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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I've failed my 7 year old **Thread title edited by MNHQ**

61 replies

Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:12

I've enrolled dc into an intensive swimming course this half term. DC has been swimming with their Dad a couple of times a month for years and barely made any swimming progress despite him trying to teach skills.

Now age 7, I feel like dc is the only child (catastrophising obviously!) to be a non swimmer and that I ought to have paid for swimming lessons years before now.

Please tell me it is all fine! Grin

This post was edited by MNHQ

OP posts:
Catinthetwat · 19/02/2019 13:16

Unless you live on a boat - totally fine! Although an intensive swimming course might be a bit much.

shakeapoo · 19/02/2019 13:18

Of course it is!! 6 is still young. They've been in the pool so will have gained confidence even if they haven't gained skills. My DS is about to turn 6 and has only just started making progress in swimming. He's 1:1 now so doing great but was basically just splashing around until recently.

Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:19

It's only 5 days and I think the word 'intensive'sounds, well a bit intense but that is how they advertise it...it's 30 mins in the pool for 5 days having fun it seems😁

No boat dwelling here....

I suppose I feel embarrassed that all their friends are essentially fish and my little land lover is only just dipping their big toe in.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:20

Shakeapoo! Music to my ears 😊

OP posts:
Somuchroom · 19/02/2019 13:20

It’s fine!! I can’t swim, have tried, I sink. I can just about keep my head above water (doggy paddling ferociously) so never venture into the deep end. Has not made a jot of difference to my life. If it’s something that bothers dc then by all means invest a lot of time and effort, otherwise, it’s going to be ok!

Shookethtothecore · 19/02/2019 13:21

My 6yr old has had swimming lessons from October. He’s still a bit pants, but improving. Tbh he’s never near water without me and won’t be for a while so I think it’s a good age to start

Boom45 · 19/02/2019 13:22

My 6 year old can't swim. She's having lessons (with a bunch of other non-swimming 6 and 7 year olds). It's an important skill but she's still too young to be spending time unsupervised near open water so i don't think either of us need to worry just yet....

Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:22

Somuchroom thank you!

I'm surrounded by people utterly gobsmacked that DC isn't a competent and independent swimmer...

OP posts:
AmIRightOrAMeringue · 19/02/2019 13:23

My daughter is almost 4, goes to lessons, loves it

However she can't swim any proper strokes and can't swim unaided. I've taken her off and on since she was a baby

When they're little it's all about confidence in the water and getting them comfortable with putting their face under, getting their face and hair wet, confidence jumping in etc, rather than actually getting them to swim properly

If he he is comfortable in the water already that's half the battle and he will be fine

ShartGoblin · 19/02/2019 13:27

I was quite old when I learnt to swim, probably around 8. I was a weird independent child and didn't really learn by having someone teach me. One day I just pulled my arm bands off when no-one was looking and swam. I still remember the look on my nans face when I shouted "I can swim now" at her Grin

I'm not exactly going to be entering the olympics for my swimming skills but I'm no worse than most who managed it earlier.

Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:27

I love you all! 😘

I'll be telling all the Olympics wannabes to do one and leave my lovely non swimming but happy to stick head under water DC alone

OP posts:
Littlebelina · 19/02/2019 13:29

DS only started swimming lessons at 6. Now can swim a bit

Muddysnowdrop · 19/02/2019 13:29

My six year old has had a year of swimmming lessons and only just learned to swim

MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly · 19/02/2019 13:30

You don't live in Cambridge do you? It seems to be the thing here that all children can 100m butterfly by age 4.

bellinisurge · 19/02/2019 13:36

Totally fine. My dd isn't a strong swimmer and didn't really "get it" until she was in Year 5 and they did it with the school. I tried lessons but I could tell it wasn't working for her.
It only sort of worked because I would supplement the school ones by taking her myself and just trying to reinforce what she'd learned at her own pace in the local pool. I had to take her early because it got busy.
I have MS and swimming is pretty much all I can do in the sport department.

Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:39

Mydarlingwhatifyoufly How did you guess?!

OP posts:
waterrat · 19/02/2019 13:40

Oh god OP you could be me. I have a six year old who can't swim despite many attempts. Honestly - it's a ludicrous pressure on modern parents. As my parents pointed out to me it just wasn't worried about when we were young - I didn't learn until i was about 8 or 9 - and I just got there in the end splashing about with my dad in the pool.

I have actuallly cried with stress about swimming so I really sympathise - neither of my children are keen and both are overtaken by kids younger.

But - as someone said - there really is no hurry -

Best advice given to me was to cough up for 1 2 1 lessons if you have any real reason for it to be done quickly.

remember - children learn best when they are happy and having fun -ie. they learn through playing. A lot of modern swimming clsses appear very lacking in fun to me.

missbattenburg · 19/02/2019 13:40

I learned to swim when I was about 10 years old. I loved it and have been happy and comfortable in water ever since. I agree, being happy in the water is more than half the battle. Actually learning how to propel yourself is a much smaller deal.

I learned by having fun in the pool - just messing about with an adult who taught myself, my brother and his own two children through games.

waterrat · 19/02/2019 13:40

I'm in London and know lots of kids who can't swim at six.

MrPickles73 · 19/02/2019 13:42

My child has been going swimming since 6 months and having lessons. He is now 5 and can just about swim half a width

supersop60 · 19/02/2019 13:43

My DS couldn't swim till he was about 9, even though we had taken him and DD swimming since babyhood. He had a private lesson where the teacher bullied and terrified him, so that set him back, then we enrolled him on an intensive course and he just 'got it' from day 1. Now he's like Aquaman! They do it in their own time, I think. Don't worry OP.

Original poster
Wagonwheelsandjammydodgers · 19/02/2019 13:44

You've all reset my parenting compass, thank you!

OP posts:
Yabbers · 19/02/2019 13:45

DD9 has only just kind of learned to swim. Plenty of time yet.

Lots of parents don't have access to swimming lessons until their kids learn at school. I couldn't swim as a 6 year old either.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 19/02/2019 13:45

Don't even worry about it. My 4 year old has been doing swimming lessons for a year and has learned... nothing. This week he's attending a similar course to your DS's (except his is a 5 quid course for qualifying teachers) and I fully expect he will learn....nothing.

He enjoys it though, and the lessons make me take him regularly, without me having to get my hair wet - that's about all.

Danni91 · 19/02/2019 13:46

My boys 8 And has no interest in learning to swim. But he will have to at some time.
I'm 27 and I can't swim