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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask what I’ve been paying for?

66 replies

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 10:46

So basically my daughter has just been given the same certificate for swimming for the third time, am I wasting my money completely?!

She started at private lessons and got her Stage 2 and 5m before they lost use of the pool and we had to find lessons elsewhere.

She then went to council lessons that are dictated by age and was put in their Stage2 until she reached an age that they’d move her up. She had yet again got Stage2 and by then 25m before we moved and had to change lessons yet again.

When we put her in swimming lessons at the new place they wanted to put her in Stage 2 again. Tbh I did insist on then having another assessment and said she’d achieved that level twice now and I couldn’t see the point of her repeating it yet again.

Been to lessons today, they congratulated DD on achieving Stage2 AGAIN!!! So we now have 3 of the bloody badges. I don’t want it spoiled for her as she really is in her element in the water. But her confidence is taking a hit every time.
Also what the hell have I been paying for for the past year!!!!!
WWYD?

OP posts:

Ifailed · 20/11/2017 10:48

Does she enjoy it - surely that's the main thing?

SlowlyShrinking · 20/11/2017 10:52

Why don’t you take her to your local swimming club? They don’t tend to do badges, but concentrate on improving stroke technique over all 4 strokes, and eventually competing against other clubs. She might enjoy it if she really enjoys swimming.

RedSkyAtNight · 20/11/2017 10:52

I think that DC do plateau in swimming before improving again (mine did anyway). Surely it's likely that she has improved, just not enough yet to get Stage 3? Weird that they keep giving her the same badge though - generally they branch out into specific stroke badges just to give the DC something different.

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 11:02

She loves swimming that’s the only reason we keep sticking with it. But I do wonder if she’s getting anything out of doing lessons.

OP posts:

liminality · 20/11/2017 11:04

It's an essential life survival skill. Keep going with it. It's absolutely necessary, no matter if she is 'achieving' or not.

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 11:07

How do I find a club? Are they not for when they’ve done all the levels?

I suppose I’m most concerned from the feedback the badges just irritated me. When we moved a year ago she had two things to get (she couldn’t do them I’m aware of that) however she collects things from deep end and got 25m front crawl and back stroke (although admittedly not the neatest).
Now, a year on, the feedback I get is that she’s done very well to get 5m But it’s such a shame she won’t put her head in the water!

OP posts:

Naillig222 · 20/11/2017 11:17

As redsky said, it’s probably that she has improved but not enough to move to level three.
My son flew up through the first few levels and has now been at the same level for ages. I do sometimes feel like I might as well be throwing my money into the swimming pool but there’s no point insisting he get moved on if he’s not ready.

Does she not put her head in the water? It makes sense that the teacher wouldn’t move her on if that’s the case.

QuiteQuietly · 20/11/2017 11:19

It seems to me that the problem is that you've moved provider three times. Stick with one so she has a chance to go up to the next ability group. Then she can work towards stage 3 and the staff can get to know her and what she needs to work on.

user1495451339 · 20/11/2017 11:23

It is the regular swimming that will make her more confident in the water and have more stamina. Sounds like she is on to the next level now anyway so don't worry about it!

whiskyowl · 20/11/2017 11:24

It sounds as though you've been forced to move the lessons (through no fault of your own) - I imagine this will settle down when she stays for a bit longer at one club. They are probably just putting her onto the standard level for her age to ensure she's not out of her depth.

Definitely keep going - she loves it, it's brilliant exercise, and it could save her life. Win, win, win.

SlowlyShrinking · 20/11/2017 11:24

No not for when they’ve done all levels. My dc actually was taught to swim at swimming club, after doing council lessons for ages but never actually being taught to swim for some reason. He was also reluctant to put his head in the water until swimming club, where they wear goggles and just all seem happy to put their heads in. I’d google swimming club in a few towns local to you to find one. In my area there are 4 local to me. Get in touch and they’ll tell you when to go for a trial.
The other good thing is that lessons are actually cheaper than the council-run ones!

