I’ve NC for this but bits of this will be recognizable as I’ve posted about it under other names.
My DD, aged almost 4, currently swims once a week for an hour. I pay for the lessons but her childcare take her to her lesson every week along with other children from the CC who also swim at the same time.
My DD loves swimming, talks about it constantly. She loves getting her certificates and badges.
A term is 10 lessons but there is no gaps between the terms IYSWIM (private day Nursery open 51 weeks a year so they go in the school holidays too) current term ends at the end of July, I’ve paid for the lessons up to that point but stopped the automatic payments, as the next block of 10 would take us into the school year and DD starts school in September and the timings of the lessons means she’ll be in school during her current lesson.
I want to give her a break from lessons over the holidays and until at least October half term. I am doing this with all extracurricular activities. DD has Additional Needs and I am not sure how she will cope with starting school and then all her extra classes changing to so to give her a big break will do her good for me to then either reintroduce them or not depending on how she copes with school.
I would do Saturdays but DD goes to her dads EOW and despite me asking and the courts telling him ExH (court said unfortunately they can tell him to take her but can’t force him) will not take DD to any classes in his time even if I pay and provide all equipment. He could easily take her as he lives closer to the pool than I do but he just won’t and the T&Cs with the swim school state that if more than 2 lessons are missed in a term without a good reason (illness or holiday are accepted but contact with other parent isn’t) then the space is offered to someone else. This means I can only take after school, and I’m just not sure if she’ll be able to cope, or even we can fit it in.
She will still be going swimming with me at least once a fortnight, and her school will take her to a different pool for the summer terms of Reception and Year 1 so her skills won’t be wasted and I really hope that we will be able to take up lessons again by Christmas as DD really does love them.
The swim school are not happy about this. I’m not breaking any terms or conditions (I checked my contract with them) as I have paid up until the last lesson, but the swim school prefer the school starters to transfer to one of their other lessons either after school or on a Saturday. They keep ringing me offering me extra lessons for “free” or telling me they’ll ensure that I can get DD into the lesson I want at a time to suit.
I am just about ready to send them an email thanking them for trying to help but the constant pestering is putting me off using them in the future, and I would like them to respect my decision. AIBU?