To be annoyed at parents at swimming lessons

[daffodil10]

Returned to swim lessons after half term and have a new batch of over protective parents. A couple of them are hovering on the edge of the pool on the verge of jumping in, while the teachers try to teach. If you can't sit in the seating area and let the teachers get on with it go and have a coffee. The children are safe, the teachers are in the pool and there's life guards - they are not going to drown rant over !

I view swimming lessons as an opportunity for a nice sit down!
I guess they'll calm down after a few lessons. It wouldn't annoy me personally but I suppose if it's obstructing the teaching it would be.

Dont' the teachers ask them to back off?

They'll soon get sick of it and be playing on their mobiles within a few weeks.

We are not allowed poolside we have to watch from the viewing balcony. That's how it should be.

Thought the whole idea of paying for swimming lessons was not having to hang around on the side of a sweaty heat pool and being able to delegate the task to someone else!

Heaven forbid parents should worry about their children in new, potentially dangerous situations whether there are professionals there or not.

Better they couldn't give two shits ay?

I'm sure once they have been a few times they will stop annoying you op.

No. They're still your responsibility (before lesson, if they have a problem, if the alarms go off etc) at the three pools we have used for lessons. But quietly watching from the benches is the norm.
If you want drop and run lessons maybe go for 1:1 lessons?

How old are the children?

I'm ok with cautiously hovering until you're sure of it all. What I'm not ok with is the people who do a 3 stage showering process afterwards in a crowded area! Move along, ffs. Put a deep treatment on pdd's hair at home so we can rinse and go!

One of my dc has issues when starting new activities. It is a very slow process getting him to join in. If we don't take it slowly and do it right then we set ourselves up for a long and painful process. With swimming I had to sit on the side and gradually move further away until he was confident in what can be a very stressful environment for any child. He is my 3rd dc. The older 2 and the youngest are perfectly fine.
YABU as you have no idea what any of these parents circumstances are.

I loved my DC's swimming lessons. It gave me a chance to sit with a coffee (in the viewing area) with a magazine, occasionally glancing up and giving an encouraging thumbs up or wave.
If you show you are relaxed then the children will relax and realise there is nothing to worry about and just get on with their lesson.
In my experience, the children whose parents hovered nervously at the side of the pool were much more anxious and as a result were much more likely to fuss and cry.

I guess it must be annoying if your kid is not progressing and endlessly see new kids come in, move on to the next class etc. But don't take it out on the other parents, they don't know the norm when they're new to it.

Oh yes! Skincarejunkie the crowded shower situation gives me the rage. If you want your child to have a half hour shower then take them home.

We are confined to viewing area at our pool. Surely hovering around the edge of the pool does nothing to encourage child's confidence?

In my experience, the children whose parents hovered nervously at the side of the pool were much more anxious and as a result were much more likely to fuss and cry

But is that cause and effect, or effect and cause? You just don't know.

If it is interfering with teaching, have a word with teacher, otherwise let it go.

Do they have outdoor shoes on?

No one is allowed in the pool area with outdoor shoes on in any of the pools round here.

YANBU! The parents shouldn't be anywhere near the pool.We had to sit in chairs, sort of level with the pool, but behind a 3 foot railing, and about 20-30 feet away. (So the kids could see us but we couldn't get near them IYSWIM.)

Complain to the teacher. I am guessing you're paying for the lessons. You have a right to complain.

No. It's time for a coffee, sneaky bun and little bit of fb or mumsnet

Are these parents bothering your children?

YABU. If you want to sit down, do so. The other parents can stand if they want to. They're not complaining about you being lazy so what do you care if they want to supervise their children?

Saw one mother this week fly down from the viewing area to tell the teacher (highly experienced and the best there) her snowflake needed more discs on. While teacher looked confused and tried to spot which child was struggling (none of them where), mother went and fetched more discs and put them on the child. Teachers face was a picture.

Probably parents with no lives & nothing better to do. To be honest I don't understand why parents let their kids go to public swimming lessons if they don't trust the teacher to do their jobs - teach them yourselves then.

YABU. At our pool parents have to be nearby at all times so no wandering off to have a coffee allowed. If some kids need their parents a little closer it's hardly the crime of the century.

I wouldn't hover, but YABU to be annoyed about it. What are your general stress levels like? If I started getting annoyed about other parents not doing things the way I do them, I'd probably explode.

Chill the feck out.

When DS was first learning as a 4 year old, there was a little boy in his class who was clearly terrified & unhappy

His arsehole father spent the entire lesson ranting away in the viewing area "OH GOD LOOK AT HIM he's crying AGAIN" etc etc, with the mum just sitting there. He would also bang on the window & make "shoo shoo" gesticulations to try to get him in the water

Once I heard the mum ask whether they ought to leave the lessons for a bit "NO HE HAS TO LEARN" yes but not right now

Poor little lad attended for the whole term & made no progress at all

Was sat next to a mum who watches her kids like a hawk the whole time. She told me that a few years ago her oldest went under and it wasn't noticed by the teacher who was about half a length away with another child. Her husband had to jump in the pool and haul him up. He was much closer than the life guard. So yes I always have my eye out now and tell my oldest whose at the other end of the pool from my youngest not to suck his head under the what when waiting for his turn.

Parents are only allowed poolside
a) for the first lesson
b) if they wear overshoes
c) if they stay on the benches at the far side of the pool

Otherwise you stay in the viewing area. It's fine. I'm happy that my DC is sufficiently supervised. At any time there are at least 4 instructors in the water plus two lifeguards on patrol.

As mentioned upthread, the people who insist on full shower/hair treatment for their kids then spend bloody ages at the mirror doing hair drying and getting them into PJs are really really annoying.
Just rinse off and go home ffs.