to feel group swimming lessons were a bit of a waste of time?

i think it is age dependant.
before 4 is too much to ask, a swimming instructor herself told me.
my dd swims beautifully and started initially before 4 but left it as she was too young.

For the under fives, I think the important thing is to have fun. I have one objective when I teach this age - That they want to come back next week.
So, if you can, a fun family session is as good as a lesson. or, if that's impossible, then a lesson.
Some 3 yr olds just aren't ready yet. So, just wait.

Agree.
Fun and water confifence under 4.

I really wish I could swim 'properly' I was taught by my DSD which was fine but if I go swimming for fitness I know I'm not great.

I pay for lessons for both my children and I have to say they (especially ds who is 8) are developing excellent swimming skills, DS recently swam 600m on a distance swim.

DD (4) started a year ago, scared to put her face in the water and unable to jump in - she is now swimming without floats and bouncing around underwater. Many of the children started in tears all the way through the lessons but the teachers are excellent and they have all got over the fear.

I think a good teaching group is what you need and yours sounds a bit rubbish.

When you take on a group of 3/4 year olds you can often see the ones who haven't been regular swimming with anyone because there are quite a few who are scared.

If it's at all possible to take them swimming yourself before they begin lessons, it's so worth it, because you are then paying to get more actual teaching rather than building basic water confidence.

Of course though this isn't always possible.

Our pool charges £15 per month per child for a group lesson every week and free swimming at any time. Both of mine started at 3 and whilst it's very slow at the beginning, with neither learning until 5 really, they come on loads once they actually start swimming.

For me swimming is an absolute must, its so important. Mine can swim a few lengths now already but a recent holiday proved to me that they cannot stop their lessons due to lack of stamina. Whilst in the sea and at the bottom of water slides were there's waves and currents etc, their swimming was no way good enough...totally different to swimming in calm water, which i expect has a lesser chance of drowning.

Mine start swimming with the school too soon but they will still continue their lessons purely to keep it up. Just one term off (when the snow was bad), set mine back loads. They do want to quit but for me its a need to rather than a nice to activity. It also means that when we go as a family (2x month on average) we don't have to do any actual swimming practice and can just have fun.

Swimming isnt essential for my child but I wanted him to do an activity and basically for fun for him and he really enjoys it and has made friends his age there.

Lessons are worth it if you get the right teacher!

We run a swim school and get very good results as we work on technique rather than distance. Some who have come to us have said they have learnt more with us in one session that in a whole term at other swim schools......