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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Realised I have spent £720 on swimming lessons and daughter still can't swim.

83 replies

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 16:39

She is 6, very bright and ahead in all areas at school, good at listening, well coordinated. Can ride a big bike without stabilisers and learn a whole 3 minute dance at street dance class. Aibu to think that after 3 years of 30 min weekly swim lessons she should be able to swim? She is in the 3rd class up in the learner pool. So she has made enough progress to be moved up twice. But I watched her today and her stroke technique is awful and she puts her feet down to breathe. I knew she was progressing slowly but stuck with it because a) she enjoys the classes and has made some good friends b) it's good exercise and c) it fits in well with family life as I can swim in the big pool at the same time as her lesson. This is a big deal as i don't have family close by so time by myself to exercise is precious and I love swimming. Now thinking that I need to move her to another swim school as it's such slow progress. Her little brother is 4 soon and I don't want to pay for 2 sets of lessons. We pay £20 a month and there are 6 in each class. I also had to pay for her badges when she moved up classes and write her certificates myself :/

OP posts:

DearTeddyRobinson · 05/08/2017 16:42

What does the swimming teacher say about her progress? Can she be pushed a bit more on techniques etc?

TulipsInAJug · 05/08/2017 16:43

I've spent £150 in swimming lessons and my DD, who has just turned 7, can swim a width of the pool without putting her feet down, can make a good stab at three different strokes, and can dive into the deep end from kneeling then tread water and swim to the edge.

You've been ripped off.

Cakescakescakes · 05/08/2017 16:44

What about ditching the group classes and trying a course of 1-1 lessons? A lot of my friends have done this and while the lessons are about £20 per lesson the kids have al learnt to swim in a fraction of the time than with group lessons as they are getting tailored tuition with no sitting about time. An instructor would prob take both your kids at once in one lesson doing a 1-2 set up. See plenty of sibling groups having private lessons at our local pool.

Funko · 05/08/2017 16:45

As with all things, not everyone will always be able to do and be good at everything. If she is trying and she enjoys it, all good.

However, I would actually expect a hell of lot more progress than that in 3 years.

How big are the classes? Is it a council run lesson or private swim school?

It's about £500 a year for my son at a swim school. Usually about 4 or 5 tops in the class. He has been going around 3/4 years now and I am extremely impressed with his swimming, breathing technique, confidence etc.

Might be worth seeing if you can have a chat with the instructors? Also worth looking around for other options.

fairypuff · 05/08/2017 16:46

£20 a month! We pay £18 per lesson every week for 1 to 1 teaching. My 3 year old has been going for a year and can swim unaided for short distances. Perhaps she needs 1 to 1 lessons?
My 6 year old didn't do well at group lessons as he is too easily distracted.

fairypuff · 05/08/2017 16:47

x post cakescakescakes!

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 16:51

I have talked to the instructors and they said she was making progress at her pace, which is why I stuck it out for asome long as I have. But seeing her today at the end if her lesson ( I got out of my pool and went round to hers to have a look) she was swimming so badly and the instructor wasn't giving her any guidance
I'm a primary teacher so I understand children learn at different rates, however the cynical side of me thinks they might not be pushing them on quickly to ensure they are in the system for longer.
It's a council leisure centre and 6 children are in each group. Other children seem to be progressing faster. I've tried teaching her myself but I'm not trained, am only good at breaststroke myself and she hates me teaching her anything so we don't get very far!

OP posts:

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 16:53

I don't know if she's on the cusp of getting it and I should persevere a bit longer or not. Looking at other options now.

OP posts:

BeyondThePage · 05/08/2017 16:54

Ours learned to swim by going swimming - often - 2 or 3 times a week. By us all just going to the swimming pool and having fun - we then went to some water-park type places where they could go on little slides and splash about and love for swimming just kind-of evolved from there.

Maybe she's not enjoying being taught to swim and would progress more in a fun environment?

drspouse · 05/08/2017 16:55

I know swim schools vary but ours does not allow them in the part where they can put their feet down until they can swim properly. Can you switch to a new pool that does this?