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 11:29

She’s been working on Stage 3 since Feb 2016 and although it’s obvious outside of lessons they don’t seem to see the improvement (although I’m aware it’s down to their work)
Yes she puts her head in the water she’s had to be taught to breathe as before she would hold her breath and keep her head in the whole time. One extreme to the other!
Do we just plod on with the lessons? I’m getting aware that her confidence is being knocked each time they shift the other kids out, I’ll totally accept if she’s not ready, but going backwards?

OP posts:

theEagleIsLost · 20/11/2017 11:29

How do I find a club? Are they not for when they’ve done all the levels?

In my current area they are for when you get past level 7. There are advertise at the swim place and contact details available form them and on-line.

In my old area there was a swimming club that did lessons from very basic levels. I knew about it from other parents and then found it on line - they were much better than the useless leisure centre lessons we had paid for apparently but at a time I couldn't get kids there for.

In current area child's level is held on computer and once finished they move up to next or wait till space - all the local council pools use same database so can chop and change between pools, teacher, lesson times and no-one redoes same level again and again. The lessons are not aged based but ability based - my children were older than most starting lessons here but that seem to have meant them going through levels a bit quicker than the ones starting at 4.

I did same badge again and again with school as next badge up needed deeper water and further along group was using the pool. It was annoying.

I'd ask the current place wtf is going on and is she going on to the next group - I'd also ask around other parents see what their experiences are.

BertrandRussell · 20/11/2017 11:33

I knew before I opened this it would be about swimming. Greatest con since bottled water.

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 11:34

Slowlyshrinking
I’ll look into it thanks. I suppose because of the moves I’m fairly reluctant to choose to move again. Especially if they then do the same and insist on her starting at the same place again.

OP posts:

SlowlyShrinking · 20/11/2017 11:40

What they’d do is start encouraging her to put her head in the water and improve her stroke technique. Ime swimming clubs don’t bother with badges, but this may vary from place to place.

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 11:42

‘I did same badge again and again with school as next badge up needed deeper water and further along group was using the pool. It was annoying. ’

This is what seems to be getting to her, and I just don’t want her enthusiasm stamped out!

OP posts:

Jaxhog · 20/11/2017 11:57

I'd ask what she needs to do to get to stage 3. Ask them to explain what's holding her (or them) back from this.

shutitandtidyupgitface · 20/11/2017 11:58

If she passed stage 3 she would have got the badge, she clearly didn't pass it.

Caenea · 20/11/2017 12:01

Have a Google OP.

My old swimming club took children who could not swim at all, right up to competition levels.

I know that club still exists, actually - any chance you're anywhere near Heathrow?

WhatwouldAryado · 20/11/2017 12:02

My daughter spent ages, about 18 months, at stage 3 because she wouldn't get her face properly wet. What changed everything was a holiday with being in the pool 3 times a day. She totally changed from hating the water to loving it. Maybe take her out of weekly lessons and try an intensive course in a holiday and go swimming with her after each lesson?

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 12:12

I’m aware she didn’t pass stage3, my problem is that why would you issue another Stage2 badge to a child working towards Stage3 for the past year with you??

She had to do push&glide things front and back (they said she kept kicking her legs as opposed to gliding). Fair point she did and I thought she’d been working on this for the past year.

Now however she is starting with a whole new group of kids who have just got 5m and really don’t put their heads in.

OP posts:

shutitandtidyupgitface · 20/11/2017 12:16

my problem is that why would you issue another Stage2 badge to a child working towards Stage3 for the past year with you??

Because the alternative is to hand out badges to everyone else and tell your child that they failed Level 3 yet again and get nothing at all?

arethereanyleftatall · 20/11/2017 12:17

As a swimming teacher I can tell you the stages are massively open to interpretation. I teach in 2 different schools and stage 7 in one is the same standard as stage 2 in another. Same criteria. One requires perfect breaststroke legs before stage 2 is passed (can take years) and the other passes as soon as their legs go vaguely round in a circle.
Look at her strokes for progress, not the badge.

Original poster

Lollipop30 · 20/11/2017 12:17

Unfortunately not near Heathrow.

I’d like to take her myself but I can’t physically. Or at least not at the moment, hopefully after Xmas though.
I can’t decide whether stay with these and just do extra as well ourselves.
Or sack off lessons until she can swim well with us.

OP posts:

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