BamburyFuriou3 · 05/08/2017 16:56

Hmm my 6yo had swimming lessons as a baby and toddler and never learned so we stopped. We restarted last autumn and just today she swam unaided (a bit doggy paddle but dipping her head under). Hers are council run and 6 to a group. Other children have moved up but it's taken longer for her to click. Sometimes I think they just don't get it until they're ready.

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 16:57

When I say she can't swim... she can make an attempt at the three strokes and can float on the water, somersault, tread water, launch off from the side etc. Maybe I just saw some bad strokes today. We started her age 3 in the preschool class which was probably too young. I just want it all to click so we can relax a bit more on holiday just having to watch my youngest; I want her to get the sense of achievement at being able to swim properly in deep water. Maybe it's my problem as she's a high achiever in everything else. She's only 6.

OP posts:

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 05/08/2017 16:57

Next week discreetly watch the teacher and see how much input your DDs really getting for the whole lesson.

I'd recommend 1:1 lessons or 1:2 lessons and a different instructor

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 16:58

She has managed to swim a width unaided a few times but it's not consistent and her technique is all over the place.

OP posts:

Hercules12 · 05/08/2017 16:58

Do you take her swimming at other times? With both my dc we were told by instructors they also needed plenty of practice outside of lessons.
In a group lesson they were only swimming for about 10 mins out of the 30.

JemmyBloocher · 05/08/2017 16:58

I spent hundreds and years for my eldest with the council swim lessons, small classes etc. Didn't learn to swim properly. With my other I paid 100 for 5 individual lessons with a private instructor. He could swim on the second. He finished with brilliant stroke, confidence and impeccable breathing. With my other kids I've not wasted a penny on group classes. They're a joke.

BeyondThePage · 05/08/2017 16:58

the thing that gets me about swimming lessons is this insistance that it has to be done a certain way, you have to learn 4 strokes, you have to kick this way and breathe this way - it sounds like boot-camp - not like much fun at all.

Why do young kids need to know how to do front crawl and put their face under water and breathe every other stroke? They need to learn to swim and be safe around water, but for us, swimming is about all having fun together..

Queenioqueenio · 05/08/2017 16:59

I pay £34 pm for a weekly 30 min class with 4 kids in the pool and 2 instructors in the pool. My DS had done 5m in 4 weeks. There is lots of 1:1 attention.
After 3 years of lessons I would have expected a lot more progress. Is there any lessons somewhere else? How about you take her swimming as well for extra practice in addition to lessons?

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 05/08/2017 17:00

She needs 1;1 instruction with a different teacher.

Mine had 20 1:1 and is like a fish now

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 17:02

It's all a bit baffling. Really I should have been the one teaching her to read but she wouldn't let me and so I let the school take charge and she's done really well. If I take her swimming in the big pool she will only stay where she can put hrs feet down. She's quite cautious by nature. I don't know enough about swim techniques to teach herror well myself anyway even if she would listen to me (which she won't! )

OP posts:

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 05/08/2017 17:03

Dovtbfeacher her yourself. Get 1:1

Original poster

sortingmyselfoutslowly · 05/08/2017 17:03

I think a 1:1 is the way to go.

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 05/08/2017 17:05

Only a width unaided after 3 years is pretty rubbish tbh.
For whatever reason these aren't working for her.
I would take her out of these lessons and
either:

go a lot with her in the big pool (can she put her feet down there?)

try a different pool

Either way, take her in-between lessons if you can.

DD could never put her feet down when learning until she was ~9+ as she is small, it isn't necessary to be in a shallow pool, and I suspect counter-productive.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/08/2017 17:05

Dd did lessons with max 4 in a group, instructor in the pool. She didn't want 1-2-1 as she is very sociable. £13 a half hour lesson in a private pool in a private house. I would agree with changing classes. Having a teacher in the pool guiding arms, bodies, legs etc and demonstrating strokes together is far more effective.

iseenodust · 05/08/2017 17:05

Sometimes a change of instructor helps. We swapped days to get a different instructor at one point. Council swimming lessons usually have a waiting list round here so I would be surprised if they weren't wanting the children to make good progress. I remember one instructor explaining the really young learners can't do backstroke easily as their arms / shoulders don't yet accommodate 'brush your arm past your ear'.

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